MCLUHAN, ENERGY EXPLOITATION AND THE OVEREXTENSIONS OF MAN

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Robert K. Logan
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador 2013
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author Robert K. Logan
author_facet Robert K. Logan
contents MCLUHAN, ENERGY EXPLOITATION AND THE OVEREXTENSIONS OF MAN Robert K. Logan Comunicación media McLuhan fossil fuels global warming “Laws of Media” We make use of McLuhan’s Laws of Media and his notion that our technologies are “the extensions of man” to understand ecological issues in general and global warming in particular. We examine the evolution of humankind’s exploitation of energy that have increased human wealth and well being. We identify the benefits and costs of tool making, the control of fire, agriculture, steam engines, internal combustion engines, electricity generation and nuclear power plants. Using McLuhan’s Laws of Media we show that an energy exploitation technology or medium, and hence an extension of man, when pushed to its extreme can flip into it opposite an ‘overextension of man.’ This is certainly the case with the environmental challenges facing our planet and the survival of the human race today. These include the storage of nuclear waste and the depletion of natural resources. It is the burning of fossil fuels giving rise to pollution and the greenhouse effect, which is most troubling as the build up of greenhouse gases could devolve into a runaway effect threatening the very existence of human habitation on this planet. 2013 artículo científico 1605-4806 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=199528904017 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=1995 Razón y Palabra application/pdf Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Razón y Palabra (Ecuador) Num.84
format Artículo científico
id redalyc_199528904017
institution Redalyc
language en
publishDate 2013
publisher Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
spellingShingle MCLUHAN, ENERGY EXPLOITATION AND THE OVEREXTENSIONS OF MAN
Robert K. Logan
Comunicación
media
McLuhan
fossil fuels
global warming
“Laws of Media”
MCLUHAN, ENERGY EXPLOITATION AND THE OVEREXTENSIONS OF MAN Robert K. Logan Comunicación media McLuhan fossil fuels global warming “Laws of Media” We make use of McLuhan’s Laws of Media and his notion that our technologies are “the extensions of man” to understand ecological issues in general and global warming in particular. We examine the evolution of humankind’s exploitation of energy that have increased human wealth and well being. We identify the benefits and costs of tool making, the control of fire, agriculture, steam engines, internal combustion engines, electricity generation and nuclear power plants. Using McLuhan’s Laws of Media we show that an energy exploitation technology or medium, and hence an extension of man, when pushed to its extreme can flip into it opposite an ‘overextension of man.’ This is certainly the case with the environmental challenges facing our planet and the survival of the human race today. These include the storage of nuclear waste and the depletion of natural resources. It is the burning of fossil fuels giving rise to pollution and the greenhouse effect, which is most troubling as the build up of greenhouse gases could devolve into a runaway effect threatening the very existence of human habitation on this planet. 2013 artículo científico 1605-4806 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=199528904017 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=1995 Razón y Palabra application/pdf Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Razón y Palabra (Ecuador) Num.84
title MCLUHAN, ENERGY EXPLOITATION AND THE OVEREXTENSIONS OF MAN
topic Comunicación
media
McLuhan
fossil fuels
global warming
“Laws of Media”
url https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=199528904017