Social experiments in innovative environmental management: The emergence of ecotechnology

Human production needs are met through the use of modern technology that is increasingly recognised as a threat to the planetary ecosystem and social sub-system. In light of this recognition, there is evidence that a planned transition towards more sustainable technological infrastructure is occurring across various production sectors. This change is often associated with re-orientating technology based on the concept of sustainable development and national-level strategies such as ecological modernisation, which prescribes phasing-out environmentally malignant conventional technology for cleaner post-industrial solutions. There is evidence, however, that a transition towards cleaner technological options is occurring at the local level. In southern Ontario, Canada ecological technology (ecotechnology) has been adopted in small-scale agricultural and educational facilities for the management of manure and domestic sewage. Ecotechnology is designed to meet human production requirements and to restore the environment through combining natural systems and engineered components to achieve cleaner production. Two types of ecotechnologies were investigated during this research: constructed treatment wetlands for the management of manure and greenhouse-based biological technologies for the management of domestic sewage. These options are novel and can be expected to encounter barriers resulting from a selection environment favouring pre-existing technological options that have previously become established.; The overall objective of the research was to identify key factors both driving and constraining the adoption and implementation of the ecotechnology across four case studies. This objective was accomplished through employing a qualitative, collective case study approach. The case studies revealed the motivation behind the adoption of the ecotechnology arose from the environmental values of users and formed the basis for rejecting the conventional options because they were not viewed as capable of improving the environment. However, the ecotechnology also exceeded user's aesthetic and operational level expectations. Barriers to the implementation of ecotechnology were also identified. The investigation revealed the existence of a perspective-gap between the ecological engineering science and traditional engineering science, which constrained implementation of the ecotechnology. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...