ISS1010 - Lecture 08 - Ecology & Technology - 2012

7/17/2012
Professor David M. Long

davelong@sociologist.com
• Ecology: Science concerned with the

interactions between living things and their
environment
• Nature seeks ecological balance
– Changes very slowly over time
– Modern society causes rapid ecological change
• Human ecology deals with how human societies
adjust to their environment
• Human beings inhabit the biosphere,

which is composed of three subordinate
layers
– Lithosphere: The solid earth, or outer crust of
rock, sand, and soil.
– Hydrosphere: The watery realm. About 97
percent of it is the oceans.
– Atmosphere: The thin layer of gasses, mainly
nitrogen and oxygen.
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• Human technological societies have

created two additional super-ordinate
layers
– Noosphere: Refers to the symbols and
other forms of nonmaterial culture produced
by societies
– Technosphere: Refers to the technology,
structures, products, and electromagnetic
emissions ( e.g., radio waves) derived from
material culture
• Population quadrupled to 6.3 billion

• Energy use increased 16X
– Industrial production grew 40X
– Water use increased 9X
– Carbon Dioxide emissions increased 17X
– Sulphur emissions increased 13X
– Other air pollutants increased 5X
• Fishing catch increased 35X
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• Potentially Catastrophic Environmental

Threats
1. Global warming
2. Pollution (acid rain)
3. Erosion of fertile soil & animal habitats
4. Tropical deforestation and accelerated
desertification
5. Scarcity of fresh drinking water
6. Genetic homogeneity of livestock
7. “Suicide seed” & Agro-business Corporations
8. Hazardous waste disposal
9. Rapid migration of viruses
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REGIONS PRESENTLY EXPERIENCING

WATER SCARCITY, 2010
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• Technology includes the tools, as well as the

means and methods that humans use to
interact with environment
• Technology is important to culture
– Modern technological innovations cause social
change
– Culture influences which technologies are
acceptable and how they are used
– Example: impact of food preservation → canning vs.
refrigeration vs. irradiation
• Cultural change occurs more rapidly as human

reasoning and tool making become
progressively more sophisticated
• Significant technological innovations of the past
include:
– New uses for human teeth, hands, brain
– Fire and cooking
– Soap and hygiene
– Wooden shelters
– Spears, bows and arrows
– Pottery and textiles
– Writing
• The Industrial Revolution transformed Europe

from a domestic (home handicraft) system to a
capitalist industrial system
• Industrialization initially produced goods that
were already widely used and in great demand
(cotton products, iron, and pottery)
• Manufacturing shifted from homes to factories
where production was large scale and cheap
• Industrialization fueled a new kind of urban
growth in which factories clustered together in
regions where coal and labor were cheap
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• Industrial Revolution began in England around

1760, but was not influential in France.
– The French did not have to transform their domestic
manufacturing system in order to increase production
because it could draw on a larger labor force.
– England, however, was already operating at maximum
production so that in order to increase yields
innovation was necessary.
• Support of larger population became possible

– Population increases
– Death rate falls
– Standard of living increases
• Armies and weapons cost less (war increases)
• Low-cost cars remove geographic restrictions
– Migration, cities grow
• Low-cost tools increase farm productivity
– Lower food prices
– Fewer farmers needed, cities grow
• Concepts & Innovations

– Standardization
• Possible due to measurement improvements
• Needs of armed forced drove changes
– Interchangeability
• John Hall, precision machine production
• Accelerates pace of Industrial Revolution
– Mass Production
• Henry Ford, assembly line production
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• Widespread dissatisfaction and protest occur as

alienated workers experience a decline in status-
value
• Commodification of labor and the introduction of
hourly wage pay
• Owners’ status-value increases (wealth
accumulates)
– Newly-rich industrialists move into society
– Bring new social values (business-related)
• Early 19th century, machine industry and factory

system develop
• Governmental policies that restricted textile
imports created a growth opportunity in U.S.
– The example set by the textile industry’s success results
in the spread of industrial principles throughout American
businesses
• American industrial advantages included a rapid
market growth, plentiful raw materials, good
wages for workers
• Economy driven by commercial wants and

resources
– Technology holds key to growth, solution to shortages
– Will world run out of resources before resulting
pollution peaks?
• Culture shaped by resource availability
– Example: growth of cities
– Political, social effects of global warming
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• Does technology inevitably result in pollution?

• Pure air and water becoming scarce
• “Not In My Backyard” mentality
– Do we want more goods or a more pristine
environment?
– Costs and restrictions prohibitive
• Tragedy of the Commons
– Environmental issues have local, regional, and
international dimensions
– Demand for energy and raw materials continues to
increase
• Technology increases globalization

– Specialization of services and trade increase
– Transfer of production facilities to less expensive and
legally restrictive areas
• Internet speeds up globalization
• Shift of routine jobs to machines automation
• Specialized skills in demand
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7/17/2012

Professor David M. Long

• Ecology: Science concerned with the

• Human beings inhabit the biosphere,

• Human technological societies have

• Population quadrupled to 6.3 billion

• Potentially Catastrophic Environmental

REGIONS PRESENTLY EXPERIENCING

• Technology includes the tools, as well as the

• Cultural change occurs more rapidly as human

• The Industrial Revolution transformed Europe

• Industrial Revolution began in England around

• Support of larger population became possible

• Concepts & Innovations

• Widespread dissatisfaction and protest occur as

• Early 19th century, machine industry and factory

• Economy driven by commercial wants and

• Does technology inevitably result in pollution?

• Technology increases globalization

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