Solar technology and global environmental justice : The vision and the reality
(2023) In Routledge Studies in Environmental Justice- Abstract
- Building on insights from ecological economics and philosophy of technology, this book offers a novel, interdisciplinary approach to understand the contradictory nature of Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is rapidly emerging as a cost-effective option in the world economy. However, reports about miserable working conditions, environmentally deleterious mineral extraction and toxic waste dumps corrode the image of a problem-free future based on solar power. Against this backdrop, Andreas Roos explores whether ‘ecologically unequal exchange’ – an asymmetric transfer of labour time and natural resources – is a necessary condition for solar PV development. He demonstrates how the massive increase... (More) - Building on insights from ecological economics and philosophy of technology, this book offers a novel, interdisciplinary approach to understand the contradictory nature of Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is rapidly emerging as a cost-effective option in the world economy. However, reports about miserable working conditions, environmentally deleterious mineral extraction and toxic waste dumps corrode the image of a problem-free future based on solar power. Against this backdrop, Andreas Roos explores whether ‘ecologically unequal exchange’ – an asymmetric transfer of labour time and natural resources – is a necessary condition for solar PV development. He demonstrates how the massive increase in solar PV installation over recent years would not have been possible without significant wage/price differences in the world economy - notably between Europe/North America and Asia- and concludes that solar PV development is currently contingent on environmental injustices in the world economy. As a solution, Roos argues that solar technology is best coupled with strategies for degrowth, which allow for a transition away from fossil fuels and towards a socially just and ecologically sustainable future.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of solar power, philosophy of technology, and environmental justice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ce930ff0-0d83-44e5-897d-4ee917055723
- author
- Roos, Andreas LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-02-02
- type
- Book/Report
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Solar technology, Ecologically unequal exchange, Renewable energy, Social metabolism, Philosophy of technology, Ecological economics, Political ecology, Human ecology, Inherent politics, Solar power, Environmental justice, Life cycle analysis, Machine fetishism, Denial, Alternative solar technology, Metabolic counter-regime
- in
- Routledge Studies in Environmental Justice
- edition
- 1
- pages
- 228 pages
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85150258734
- ISBN
- 9781003292319
- 9781032273389
- DOI
- 10.4324/9781003292319
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ce930ff0-0d83-44e5-897d-4ee917055723
- date added to LUP
- 2023-01-19 12:31:52
- date last changed
- 2024-06-15 01:18:53
@book{ce930ff0-0d83-44e5-897d-4ee917055723,
abstract = {{Building on insights from ecological economics and philosophy of technology, this book offers a novel, interdisciplinary approach to understand the contradictory nature of Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology.<br/><br/>Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is rapidly emerging as a cost-effective option in the world economy. However, reports about miserable working conditions, environmentally deleterious mineral extraction and toxic waste dumps corrode the image of a problem-free future based on solar power. Against this backdrop, Andreas Roos explores whether ‘ecologically unequal exchange’ – an asymmetric transfer of labour time and natural resources – is a necessary condition for solar PV development. He demonstrates how the massive increase in solar PV installation over recent years would not have been possible without significant wage/price differences in the world economy - notably between Europe/North America and Asia- and concludes that solar PV development is currently contingent on environmental injustices in the world economy. As a solution, Roos argues that solar technology is best coupled with strategies for degrowth, which allow for a transition away from fossil fuels and towards a socially just and ecologically sustainable future.<br/><br/>This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of solar power, philosophy of technology, and environmental justice.}},
author = {{Roos, Andreas}},
isbn = {{9781003292319}},
keywords = {{Solar technology; Ecologically unequal exchange; Renewable energy; Social metabolism; Philosophy of technology; Ecological economics; Political ecology; Human ecology; Inherent politics; Solar power; Environmental justice; Life cycle analysis; Machine fetishism; Denial; Alternative solar technology; Metabolic counter-regime}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{02}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Routledge Studies in Environmental Justice}},
title = {{Solar technology and global environmental justice : The vision and the reality}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003292319}},
doi = {{10.4324/9781003292319}},
year = {{2023}},
}