Slow Technology
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Slow Technology[edit]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Slow technology is the rational use of state-of-the-art technology during development (in particular at the design stage), where “rational use” indicates a high consideration to the environmental, social and economic impacts of the deployment of that technology. Roughly speaking, given a problem, if a technology cannot be shown to be integral to the solution, then it must not be used.
Slow technology is a response to the overconsumption of high technology.[1], a trend that is not sustainable in the long run. It is to be distinguished from low technology by the fact that it embraces high-tech, so long as its use is carefully justified, and the above-mentioned impacts are properly quantified. Slow tech also involves developing a solution over a long timescale, to some respect to avoid the bandwagon effect but mostly to ensure high quality. This is to be likened to the development of a medical drug, for which the median time to market in North America is about 12 years.[2]
Origins[edit]
The term “slow tech” first appeared in 2009, in "Slow-Tech: Manifesto for an Over-wound World" by Andrew Price[3]. It was later used by academics[4] and advocates for digital sobriety[5]
Design principles[edit]
In slow tech, designers and engineers are urged to take into account sustainability issues[6] in their design. Put simply by Patrignani and Whitehouse, the end product should be “good, clean and fair”[7].
Repairability and recycling[edit]
Slow tech products can be repaired, rather than replaced. The skills required to fix a product should not be high (ideally such that the consumer is able to do so), and the necessary components must be widely available. In that respect, slow tech draws inspiration from the “right to repair” movement.
When repair is not possible, slow tech products can be largely recycled, or their end of life is otherwise not a burden on the environment. These issues should be integrated into the design specification to help professionals make more informed decisions. For example, the following questions should be answered:
- Can this product be recycled? If so, at what proportion, and in what way?
Scientific research on materials can provide perspective, background, methods, and data for designing with materials so as to minimize their environmental impact.
Accessibility[edit]
Slow tech solutions take into account the breadth of possible consumer profiles.
References and Sources[edit]
- ↑ Wiedmann, Thomas; Lenzen, Manfred; Keyßer, Lorenz T.; Steinberger, Julia K. (December 2020). "Scientists' warning on affluence". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 3107. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.3107W. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16941-y. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7305220 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 32561753 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Lexchin, Joel (2021-07-05). "Time to market for drugs approved in Canada between 2014 and 2018: an observational study". BMJ Open. 11 (7): e047557. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047557. ISSN 2044-6055. PMC 8258566 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 34226224 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Price, Andrew (2009). Slow-tech : manifesto for an overwound world. New York: Atlantic Books Ltd. ISBN 978-0-85789-161-7. OCLC 792685960. Search this book on
- ↑ Patrignani, Norberto (2018). Slow tech and ICT : a responsible, sustainable and ethical approach. Diane Whitehouse. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-319-68944-9. OCLC 1013822221. Search this book on
- ↑ Bordage, Frédéric (2021). Tendre vers la sobriété numérique : je passe à l'acte. Marie Morelle. Arles. ISBN 978-2-330-10928-8. OCLC 1285920052. Search this book on
- ↑ Green networking and communications : ICT for sustainability. Shafiullah Khan, Jaime Lloret Mauri. Boca Raton. 2014. ISBN 978-1-4665-6875-4. OCLC 864700162. Search this book on
- ↑ Patrignani, Norberto; Whitehouse, Diane (2015-01-01). David Kreps and Dr Kai Kimppa, Dr, ed. "Slow tech: bridging computer ethics and business ethics". Information Technology & People. 28 (4): 775–789. doi:10.1108/ITP-08-2015-0191. ISSN 0959-3845.
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