Tag Archives: History of technology

Technology in a Post-Growth World: Lessons from the 1970s AT Movement

Posted on May 13, 2019 by

Hello again! This post about lessons we could learn from the 1970s Appropriate/Alternative Technology movement is derived from a presentation I gave at Helsinki Sustainability Science Days 2019, 9.5.2019. The entire presentation can be found here. The above presentation and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy and the Environment, History of technology, My publications, Notes in process, Politics, post-scarcity | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Energy transitions: is everything different this time?

Posted on June 23, 2016 by

The debate about whether transition to low-carbon energy would be faster or slower than previous energy transitions somewhat misses the point. The real problem is whether this time everything is different and whether the low-carbon energy revolution will be complete … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecomodernism, Energy, History of technology | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

What the necessity mothers: energy shortage and the development of copper smelting furnaces, 1900-1980

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

An old adage tells us that necessity is the mother of invention. But if necessity were the prime mover of invention, why, then, there are so many really nifty technologies – say, antigravity – that would be obviously useful, yet … Continue reading →

Posted in History of technology, Innovation, Scarcities and constraints | Tagged , , | 1 Comment