Central to Western thought has been the idea that through science and technology we are able to understand the world and improve our circumstances. Green tech is seemingly a contemporary example, with the aim of providing a clean solution to our energy needs. But critics argue the solution is flawed. The production of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries is energy-intensive, fossil fuel-reliant, and generates toxic waste. Electric cars require six times the mineral inputs of conventional ones. Demand for the resources is generating international tension and encouraging land grabs for supplies across Africa, South America, and in the US 'deal' to own Ukrainian mines.
Is it a mistake to see science and technology as the primary means to solve our problems? Does technology necessarily bring its own risks and embed an exploitative relation to the natural world? Or is it the miraculous means by which human experience has been transformed from short lives devoted to finding food, shelter and safety to ones where everyday needs and comforts are provided for the great majority?
