APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Due: Women and Appropriate Technology, Judy Smith, 1978,38 pp., $.75 from : National Center for Appropriate Technology P.O. Box 3838 Butte, MT 59701 S me very deep places that have long been slumbering within me were aroused upon reading this piece about women and a.t. I discovered subtle patterns in my own way of relating with my mostly male co-workers here at Rain: those of being submissive, martyred, and yet at the same time I've watched an opposing side of myself burst out in a sporadically forceful way. I step back and wonder what it's all about, then reading this booklet, reached new levels of understanding about my present work relationships. I'm also re-examining the women's movement, which I've leaned away from since 1974 due to the separatism/divisiveness/alienation that is often created by that inertia. Now it's something to pay attention to in my own life again, it's an integral question in a.t., it's an issue in the women's movemcnt, and a point of convergence for both. Women as consumers, women as a large segment of the low income communities, women and independence from old roles via time saving inappropriate technologies, women in science and technology, women in a.t. These are the questions and connections presented here. In a sense, the presentation is negative because it's telling about how things are and have been, without playing with the vision of how things can be-the positive potential. Something Old, Something New . .. is done as the first of a series of NCAT Briefs to discuss issues cri tical to the development of a.t. It is the beginning of a dialogue on a subject which is an important one to everyone involved in a.t. Tbe timing of the first Women in Solar and A.T. conference sponsored by Ecotope in Seattle, Dec. 2-3 (see Rain , Nov. 1978, p. 11) is perfect for continuing the dialogue and exploring new possibilities. This booklet is in valuable in bringing into sharp focus December 1978 RAIN Page 17 Female Instructor, Women's Studies: "Do you know who first developed environmental studies and called it ecology?" Male Professor, Wilderness Studies: "Gary Snyder?" FI: "No, Ellen Swallow, the first woman student allowed in MIT and the first to graduate with a science degree. She created an interdisciplinary environmental scient e. In 1892 she named it ecology." MP: "Never heard of her." The science developed by Ellen Swallow encompassed environmental quality, including nutrition, air and water pollution, transportation, architecture. waste disposal and industrial health and safety. Since Swallow believed this science should be available to everyone, not just the educated few, she spent much of her time lecturing and setting up demonstration projects. The subsequent history of this science is all too familiar to students of women's history. Her science, practiced by women, was soon called home ecology and later home economics. It never achieved the status of other sciences, and today the scientific roots of home economics are rarely visible. In fact, many colleges and universities do not consider home economics sufficiently respectable academically to offer on their campuses. No one talks of Ellen Swallow as the founding mother of ecology or environmental studies. She was a chemist on the faculty of MIT, yet her work rarely receives credit. MIT accepted Swallow as a special student but required her to study in a segregated laboratory. In 1876 MIT admitted more women, but it was 1883 before the college allowed them to study in the men's laboratory. the possibility and necessity of convergence of the women's movement and a.t., as well as presenting a good resource list and directory of women working in a.t. throughout the country. -LS It isn't fair -the way the work of the human race is pro· portioned out and distributed. Look at the drudgery of wash· ing dothes and ckaning house. Compare it in its \ hardness and wearingness with the occupations of most men! The only way out of it is to use Pearline. Use Peartine and take the drudgery away from housework. Pe4riine makes woman's work womanly and healthful and fit for her to do. All the washing. all the cleaning. and hundreds of ocher thinfls besKb. are made eas), with Peartine. us£Pedlline from Something Old, Something New from Something Old, Something New Environmentalists for Full Employment (Australia) 672 B Glenferrie Rd. Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 A AUSTRALIA Convergence between labor u rrions and environmentalists, ecologists, appropriate technologists is an integral part of the success of any of these movements. 1timately, we all share the same goals of having not merely full, but also fully satisfying employment that is environmentally sound. The sooner this coalition occurs, the more effective our solidarity and strength, the more quickly change and an equitable society can bc attained. EFFE is working to create that coalition. They're working with unions, providing information for workers and public on energy/jobs (for example describing how the capital required for a plant at the proposed Ranger Uranium mine in the Northern Territory could provide 25 times more jobs if invested instead in a manufacturing industry such as solar-collector production.) Spon ors are vital to the function of EFFE's work, groups $15/year, individuals $5/year. Contact them for information about their current projects, newsletter, publications and films. They have available for hire a 3Q-minute video cassette presentation on the Lucas Aerospace Workers' Alternate Corporate Plan. ~LS
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