Chapter 10

INTERACTION WITH SOCIETY

individual members of society
ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
Government

As a tool to realize the ambition of rulers & government

Development & implementation of engineering achievements

10.1 Engineering and Government

1. Government to determine priorities and makes choices among

technical options.
2. Government to regulate all types of engineering activities.
3. Government responsibility to certain technology

4. Government Assessment & regulation of technology

10.1.1 Government Involvement in Technology

Supporting agent (in USA)

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

DOE (Department of Energy)
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
CAB (civil Aeronautics Board)

Identifying,
Developing,
And regulating
an array of technologies

The government :
The primary responsibility for managing, controlling, and regulating both new
and existing technology

10.1.2 Government Regulation

To abuse society
The environment

Impact of technology

The power plant

The automobile
Computer
Paper
Nuclear power

To improve our lives

The examples of regulation of technology:

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969:
(EPA)Regulation on all aspects of environmental impact.
The Clean Air Act of 1967 and 1970
The Noise Control Act of 1972
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act
The Federal Environmental Pesticide Act of 1972
Federal legislation public safety:
OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
The Consumer Product safety Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Pure Food and Drug Commission

The timing and degree of regulation must be appropriate.

Excessive regulation can strangle a technology, preventing

its implementation.

The engineers should learn to respect regulations and attempt to

work with rather than against regulatory agencies.

10.1.3 Technology Assessment

Government

In evaluating technology

In the USA (1960): the

conggressthe term technology
assessment

To attach a quantitative measure to public risk and

environmental impact, such methods do have potential
to provide useful information for policy decisions.

Definition of technology assessment:

Technology assessment adalah proses pengambilan suatu pandangan
yang berguna pada konsekuensi dari perubahan teknologi. Yang meliputi
biaya utama/ keseimbangan manfaat dari jangka pendek yang terpusat
pada ekonomi pasar, tetapi khususnya menuju melampaui terhadap
indentifikasi yang dipengaruhi partai (kelompok) dan dampak yang tak
terduga yang mungkin terjadi dalam jangka panjang dan pandangan yang
luas. Dia bersifat netral dan objektif, mencari pengayaan informasi untuk
keputusan-keputusan manajemen. Baik efek samping yang baik atau yang
buruk yang diteliti karena hilangnya suatu kesempatan untuk keuntungan
yang bisa merusak masyarakat yang hampir sama seperti bahaya yang
tidak diduga.

Technology assessment = pengkajian teknologi

10.2 Engineering and The Public

The time lag between discovery &

implementation has grown shorter

What is the impact?

The publics knowledge and understanding <

the rapid progress of science and technology
The esoteric language emplyed by scientists &
engineers

A sense of suspicion and distrust, a loss of confidence

How to adapt to the change?

In a sense our society

Fear & distrust

Background of education

Trust

The simple livediscard high technology and return to appropriate technology

E.F. Schumacher
appropriate technology (based on small scale),
decentralized processes and social approach to minimize
environmental impact, public risk, and cost.

soft energy solar power & biomass conversion

But there are many problems:
-Coordination
-Plug in with high technology

To continue a long our present path, to allow science and

technology to develop in the haphazard fashion. But this is
not easy.
Stop. Capek deh.