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Public controversies and the Pragmatics of Protest: Toward a Ballistics of collective action

By using long run case studies and comparative analysis, I will address different processes by which alerts and criticisms are taken seriously by different actors and lead them to transform or to defend devices, norms and institutions. To deal with this kind of process, I will present an analytical model which runs on the recent controversies about radioactivity, GMOs and nanotechnologies. For many years, these fields have been marked by struggles in which scientific arguments are seldom dominant but are nevertheless relevant.

Political power and renewable energy futures: A critical review

Inspired by the energy democracy movement, this conceptual review critically explores relationships between concentrated or distributed renewable energy and political power. Advocates assert that because the renewable energy transition is fundamentally a political struggle, efforts to shift from fossil fuels and decarbonize societies will not prove effective without confronting and destabilizing dominant systems of energy power.

Shared Yet Contested: Energy Democracy Counter-Narratives

Conventional ways of communicating about the transition to renewable energy in North America presuppose that energy systems can be changed while sustaining existing social, political, and economic relations. Energy democracy counters such ostensibly apolitical narratives by emphasizing the socially transformative potential of this transition. Yet energy democracy, as both organizing principle and social movement, is itself increasingly recognized as flexible and contested.

What’s Fairness Got to Do with It? Environmental Justice and the Siting of Locally Undesirable Land Uses

Policy makers and local land use officials have long struggled to cope with the "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) syndrome in attempting to site "locally undesirable land uses" (LULUs), such as homeless shelters, drug or alcohol treatment centers, and waste disposal facilities. In general, LULUs are considered beneficial to society at large,' and many agree that they should be located somewhere. Those same citizens protest vigorously, however, when such a use is sited near their homes. This protest is quite rational.

Let the Talk Count: Attributes of Stakeholder Engagement, Trust, Perceive Environmental Protection and CSR

This article tests the links between attributes of stakeholder engagement (information sharing [quantity and quality of information sharing], procedural fairness [respectful treatment and providing voice], and empathy) and local communities’ acceptance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives with the mediating roles of trust and perceived environmental protection. Using Ghana as a case, survey data were collected from 604 local inhabitants in mining communities for the study.

Public awareness and stakeholder involvement for Bangladesh’s nuclear power plant

Nuclear energy renders itself as one of the sustainable energy sources for power production available now. But the major nuclear accident that occurred in the nuclear industry has shown that the generation of nuclear energy has an inherent risk for the environment and the eco-system. Therefore, members of the public - the principal stakeholders - shall be provided with significant opportunities for their engagement in every phase of construction of the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).

Perceptions of justice influencing community acceptance of spent nuclear fuel disposal. A case study in two Finnish nuclear communities

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power plants (NPPs) is an ethical issue with implications within and across generations. We address this issue from the perspective of nuclear communities that host nuclear waste disposal sites. These are primarily the communities that face injustice due to the potential radiological risks. A resident survey (n = 454) was conducted in two Finnish nuclear communities, i.e. Eurajoki and Pyhäjoki, that are being considered as alternative sites for a second repository for SNF.

Promoting Intergenerational Justice Through Participatory Practices: Climate Workshops as an Arena for Young People’s Political Participation

In the fall of 2019, Trøndelag County Council, Norway, organized a Climate Workshop for children and youth. The intention of the workshop was to include children’s and youth’s perspectives as a foundation for a policy document titled “How we do it in Trøndelag. Strategy for transformations to mitigate climate change”. The workshop involved a range of creative and discussion tools for input on sustainable development and climate politics.

Intergenerational Ethical Issues and Communication Related to High-Level Nuclear Waste Repositories

Purpose of Review: The nuclear power industry started in the 1950s and has now reached a phase of disposing high-level nuclear waste. Since the 1980s, the United Nations has developed a concept of sustainable development and governments have accordingly made ethical commitments to take responsibility towards future generations. The purpose of this review is to examine ethical dilemmas related to high-level nuclear waste disposal in a long-term perspective including potential access to the waste in the future.

The Morally Desirable Option for Nuclear Power Production

This paper reflects on the various possible nuclear power production methods from an ethical perspective. The production and consumption of nuclear power give rise to the problem of intergenerational justice; in other words, we are depleting a nonrenewable resource in the form of uranium while the radiotoxic waste that is generated carries very long-term potential burdens. I argue that the morally desirable option should therefore be to seek to safeguard the interests of future generations.

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