ABSTRACT
Conventional approaches to telecommunications-environmental relations are dominated by Utopian, futuristic and technologically deterministic perspectives. A consistent theme in these assessments is the environmentally beneficial role of telecommunications technology. The first is that telecommunications technologies are inherently benign-they use very few resources, consume low amounts of energy, and are non-polluting. The second concept is that telecommunications can unproblematically substitute for physical transport flows and movement reducing the need for travel, lowering levels of pollution and urban congestion.
