councilor.org
| Source | R. Bleier |
| Date | 99/05/01/21:35 |
| > /* Written 9:03 PM May 13, 1998 by rbleier@igc.org in igc:p.news */ > /* ---------- "[PNEWS] DESIP: Addendum #4; Part 2" ---------- */ > > NO TO NANOTECHNOLOGY > > In an age of growing awareness of the impact of human > activity on the earth's diminishing resources, many look > to more powerful and expanding technologies in order to > maintain our standard of living as our populations and > economic activity continue to grow. > > Nanotechnology is a process based on micro-electronic > systems which manipulate particles as small as the atom > and its constituent particles, For many, nanotechnology > represents a leading hope for a breakthrough technique > promising a revolutionary impact on the quality of our > lives. > > From a theoretical viewpoint, however, it is inconceivable > that nanotechnology can deliver on the promise that many > hope for, argues Robert Mueller, a science writer and a > former NASA scientist, in an article adapted by Real World > ("Just a Waste of Energy,"Winter 1996/7) from an article > in Earth First Journal. > > Mueller points out that the second law of thermodynamics > raises fundamental questions about the premise and the > promise of technological systems like nanotechnogy to > dissolve the contradictions between growing human demand > and the finite limits of the earth's resources. > > The second law of thermodynamics "states that the disorder > or 'entropy' of any isolated system always spontaneously > increases. In practical terms this means that although we > can create technological order in local parts of the > environment (e.g. an industrial site) there inevitably > will be created a concomitant greater quantity of > disorder, not only at that site, but in external regions > from which ordering elements such as energy and materials > were drawn. > > Mueller illustrates his view that greater disorder is > caused by attempts at technological control, by pointing > to some examples which are commonly regarded as marvels of > human ingenuity. He argues out that current attempts at > "supercontrol" of medical procedures like organ > transplants and life support systems are so costly in > terms of their material requirements that they drive up > the costs of medical care beyond the reach of many who > will never need these extreme procedures. > > Mueller also points to the enormous expense of maintaining > the "monotonous monocultures of agribusiness" and to the > "trimmed herbicide and pesticide-saturated yards, > roadsides and other artificially vegetated areas," and the > "inefficient estates of 'hobby agriculture', like golf > courses, that destructively enslave more thousands of > square miles, as well as the large expanses of public land > devot ed to deficit timber, grazing and mining operations > by the federal government. > > Mueller argues that proponents of technology tend to > ignore the importance of wilderness as a crucial locus > originating and sustaining life. He concludes with his > view of wilderness as the place where the natural regimen > of harmony between order and disorder can operate. He > believes that if humanity is to flourish, we must preserve > wilderness and not continue to destroy it. |
Copyright (c) 1998, Joongpil Cho