Generating Sustainable Energy In a Polyrational Arena!
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13052/dgaej2156-3306.2713Keywords:
Energy supply, acceptance, conflict management, risk perceptionAbstract
The oil spill in the Mexican gulf stirs up long-lasting controversies
on how a sustainable energy system has to be designed and reveals various environmental, economic and social conflicts. By introducing two
case studies and offering a combination of two explanatory approaches—concept of polyrationality and social arena concept of risk debates—
this article seeks to gain a better understanding of energy disputes as
well as strategies for creating viable solutions. For discussing, planning
and designing a sustainable supply, the author suggests an energy policy
that builds upon the catalysis of diverse and opposing interests and attitudes. In short, to generate sustainable energy in a polyrational arena!
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References
Interviews were conducted between January 2007 and November 2008. Interviewees were asked to point out the key events of the siting process as well as
to comment about the pros and cons of bioenergy technologies on the suggested
sites and in general. Quotations from interviews with various actors will remain
anonymous and are cited as “(Interview).”
To address people whose opposition can be categorized as YIMBY-FAP (Yes In
My Backyard-For A Price) (Frey 1996).
In the meantime, the initiative has taken down their website.
Translation by the author
During Gulf War I (1990) 8.0 million barrels of crude oil spilled into the Persian
Gulf (Wikipedia 2011).
Energy economists certainly object this claim by reasoning that an cost efficient
energy supply cannot be reached without using natural oil: “It does not work
without oil from deep sea” (Vorholz 2010). In addition, polls show that the majority of Americans currently has stronger worries about energy costs and rather
supports offshore oil drilling (Koch 2011).
At the height of activities, up to 48,000 persons worked on responding the oil
spill (Obama 2011).
In a different context Davy resumes similarly: “planners at least can avoid creating spaces of wealth at the cost of the poor (2009: p.254).
The word was coined by Alfred ‘Adi’ Preissler, captain of the team which won
the first championship for German football club Borussia Dortmund. It was translated by the author, the original German version is: “Grau is’ alle Theorie—entscheidend is’ auf’m Platz.”
Among structural drivers there are aspects as technological development, world
market prices, ‘external shocks’. The individual perspective includes purchase
decisions, comfort needs, etc.
The more one uses alternative terms (e.g. myths, tribes, cultures or ways of life),
the more the concept allows to be opened up to emotional arguments.
