Anitra Nelson and Vincent Liegy recently authored an aritcle on “convivial technologies” for Scientific American, entitled “These Technologies Help You Live Lightly on a Fragile Planet.” You can read an excerpt below and the full piece here.
Instead of clean technology, what Earth and humankind need is convivial technology. The concept originated with Roman Catholic philosopher Ivan Illich, and as developed by modern thinkers such as Andrea Vetter, it includes tools and production techniques that are easily understood, created, and repaired and that assist people to fulfill their basic needs. In practice, convivial technology is used in transport, food growing, self-provisioned housing, and much more—all grounded in cooperative, mutually agreeable and sharing approaches that together comprise a convivial society.
