Eng
Eng
In what ways might new technological developments change and shape our relationship with nature? This article discusses the background to and approach of a futures study on this topic by STT.
While ecological crises are not new, recent years have been marked by a growing stream of reports, news articles, and books on various sustainability issues that are increasingly manifesting themselves. Goals related to reducing CO2 emissions and restoring biodiversity seem out of reach, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing. And that’s not to mention the multitude of sustainability challenges that arise from or are exacerbated by these issues, such as soil degradation, ocean acidification, eutrophication, salinization, water scarcity, and food insecurity. We live in an era where ecological crises are increasing and intensifying. The complexity and interdependence of ecosystems and their functions are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Resource scarcity, COVID, the nitrogen crisis, drought, floods – countless problems point to the delicate relationships between different ecosystems and confront us with the dependence of our social systems on these ecological systems.
Although collective awareness of the seriousness and urgency of these problems seems to be growing, visions vary widely on how to address them effectively and desirably. Technology often plays a prominent role in these discussions. At one extreme are those who see technology as the solution to all kinds of sustainability challenges. At the other extreme are those who see technology as a threat to a sustainable world and advocate for behavioral change rather than technological change. In other words, those who believe in techno-salvation [1] versus those who fear techno-tragedy. Science journalist Charles C. Mann identified these two polarized archetypes as the wizard and the prophet, respectively (Stellinga, 2022; Van Noort, 2018).
Of course, people cannot be divided into one of these two groups in such a black-and-white way. There is a whole spectrum of views regarding the role of technology in relation to sustainability and nature. But it is clear that the way technology is perceived, experienced, promoted, and deployed affects the way we look at nature and our relationship with it, and vice versa.
[1] A term coined by Robert Gifford, professor of psychology and environmental studies (Van Lonkhuyzen, L. (2022, July 4). Climate change, people prefer not to think about it. Why? NRC. Retrieved on August 11, 2022, from https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2022/07/04/klimaatverandering-blocken-we-liever-uit-ons-brein-waarom-a4135496 (article is Dutch)).
The way humans and nature relate to each other has been a recurring topic for writers, philosophers, scientists, artists, and others throughout history. Ideas about this relationship are not static and change over time, shaping and being shaped by human action.
Technology has played a role in various ways in the evolving relationship between humans and nature. For example, new scientific methods and tools have given us more insight into animal experiences, contributing to awareness of similarities between species. This refuted the earlier dominant idea that animals were a kind of machines, unable to think and feel like humans. Another way technology has played an (indirect) role is through the technology-driven industrial revolution. The urbanization and other societal changes that came with this transition led to both a sense of alienation from nature and its romanticization. And in the current Anthropocene era, the use of various high-tech applications has had a major impact on nature. This has led to both a call for more (different types of) technology and a plea for less technology for the benefit of nature.
Looking back, we can recognize technological developments that have influenced and changed the relationship between humans and nature in the past. But how will future technological innovations and applications play a role in the way we look at and interact with nature?
Will technology in the future be used to redefine perceived planetary boundaries – as argued in ecomodernism (Stellinga, 2022)? Or will it be utilized to live and produce more in harmony with nature, and draw inspiration from nature? Consider concepts growing in popularity such as nature-based solutions, biomimicry, and biodesign. Will the perceived distinction between nature and technology gradually disappear in the future, and will we witness an unprecedented fusion of the two? This latter view is in line with, among others, the vision of the Next Nature Network, which identifies a new kind of nature made by humans and seeks to deploy technology for a more natural world (Next Nature Network, n.d.).
Societal implications
These questions challenge us not to automatically assume an extrapolation of the present. They also inspire us to bring into focus and imagine what does not yet exist but may come into existence in the future. What will technological changes come to mean for existing paradigms and perspectives? Will technological innovations reinforce existing dominant nature images, or will new nature images emerge? And how could these future relationships between humans and nature then have consequences for the way we develop and apply technology? Fascinating issues to ponder!
Painting a picture of the ways in which future technological developments could change our relationship with nature is more than just fascinating. The different relationships that could develop will have different implications for what our world and society will look like and bring with them different ethical and societal issues. Reflecting on this helps us to view technologies not in isolation, but to envision their broader meaning and influence. This is a prerequisite for reflection and discussion regarding their effectiveness and desirability, and hopefully this exploration of the future will encourage such reflection and discussion.
This futures research aims to map out how new technological developments could change the relationship between humans and nature.
Since it is not about predicting the future and the future can unfold in different ways, it will involve outlining various directions in which this relationship could develop. These future scenarios are not an end in themselves, but a means to create awareness about possible future directions, stimulate imagination, and invite reflection, discussion, and action.
Technology and society shape each other in a process of mutual influence. The choice to take new technological developments as a starting point in this exploration is therefore not intended to suggest one-way causality, but to take future technological developments as a lens and delimit and guide the research accordingly.
This research aims to answer the following central question:
How might new technological developments influence the relationship between humans and nature in the future, and what do we see as a desirable perspective in this regard?
To this end, answers will be sought to the following sub-questions:
To explore these questions, a wide range of stakeholders including Symbiose will be involved. Stimulating public discussion and reflection will play an important role in this process. As this research at The Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends progresses, developments will be shared in new articles on this website.
Literature
The original text is translated to English by Bertrand Burgers.
While ecological crises are not new, recent years have been marked by a growing stream of reports, news articles, and books on various sustainability issues that are increasingly manifesting themselves. Goals related to reducing CO2 emissions and restoring biodiversity seem out of reach, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing. And that’s not to mention the multitude of sustainability challenges that arise from or are exacerbated by these issues, such as soil degradation, ocean acidification, eutrophication, salinization, water scarcity, and food insecurity. We live in an era where ecological crises are increasing and intensifying. The complexity and interdependence of ecosystems and their functions are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Resource scarcity, COVID, the nitrogen crisis, drought, floods – countless problems point to the delicate relationships between different ecosystems and confront us with the dependence of our social systems on these ecological systems.
Although collective awareness of the seriousness and urgency of these problems seems to be growing, visions vary widely on how to address them effectively and desirably. Technology often plays a prominent role in these discussions. At one extreme are those who see technology as the solution to all kinds of sustainability challenges. At the other extreme are those who see technology as a threat to a sustainable world and advocate for behavioral change rather than technological change. In other words, those who believe in techno-salvation [1] versus those who fear techno-tragedy. Science journalist Charles C. Mann identified these two polarized archetypes as the wizard and the prophet, respectively (Stellinga, 2022; Van Noort, 2018).
Of course, people cannot be divided into one of these two groups in such a black-and-white way. There is a whole spectrum of views regarding the role of technology in relation to sustainability and nature. But it is clear that the way technology is perceived, experienced, promoted, and deployed affects the way we look at nature and our relationship with it, and vice versa.
[1] A term coined by Robert Gifford, professor of psychology and environmental studies (Van Lonkhuyzen, L. (2022, July 4). Climate change, people prefer not to think about it. Why? NRC. Retrieved on August 11, 2022, from https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2022/07/04/klimaatverandering-blocken-we-liever-uit-ons-brein-waarom-a4135496 (article is Dutch)).
The way humans and nature relate to each other has been a recurring topic for writers, philosophers, scientists, artists, and others throughout history. Ideas about this relationship are not static and change over time, shaping and being shaped by human action.
Technology has played a role in various ways in the evolving relationship between humans and nature. For example, new scientific methods and tools have given us more insight into animal experiences, contributing to awareness of similarities between species. This refuted the earlier dominant idea that animals were a kind of machines, unable to think and feel like humans. Another way technology has played an (indirect) role is through the technology-driven industrial revolution. The urbanization and other societal changes that came with this transition led to both a sense of alienation from nature and its romanticization. And in the current Anthropocene era, the use of various high-tech applications has had a major impact on nature. This has led to both a call for more (different types of) technology and a plea for less technology for the benefit of nature.
Looking back, we can recognize technological developments that have influenced and changed the relationship between humans and nature in the past. But how will future technological innovations and applications play a role in the way we look at and interact with nature?
Will technology in the future be used to redefine perceived planetary boundaries – as argued in ecomodernism (Stellinga, 2022)? Or will it be utilized to live and produce more in harmony with nature, and draw inspiration from nature? Consider concepts growing in popularity such as nature-based solutions, biomimicry, and biodesign. Will the perceived distinction between nature and technology gradually disappear in the future, and will we witness an unprecedented fusion of the two? This latter view is in line with, among others, the vision of the Next Nature Network, which identifies a new kind of nature made by humans and seeks to deploy technology for a more natural world (Next Nature Network, n.d.).
Societal implications
These questions challenge us not to automatically assume an extrapolation of the present. They also inspire us to bring into focus and imagine what does not yet exist but may come into existence in the future. What will technological changes come to mean for existing paradigms and perspectives? Will technological innovations reinforce existing dominant nature images, or will new nature images emerge? And how could these future relationships between humans and nature then have consequences for the way we develop and apply technology? Fascinating issues to ponder!
Painting a picture of the ways in which future technological developments could change our relationship with nature is more than just fascinating. The different relationships that could develop will have different implications for what our world and society will look like and bring with them different ethical and societal issues. Reflecting on this helps us to view technologies not in isolation, but to envision their broader meaning and influence. This is a prerequisite for reflection and discussion regarding their effectiveness and desirability, and hopefully this exploration of the future will encourage such reflection and discussion.
This futures research aims to map out how new technological developments could change the relationship between humans and nature.
Since it is not about predicting the future and the future can unfold in different ways, it will involve outlining various directions in which this relationship could develop. These future scenarios are not an end in themselves, but a means to create awareness about possible future directions, stimulate imagination, and invite reflection, discussion, and action.
Technology and society shape each other in a process of mutual influence. The choice to take new technological developments as a starting point in this exploration is therefore not intended to suggest one-way causality, but to take future technological developments as a lens and delimit and guide the research accordingly.
This research aims to answer the following central question:
How might new technological developments influence the relationship between humans and nature in the future, and what do we see as a desirable perspective in this regard?
To this end, answers will be sought to the following sub-questions:
To explore these questions, a wide range of stakeholders including Symbiose will be involved. Stimulating public discussion and reflection will play an important role in this process. As this research at The Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends progresses, developments will be shared in new articles on this website.
Literature
The original text is translated to English by Bertrand Burgers.
© 2024 Symbiose All Rights Reserved.
© 2024 Symbiose All Rights Reserved.
