The clean side of Slow Tech: an overview

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an overview of clean information and communication technology (ICT), including a brief review of recent developments in the field and a lengthy set of possible reading matter. The need to rethink the impact of ICTs on people’s lives and the survival of the planet is beginning to be addressed by a Slow Tech approach. Among Slow Tech’s main questions are these two: Is ICT sustainable in the long term? What should be done by computer ethics scholars, computer professionals, policy makers and society in general to ensure that clean ICT can be produced, used and appropriately disposed of?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a comprehensive review of clean tech-related literature and an investigation of progress made in the clean tech field.

Findings

This opening paper of a Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society special session aims to provide an overview of clean ICT, including a brief review of recent developments in the field and a lengthy set of possible reading matter. As a result, it is anticipated that Slow Tech – and in this case, its second component of clean ICT – can provide a compass to steer research, development and the use and reuse of environmentally friendly, sustainable ICT.

Originality/value

This conceptual paper emphasises that, until only recently, no one questioned the potential long-term sustainability of ICT. This issue is, however, now very much a matter that is on the research and teaching, and action, agenda.

Citation

Patrignani, N. and Whitehouse, D. (2015), "The clean side of Slow Tech: an overview", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-10-2014-0057