As technology advances and methods of making our world easier become more accessible, the world and its people are slowly but surely leaning toward a more technocentric world view. Believing that technology is the only way that the world can be saved and that all the answers lie in the technological field. People have begun to believe that economic growth is more important than environmental sustainability. A technocentric view is anyone who believes that all of Earth’s problems can be fixed with the use of technology and that even without ecosystems, technology will be able to solve the environmental issues. However, there are a group of people who believe that we need to preserve and protect our Earth and it’s resources. These people are called the ecocentric group of people. These people believe that the Earth is most important and adapting our life style is the first priority in the battle to save Earth. The tension builds as global warming, pollution and population come into consideration. All these factors are contributing to the destruction of our Planet. All of these factors are our fault. Even politicians such as Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are moving to a technocentric view, with Mr. Trump pulling out of the Paris Accord and Kim Jong Un restlessly testing his nuclear weapons in Asia. All of these factors are taking their toll on the Planet as well as it’s ozone layer and oceans. While firmly believing that we need to protect our planet, I do acknowledge and respect the opinions and viewpoints of other stakeholders. People who work in the manufacturing and innovation industry require factories and technology to live and depend on. While people like Elon Musk are trying to move towards a greener version of technocentrism, other people are still reluctant to make the move. The ecocentric group, however, believe that it is time to move on from technology and that protecting our planet should be our top priority. My personal opinion, lies somewhere in between and I believe that protect Earth is extremely important as is progress, technology and innovation. I believe that the viewpoint of Elon Musk is a very valid one when talking about the war between the environment and our future. He believes that a greener route to innovation is important, instead of going extremely ecocentric or extremely technocentric. I believe that finding the right balance between both of them is vital to our survival of our species. 

By Siddhant Raman 

09.12.17