BEE JP1: Innovation curse and the wastefulness of technologies believed to mitigate climate change
Minh-Hoang Nguyen (1), Thi Mai Anh Tran (2)
(1) Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Vietnam
(2) Michigan Technological University, United States
January 20, 2025
“Losing patience, Kingfisher decides to press the buttons rapidly, hoping to make this foreign “opponent” dizzy, disoriented, and finally frightened. […] Pressing those buttons faster and faster, Kingfisher resembles a circus clown.
But there is one thing he can’t achieve: fear.”
—In “Innovation”; Wild Wise Weird (2024)
[BEE JOINT PAPER]
1. Project description
The pressing challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss pose existential threats to humanity and the planet. In response, significant resources have been directed toward developing technological innovations intended to combat these crises. However, many of these innovations lead to wasteful and inefficient developments that fail to address the root causes effectively. For example, billions are invested in carbon capture technologies; these methods can cost up to $1000 for a ton of CO2 removed. Meanwhile, protecting and restoring existing forests, which naturally capture carbon, often costs just $50 per ton [1-3]. This situation reflects a paradox where advanced solutions undermine their intended goals by consuming disproportionate amounts of resources.
Nature, on the other hand, offers time-tested, cost-effective solutions shaped by millennia of evolution. Yet, these nature-based solutions, often grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems, remain overlooked and underutilized in today’s environmental strategies [4,5].
Photo: Innovation (electric generator)
Inspired by the philosophical ideas in the “Innovation” story of Wild Wise Weird, this commentary aims to examine the innovation curse?a cycle of wasteful technological innovations in the environmental sector. Through the lens of informational entropy and value formation [6,7], it also advocates for a shift toward nature-based solutions and integrating Indigenous knowledge in addressing climate change impacts.
2. Collaboration procedure
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- Create an account on the website (preferably using an institution email).
- Comment your name, affiliation, and your desired role in the project below this post.
- Patiently wait for the formal agreement on the project from the AISDL mentor/project coordinator.
If you have further inquiries, please contact us at aisdl_team@mindsponge.info
If you have been invited to join the project by an AISDL member, you are still encouraged to follow the above formal steps.
All the resources for conducting and writing the research manuscript will be distributed upon project participation.
Coordinators for this project: Minh-Hoang Nguyen, and Thi Mai Anh Tran.
The research project strictly adheres to scientific integrity standards, including authorship rights and obligations, without incurring an economic burden at participants’ expenses.
References
[1] Busch J, et al. (2024). Cost-effectiveness of natural forest regeneration and plantations for climate mitigation. Nature Climate Change, 14(9), 996-1002. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-02068-1
[2] Austin KG, et al. (2020). The economic costs of planting, preserving, and managing the world’s forests to mitigate climate change. Nature Communications, 11(1), 5946. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19578-z
[3] Jafri Y, et al. (2022). Double yields and negative emissions? Resource, climate and cost efficiencies in biofuels with carbon capture, storage, and utilization. Frontiers in Energy Research, 10, 797529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2022.797529
[4] World Bank. (2023). Nature-based solutions for climate resilience in the World Bank Portfolio. World Bank: Washington DC. https://www.gfdrr.org/en/publication/nature-based-solutions-climate-resilience-world-bank-portfolio
[5] Vicarelli M, et al. (2024). On the cost-effectiveness of nature-based solutions for reducing disaster risk. Science of The Total Environment, 947, 174524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174524
[6] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2024). Better economics for the Earth: A lesson from quantum and information theories. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D98L5K44
[7] Vuong QH, La VP, Nguyen MH. (2025). Informational entropy-based value formation: A new paradigm for a deeper understanding of value. http://books.google.com/books/about?id=8SVEEQAAQBAJ
[8] Vuong QH. (2024). Wild Wise Weird. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG2NNHY6