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Murphy, J. (ed.) (2007) Governing Technology for Sustainability, Earthscan, London. [224 pages]
In a world of growing complexity and dwindling resources, the relationship between technology and sustainability is a pressing issue of concern at the highest levels. This book improves our understanding by examining the ways that people, technology and governance shape each other with implications for sustainability. It is the first book to link technology studies and governance research to this problem.
Contributions from leading environmental social scientists are included, with each chapter reporting on new research and tackling complex, but vital issues. Drawing on examples such as wave and tidal power, wind power, micro-generation, community waste recycling and eco-housing, the book provides powerful new insights into the governance of technology for sustainability. A detailed introduction and conclusion discuss existing research directions and identify the contribution that the book makes in advancing our understanding of the people-technology-governace nexus and its implications for sustainability.
This is essential reading for all those in academia, government and industry working at the critical interface between how we develop, deploy and govern technology in the pursuit of sustainability.
Reviews
“The [Economic and Social Research Council's] Sustainable Technologies Program (STP) ran from 2002-2006 with the objective '…to advance understanding of what makes technologies sustainable and the roles technological and behavioral change can play in achieving more sustainable futures.' It consisted of 13 projects and 2 fellowships. All projects have been of high academic quality, and the academic quality of some of them was excellent. Moreover, many projects were highly innovative, and most were highly interdisciplinary... All PIs valued... efforts to create communication among the projects in the form of workshops, a consumption network, and a governance network which led to the book edited by Joseph Murphy. This resulted in the creation of a virtual network in the UK of researchers who know each other and each other’s work...The appearance of Governing Technology for Sustainability is certainly a great success of the STP, and it brings together a lot of empirical work with a theoretical framework on governance.” (From the internal review of STP conducted by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council)
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