The ideas of appropriate technology grew out of a sense that something was seriously wrong with a way of life that allowed the squandering of natural resources—and money—for questionable material gains. Some people responded to the deteriorating physical, social, and economic environment by developing more meaningful and equitable life-styles and communities. Others went “back to the land” to explore the values of self-sufficiency. Still others honed their political and organizing skills by working for human rights and economic justice. All are now coming together to form a social and political force that has the potential to change the course of our society.
The pieces collected here are the philosophical stepping stones that have helped shape the techniques, values, tools, and politics of appropriate technology. They are intended as a companion to RAINBOOK: RESOURCES FoR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, which documents the manifestations of the ideas presented here. And they include a number of new, important responses to the question about what lies beyond appropriate technology.
Lane de Moll is co-editor of Rain Magazine (Journal of Appropriate Technology) and Gigi Coe is with the California Office of Appropriate Technology.
Author(s): Gigi Coe, Lane De Moll
Publisher: Schocken Books
Year: 1978
Language: English
Commentary: ocr + file size optimization
Pages: 212
Tags: appropriate technology
Part I—THE PARTY’S OVER Horsedrawn Tools and the Doctrine of
Labor-Saving—Wendell Berry
Introduction
Size
Speak to the Earth and It Shall Teach Thee—C. R.
On Size—Leopold Kohr
Ashbee
Small Business: Testimony to the Senate Small
Changing Possibilities—Tom Bender
Business Committee—Barry Stein
Lessons—Siewart Brand
The Briarpatch Network—Andy Alpine
Net Energy
It Takes Energy to Get Energy—Wilson Clark Sustainability
The Soil and Health—Sir Albert Howard
Energy, Ecology and Economics—Howard T.
Forest Farming—J. Sholto Douglas & Robert Hart
Odum
Cosmic Economics—Joel Schatz & Tom Bender Biotechnology—John Todd
Energy Strategy: The Road Not Taken—Amory
Value and Values Lovins
Clothesline Paradox—Siteve Baer
Simplicity
Household Economy—Scott Burns
Voluntary Simplicity—Richard Gregg :
Buddhist Economics—E. F. Schumacher
On Citizenship and Conscience—Wendell Berry
Conscious Culture of Poverty—E. F. Schumacher
Building with Mudbrick—Hassan Fathy
New Values—Tom Bender
An Ecologically Sound Architecture Is
Technology for What and for Whom Possible—Malcolm Wells
Radical Monopoly—ivan Illich
Part III—BEYOND APPROPRIATE
isn’t Nature Neutral?—Frances Moore Lappé &
TECHNOLOGY
Joseph Collins
Introduction
Time to Stop—E. F. Schumacher Flight from Freedom—Kar! Hess
Technology with a Human Face—E. F. Schumacher
Why Big Business Loves A.T.—Tom Bender
Can Americans Convert to Lower Energy
Part !i—APPROPRIATE T2CHNGLOGY
Use?—Margaret Mead
DEFINITIONS
Nurturing a Responsible Agriculture-—Gil Friend
Introduction Independent Cities: Changing the Nature of
from A.T. and State Government—Sim VanderRyn Economic Development—David Morris
from Big and/or Little?—Wilson Clark Neighborhood Energy: Designing for Democracy in
from Towards a Liberatory Technology—Murray
the 1980s—Lee Johnson
Bookchin Getting Through the Looking Glass—Tom Bender
from Rainbook—Tom Bender
Nature of Tools—livan Illich RESOURCES
