Can technology save us?

Asks the reader to: assume there is incredible technological progress in endeavours to solve problems of energy scarcity, pollution and congestion; imagine a super Super Car powered by a pollution-free perpetual motion engine; imagine a super Internet which provides free and efficient access to all the databases and libraries in the world. The result would be a social and environmental disaster – unless at the same time humankind manages to curb the appetites which are driving the steeply rising growth curves of material consumption and physical and electronic mobility. Argues that the technological enterprises that are currently consuming the lion’s share of resources directed to the solution of transport problems are relaxing important constraints on these appetites. Concludes that the principal barrier to a morally and politically sustainable transport policy is the belief that there are technical solutions for these problems. This article is based on a paper prepared for OECD Conference towards Sustainable