While Douthwaite states that technological fixes are necessary, I would argue that both Johnson and Huesemann and Huesemann would argue that technological fixes are not necessary to solve social problems. Although Johnson does mention problems that have been solved through technology, he says things like “Modern problems cannot be reduced to mere engineering solutions over the long term; human goals are diverse and constantly changing.” (Johnson pg.54) and, “This faith can nevertheless be myopic. It may, for example, discourage adequate assessment of side- effects — both technical and social — and close examination of political and ethical implications of engineering solutions. Societal confidence in technological problem-solving consequently deserves critical and balanced attention.”(Johnson Pg. 48) Johnson does not seem totally opposed to technological fixes, but he has some very obvious doubts about it. On the other hand, Huesemann and Huesemann seem very opposed to technological fixes. They mention that any major man-made change is likely to be detrimental to that system.” (Huesemann & Huesemann pg. 6) In their article, they make it really clear to the reader that using technology as a cure-all will only cause more problems for humans, and we cannot predict what those problems are going to be.
After reading “The Inherent Unavoidability and Unpredictability of Unintended Consequences” I was conflicted about technological fixes. They cause problems because they are only temporary fixes, and eventually, we are left with the same problem or an even worse problem and because they harm nature. Technological advances also have positive outcomes. They have saved and bettered many lives. The discovering of antibiotics and medical machinery has helped mankind significantly. But opposite to this, technological fixes have caused many problems too. If it is a matter of saving lives, I think technological advancements may be justified, but if the technological advancements are for entertainment alone, then it is harder to justify them. I think it is really important for us to remember that by destroying nature, we are destroying ourselves. (Huesemann and Huesmann Pg. 4) Although technological advancements seem to solve many of our problems, at some point, they may come crashing down. We should try our best to consider the consequences of our advancements, before immediately turning to technology to solve all of our problems.