The Development of the Information Society and Carbon Dioxide Emissions

• In Event: 254 - Section on Environment and Technology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 07. Climate Change

Abstract

Potential structural changes brought on by the global development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been linked to the potential decarbonization of society predicted by ecological modernization theorists. Treadmill of production theory is skeptical of the possibility of decarbonization as a result of technological development because underlying structural arrangements like those outlined by world systems theory are stronger counter forces. A cross national-panel study using a multilevel linear growth model is used to gauge the impact of ICT development on carbon dioxide emissions over a period most associated with the information society, 1990 to 2009.

Authors

• Joseph M. Simpson, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

• Riley E. Dunlap, Oklahoma State University

• Andrew S. Fullerton, Oklahoma State University