Why green technology will not save us from ourselves | Sheila Jasanoff, Erik Swyngedouw, Paul Stein

The Technological Skeptic's View00:00:39

Erik Swyngedouw argues that technology is not a climate solution because it is embedded in growth-oriented markets. He highlights the Jevons paradox, notes that green tech often addresses symptoms rather than root causes, and discusses the environmental costs associated with the extraction of minerals for 'green' infrastructure.

The Pro-Technology Argument00:04:48

Paul Stein contends that technology is the only realistic lever to pull, as large-scale behavioral change has historically failed. He advocates for aggressive decarbonization of the grid, sustainable fuels, and efficiency, arguing that we must embrace innovation to support growing global populations and economies.

Questioning the Framework00:07:16

Sheila Jasanoff moderates the discussion, proposing that the core issue is not technology itself, but the societal benchmarks we set. She argues that adopting the most energy-intensive, consumption-heavy lifestyles as the global ideal is a political choice that cannot be solved by machinery alone.

Nature and Political Alternatives00:10:50

The panel explores the exploitative nature of growth-based systems. Swyngedouw calls for the abandonment of false hope in 'green tech' in favor of a democratic, egalitarian management of the commons, suggesting that the path forward requires radical politicization rather than relying on technological fixes.