ABSTRACT
Humanity’s relationship to technology is complicated; it is certainly one that involves more than just an extension of human faculties. The ‘technology as tiger’ metaphor in the introduction highlights the need for control of its lethal power. A one-dimensional subject-object view of our relationship with technology is consistent with its ability to objectify our environment. The consequences of technology are increasingly hard to predict, but prediction is increasingly needed, and more and more the information is available on which to base judgements. The World Bank, which is especially concerned with governance of developing states, says it is a process of interaction between state and non-state actors shaped by power. The state-led paradigm is extensive over both time and geography. Technological progress is a product of economic activity, whereas earlier theories regarded technology as a product of non-market forces. The many environmental institutions and treaties tend not to address technology and sustainability as linked issues.
