--- title: "Appropriate technology and impact on society" subject: "Energy Environment and Society" chapter: 1 key: "semester_7/energy_environment_and_society:appropriate-technology-society-impact" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/appropriate-technology-society-impact site: BCT Engineering --- # Appropriate technology and impact on society Energy Environment and Society · Chapter 1: Technology and Development - Asked in: 2070 Chaitra, 4 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/appropriate-technology-society-impact - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/chapter-1 ## Question What do you mean by appropriate technology? Describe the impact of technology on society. ## Short answer Appropriate technology is small-scale, low-cost, simple and environmentally friendly technology suited to local conditions. Technology's positive impacts include better health, education, productivity and communication; negative impacts include pollution, unemployment, inequality, cultural loss and privacy risks. AT aims to maximize positive impacts and minimize negative ones. ## Answer **Appropriate technology (AT)** is technology that suits the local social, economic, cultural, environmental and skill conditions of the place where it is used. It is usually small in scale, low in cost, simple to operate and repair, uses local materials and labour, and does little harm to the environment. The idea was popularised by E. F. Schumacher in *Small Is Beautiful* ("intermediate technology"). It is not "old" or "low" technology: it is the *right* technology for the situation. Examples in Nepal: biogas plants, improved cooking stoves, micro-hydro with peltric sets, solar home systems and solar dryers, ropeways, gravity-fed drinking-water schemes, treadle pumps and the traditional *ghatta* (water mill) upgraded to an improved water mill. #### Impact of technology on society **Positive impacts** - Better health, longer life, education and communication. - Higher productivity and economic growth, new jobs and industries. - Better transport and trade; access to information. - Improved comfort through energy services. **Negative impacts** - Unemployment from automation; widening gap between rich and poor. - Environmental pollution, climate change and resource depletion. - Loss of traditional skills and culture; privacy and security problems. - Health issues such as stress, sedentary life and e-waste. AT tries to keep the positive impacts and reduce the negative ones by choosing small-scale, local and clean technology. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Appropriate technology is best described as technology that: A. is the most advanced and capital-intensive option available B. is old or low technology that has been replaced by modern methods C. is imported from developed countries and run by foreign experts D. suits the local social, economic, cultural, environmental and skill conditions of its place of use Answer: D. AT is the 'right' technology for the situation: small, low cost, locally maintainable and low-impact. It is not simply old or low technology. (Key point: AT definition) 2. Which is a positive impact of technology on society? A. Better health, higher productivity, new jobs and access to information B. Unemployment from automation C. Loss of traditional skills D. Resource depletion Answer: A. Positive impacts include health, education, productivity, jobs, trade and comfort. (Key point: Positive impacts of technology) 3. Which is a negative impact of technology on society? A. Longer life B. Unemployment from automation and widening gap between rich and poor C. Better communication D. Improved transport Answer: B. Negatives include unemployment, inequality, pollution, loss of culture, privacy problems and e-waste. (Key point: Negative impacts of technology) 4. How does AT relate to the impacts of technology? A. It increases all negative impacts B. It replaces all modern technology C. It tries to keep positive impacts and reduce negative ones by choosing small-scale, local, clean technology D. It ignores environmental effects Answer: C. AT's choice of small, local and clean technology reduces negatives while keeping benefits. 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