"Intermediate technology

Press, 7 December 1976, Page 29

"Intermediate technology

\ “The Other Way,” a film lof Dr E, F. Schumacher’s [economic philosophy, provides a fascinating view of alternative styles'of living, [and should reach as wide an [audience as possible. ' The director of the Cani terbury Environment Centre [(Mr Rod Donald) says that the 50-minute piece should [be played on television “to educate a wide audience,” and with this in mind he will meet television executives this week. The film, which was shown three times at the centre's open day on Sunday, is based; on Dr Schumacher's book I “Small is Beautiful: a study | of economics as if people. mattered.” The book has been [ printed in several languages 1 and is still selling well ! throughout the world. Like any film that sets I out to educate the public, its [ contents can be dull at times, but the message is not. Dr Schumacher calls it “intermediate technology” — basically the philosophy that big is not better: that we should try to reduce our economicgoals and energy-based economic lifestyle. He believes the chase for profit and progress in the forrfi of vast combines and: increasing specialisation is ruining economic efficiency, [ causing pollution, and taking the humanity out of a day’s i work. Intermediate technology' bases itself on smaller yvork units and plant, communityinvolvement and ownership, and decentralising the cities and industry' in favour of re-

gional efforts, using local labour and resources — ‘'putting the emphasis on people.” It is the middle ground between the highly intensive industrial-energy consuming

technology of the West, and [I :he more basic technology of!f the under-developed coun-; i tries. | “Our system of produc-!' tion is immensely expensive in energy, transport and so i on. The way to overcome it Jis to bring together the point t of production and the point of consumption,” says Dr it Schumacher. |< The film also deals with it the organisation he founded, the Intermediate Technology | Development Group, in Lon- ' don. It shows examples of e the work it has done reduc-i s I ing the scope of economic operations. while still keeping 1 | them viable — to the amaze- 1 |ment of the large firms in the ! l I same field. i 1 - Dr Schumacher does noth | believe in nuclear energy. It t jwouid take more energy to h build the power stations than i' [could come out of them, he [ 1 [says. A lot of their energy I< yvould be used keeping the'

; highly radio-active plutonium safe, because an amount of [it the size of a grapefruit, if [properly dispersed, “could 'wipe out creation.” The solution he advances [is not to usfe our limited fossil fuels more wisely, or even [to seek alternatiy'e forms of [energy, but to find an alternative lifestyle that does not depend on burning billions of tons of energy. Dr Schumacher himself is that rare type of person who 'is highly acceptable to both environmental organisations and industry. In other roles he has lectured in economics at Columbia University. New York, and has been a farmer, businessman, and journalist. He was economics adviser ito the British Control Commission in Germany from '1946 until 1950, and to th< 'National Coal Board from 1950 to 1970. He is director of the Scott-Bader Institute. — Barney Zwartz.