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Safe Technologies

Dismantling of nuclear power plant Greifswald, Germany

This is the 2007 draft on technology. You will get the newest version here.

Various global challenges make it advisable to develop and implement technologies that run with renewable and harmless substances and energy sources, and thereby keep damages and risks to health and development low. Safe technologies can deliver major contributions to overcome other global challenges.

Affected people and foundations of life: Safe technologies are, for example: renewable energies, recycling-based economy, bionics, as well as information and communication technology (if it minimizes the toxic content of its product components). High risk technologies include: (1) nuclear power, large chemical facilities, and dams (technologies with potential for very extensive damage but with a very low probability of the damage occurring), (2) certain genetic engineering applications as well as the release and circulation of transgenic plants (technologies with potential for very extensive damage but unknown probability of damage occurence), and last but not least, (3) any climate damaging technology (WBGU [German Advisory Council on Global Change] 1998, 62).

Targets/goals: no international target.

Trend: ? no trend data available.

Measures: The issues of transferring environmentally sound technologies as well as of dealing with nuclear waste are addressed in the UN (United Nations) Agenda 21 (UN 1992, chap. [chapter] 34 and 22). For limiting the risks of genetically modified organisms, the UN Protocol on Biosafety was approved (CBD [Convention on Biological Diversity] 2000). Further measures in the field of technology include the support of research, development and market launch of safe technologies (example: Renewable Energies Law), research on risks, and regulation and reduction of technological risks, including the option to prohibit particularly risky technologies (WBGU 1998, 218, 220). Some industrialized countries have concluded to fade out nuclear power and/or to support market introduction of renewable energies.


Sources

Draft (2007)

Photo credit: © BMU/EWN GmbH