1. Technological Fix 2. How far does technology determine development and resource use ? a) Link between economic development and technological change
b) Implications of technological ‘leapfrogging’
c) Unforeseen costs and benefits of technological innovation
d) Issues of externalities of technology
Learning Objectives:
Realise that technological innovation can have unforeseen costs and benefits
Identify the social, economic and environmental consequences of technological innovation

2. Starter
How can leapfrogging reduce the technology gap? Give examples

3. Unintended consequences
Some technological innovations have unintended consequences, these are known as externalities
Example - Facebook started as a network for a Harvard student to keep in touch with his friends. Now 150 million users in 2009

4. Social, economic and environmental effects
Using p Pearson complete the following table:
Social Benefits
Social Costs
Economic Benefits
Economic Costs
Environmental Costs
Environmental Benefits

5. Group Activity
In two groups you are going to investigate the impacts of technological innovation
- Identify the positive and negative impacts on the economy, society and environment
GM foods and a case study of Golden Rice
p OUP
P Pearson
2) DDT
Information sheet
“What the world needs is DDT” article

6. Plenary – Debate GM Crops
One side = pro scientific and support highly productive approach to agriculture Other side = support traditional, small-scale, GM free approach