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The readers of the book Just Technology: The Quest for Cultural, Economic, Environmental, and Technical Sustainability, Second Edition of will benefit from its systematic approach in evaluating the true sustainability challenges facing society and will learn how to address these challenges in a just manner.
Since the publication of the first edition of the book, the concept of a just society has become more important. Several new contemporary examples are now included to reinforce the concepts introduced in the previous edition. The book presents a framework to evaluate the appropriateness of technological approaches to address critical sustainable issues. The framework comprises four questions that aim to create more just approaches by broadening the context engineers consider when formulating solutions.
Addressing the complexity of today's global challenges requires new ways of thinking. The idea that technology is always the best, maybe the only approach, needs to be reconsidered, and sustainable approaches must also draw from nontechnological areas.
List of contents
Introduction.- Part I.- Justice.- Sustainability.- Just Society.- Part II.- Gate Keeping.- Question 1: Is there a serious challenge? - Question 2: Have all alternatives been explored?.- Question 3: Is success likely?. - Question 4: Will less harm be caused than the current harm associated with the challenge? .- Part III.- The engineering design process.- Conclusions.
About the author
Thomas J. Siller is an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, CO. He is an Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Emeritus for the CSU College of Engineering. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from SUNY at Buffalo, an M.S. in Civil Engineering at UMASS Amherst, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Siller has published in geotechnical earthquake engineering, international engineering education, and more recently on the topic of sustainable development. He is the author of a book through the American Society of Civil Engineers on the practice of civil engineering.
Gearold R. Johnson is the emeritus George T. Abell Endowed Chair, and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University. He was Academic Vice-President of the National Technological University. He earned degrees from Purdue University: a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, an M.S. in Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. He was a NATO Post-doctoral Fellow at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Brussels, Belgium. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. He also taught on four Semester at Sea voyages. Dr. John- son has published in fluid mechanics; solar energy; atmospheric science; propulsion; optimal control theory; embedded control systems; modeling, simulation and computer-assisted engineering; design of programming languages and computer graphics; and curriculum development in engineering education.
Summary
The readers of the book Just Technology: The Quest for Cultural, Economic, Environmental, and Technical Sustainability, Second Edition of will benefit from its systematic approach in evaluating the true sustainability challenges facing society and will learn how to address these challenges in a just manner.
Since the publication of the first edition of the book, the concept of a just society has become more important. Several new contemporary examples are now included to reinforce the concepts introduced in the previous edition. The book presents a framework to evaluate the appropriateness of technological approaches to address critical sustainable issues. The framework comprises four questions that aim to create more just approaches by broadening the context engineers consider when formulating solutions.
Addressing the complexity of today's global challenges requires new ways of thinking. The idea that technology is always the best, maybe the only approach, needs to be reconsidered, and sustainable approaches must also draw from nontechnological areas.
