So how can we norrow the ‘gap’? One way is ‘international technology transfer’. Some new technologies from industrialized countries could be adopted by poorer ones. This would help the poorer counties to become more ecenomically stronger. For example, Africa as mentioned above, but they have to overcome their political problems first.
So in conclusion I believe that the gap between the rich and the poor is due to the Technological development and is increasing.
“The poor are getting richer but the rich are getting richer at an even faster rate”.
References
“Hoover Institution Press, 1999, paperback
Walter, W.E. 1999, “MORE LIBERTY MEANS LESS GOVERNMENT:
Our Founders Knew This Well, Hoover Institution Press.
Defining the Technology Gap [online], 1998. Available:
[Accessed 25 March 2004].
Johnston.S.,Gostelow.P.,Jones E,1999, Engineering and Society, 2nd edn,Australia
Ahfock, T (ed) 2004, Technology and Society Study Book, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, pp 1.1-2.18.
Question 2
Achieving sustainability may be difficult, even impossible, but our aim to reach that goal should always be taken seriously. Do you agree? Provide clear arguments to support your position.
Sustainability is a state or condition that can be maintained over an indefinite period of time.
Sustainable Development, as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission), is "the capacity to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Yes, I believe that we should try to achieve sustainability because with the unprecedented growth of the human population and technologies it has impacted on the environment. The amount of human impact has steadily increased in scale. The evidence indicates that human activities now effect ecological cycles and the earth’s ability to support living things.
While human impact has increased, scientific knowledge and public awareness of the environment and our dependence on it have increased as well. The more interest in sustainability the more the understanding.
History shows that society has dealt with environmental problems in a reactive way. For example species that were disappearing were protected after the population got to critical levels and then threatened by extinction. Water quality policies were introduced after some rivers were so polluted that fish and aquatic life died.
Still, we have achieved allot of success in resolving many local and regional environmental problems by using scientific knowledge and technological tools on a case-by-case basis. For example in my field of work, Civil engineering, the introduction of GPT (Gross Pollutent Traps) for the discharge of stormwater into our waterways has been implemented by most Council's.
However in the 80’s & 90’s brought to light environmental problems in a global scale, climate change, ozone depletion and loss of biodiversity.
Many policy makers now acknowledge that a more comprehensive, integrated, long-term approach is needed. Thinking in terms of sustainability may be an important part of this approach.
Another factor, which has affected people to think in terms of sustainability, is the growing awareness that environmental problems are often linked to social and economic problems.
Some people may think that the depletion of our natural resources is not a major concern. They believe that before the particular resource runs out we would have found an alternative. For example the use of coal/coke to heat homes is not widely used anymore as we have alternatives ways to do so. Maybe instead of fossil fuel to power our cars we might have invented a more efficient way of harnessing the solar energy to power them. But I think we don’t won’t to take that chance.
The extreme pressure on our ecosystem in the last few decades has resulted from the doubling of our global population, quintupling of world economic output, and extreme disparities in income distribution (). It would seem that there are three potential scenarios – unrestricted growth of population and economy, limitations on growth imposed by natural systems, or a self-imposed limit to growth (). Realistically, only the latter two scenarios are possible, and the last is the most desirable by far. Sustainability is about establishing self-imposed limits to growth and finding a self-imposed state of balance
Just as human decisions affect the environment at many levels, so too the need for sustainability exists at many levels. Even with agreement that sustainability is a priority, there may be disagreement on the methods or practices that best stimulate movement toward the goal. Different factions within a community, different engineers or managers within a corporation, or different political leaders at the national or international level may have very different ideas about what policies will make a community, company, nation, or the world more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. And ideas about how sustainability can be achieved are sure to continue to evolve.
In summary, the concept of sustainability implies working toward a balance between the needs of all people, present and future, and the needs of the environment, in part because the environment is the source that provides for all human needs.
References
International institute for sustainable development, [online], 2003. Available:
[Accessed 28 March 2004].
World Resources Institute, [online], 2004. Available:
[Accessed 28 March 2004].
Ahfock, T (ed) 2004, Technology and Society Study Book, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, pp 3.1-4.8.
Question 3
A conservative government would effect the engineering (or surveying) profession differently compared to a more liberal government. Do you agree? Provide clear arguments to support your position
Certainly, I agree that a conservative government and a liberal government would effect the engineering profession. Here are some differences:
- Conservatives believe in limited government. Liberals believe in intrusive government when required to achieve societal needs. (Exception: social-issues conservatives advocate government intrusion on matters of abortion, drugs and pornography.)
- Conservatives believe in individual freedom and responsibility. Liberals believe in sacrificing individual freedom for socially desirable outcomes. Liberals believe that one of government's primary roles is social engineering.
- Conservatives believe in free markets. Liberals believe in government controls and central planning.
- Conservatives believe that some problems have no solution, that they can only be mitigated at best. Liberals believe that most every problem has a government solution.
- Conservatives are concerned about the production of wealth. Liberals are concerned about the redistribution of it.
- Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity. Liberals believe in equality of outcome.
- Conservatives are nationalists. Liberals hope for world government.
- Conservatives believe in peace through strength. Liberals believe in peace through cooperation and good will.
There are different degrees of each ideology. Below shows the different the government would have.
Courtesy of -
Personally before starting this module I didn’t know the difference, but after some reading and research I have become aware that there is such a difference between different political groups.
As engineers we have to deal with different levels of government so it would affect us which ideology they took.
I have a stand that we should have a liberal government with some government regulation, kind alike the “modern liberalism”. This provides as much freedom as possible, with the government having the final say. In doing this, we as engineers can still go about our profession with limited ‘hurtles’ but still not getting outer control. Because as engineers what ever we do will ultimately be for the community, so therefore we need a governing body to speak/control on behalf of the people.
Conservativeforum.org, [online], 2001. Available:
[Accessed 29 March 2004].
Johnston.S.,Gostelow.P.,Jones E,1999, Engineering and Society, 2nd edn,Australia
Ahfock, T (ed) 2004, Technology and Society Study Book, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, pp 5.1-5.18.
