Challenging the Pine: Epistemic Underpinnings of Techno-Environmental Inertia

Abstract

The pine monoculture in the department of Landes in southwestern France is one of the largest and oldest of its kind. It was established in the middle of the nineteenth century to transform the barren wasteland into a prosperous forest producing wood and resin. The resin industry was at the heart of the local economy for almost one hundred years in spite of numerous challenges: economic crises and massive fires. It disappeared in the 1970s, but the pine monoculture has persisted until this day. While the monoculture’s supremacy was challenged on numerous occasions, it successfully defended itself against detractors. How to explain this unusual longevity? The concept of techno-environmental inertia can elucidate this problem. It explains how different vectors of transmission are linked together and how a technology can justify its relevance with different rationalities over a long period of time.