TATuP – Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis
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‚We have a solution’: Delivering on the promise to take national responsibility for nuclear waste management
Get PDFWe examine the realization of the umbrella promise to assume national responsibility for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Three case studies are used to illustrate how Finland delivers on the promise to take care of its own nuclear waste – a promise that has greatly contributed to the legitimacy of nuclear power in Finland. The article shows how this promise is being challenged by new competitors, business visionaries, and the public. The case studies illustrate the tensions between those who made the promise and the actors who interpret and mobilize the promise for varying purposes and under changing circumstances. We investigate techno-scientific promises by looking at debates about (1) the idea of a national solution, (2) the limitations that the promise of a national solution places on international business opportunities in the waste sector, and (3) the challenges related to credibility and spatial requirements in managing waste from small modular reactors.We examine the realization of the umbrella promise to assume national responsibility for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Three case studies are used to illustrate how Finland delivers on the promise to take care of its own nuclear waste – a promise that has greatly contributed to the legitimacy of nuclear power in Finland. The article shows how this promise is being challenged by new competitors, business visionaries, and the public. The case studies illustrate the tensions between those who made the promise and the actors who interpret and mobilize the promise for varying purposes and under changing circumstances. We investigate techno-scientific promises by looking at debates about (1) the idea of a national solution, (2) the limitations that the promise of a national solution places on international business opportunities in the waste sector, and (3) the challenges related to credibility and spatial requirements in managing waste from small modular reactors
Exploring energy sufficiency: New challenges and options in times of crisis
Get PDFThe war in Ukraine is changing the political landscape at breakneck speed. How should politics and society react to high energy prices and a precarious dependence on fossil fuels imports? Can modern societies get by with much less energy? Energy sufficiency can play an important role in answering these questions. The contributions in this Special topic explore sufficiency as an interdisciplinary research topic for energy modeling, scenarios, and policy.The war in Ukraine is changing the political landscape at breakneck speed. How should politics and society react to high energy prices and a precarious dependence on fossil fuels imports? Can modern societies get by with much less energy? Energy sufficiency can play an important role in answering these questions. The contributions in this Special topic explore sufficiency as an interdisciplinary research topic for energy modeling, scenarios, and policy
Commoning in the search for a repository site?: New ways of collective action
Get PDFThis article addresses the question of whether Elinor Ostrom’s research on commons governance can open up new interpretive possibilities with regard to current institutionalization processes in the site selection process and for dealing with high-level radioactive waste in general. Based on passive observations, hypotheses are developed as to what extent logics of commoning are pursued, and preliminary results are presented.This article addresses the question of whether Elinor Ostrom’s research on commons governance can open up new interpretive possibilities with regard to current institutionalization processes in the site selection process and for dealing with high-level radioactive waste in general. Based on passive observations, hypotheses are developed as to what extent logics of commoning are pursued, and preliminary results are presented
Analysis of social consequences of digital technologies for farms in small-scale agriculture
Get PDFSo far, only few results are available regarding the social consequences of digital technologies for everyday work in small-scale agriculture. At the same time, farmers often have little information to assess what to expect after investing in digital technologies. However, information on possible consequences becomes more and more relevant to support farmers in a targeted way and to increase acceptance. This article examines the possible consequences using the technology assessment approach, taking Baden-Württemberg as an example. For this purpose, we conducted 38 qualitative expert interviews and analyzed them qualitatively and content-wise. The results show technology- specific social consequences (e.g. for work, family) and possible solutions for (family) farms in small scale agriculture. They provide useful information for industry, trade, politics, education, and consulting.So far, only few results are available regarding the social consequences of digital technologies for everyday work in small-scale agriculture. At the same time, farmers often have little information to assess what to expect after investing in digital technologies. However, information on possible consequences becomes more and more relevant to support farmers in a targeted way and to increase acceptance. This article examines the possible consequences using the technology assessment approach, taking Baden-Württemberg as an example. For this purpose, we conducted 38 qualitative expert interviews and analyzed them qualitatively and content-wise. The results show technology- specific social consequences (e.g. for work, family) and possible solutions for (family) farms in small scale agriculture. They provide useful information for industry, trade, politics, education, and consulting
Toward a repository for high-level radioactive waste: Perspectives and approaches
Get PDFThe future is unpredictable. Under these circumstances, how can we plan and construct a nuclear waste repository that is supposed to safely store the waste for up to a million years – an endeavor that may in itself take more than a hundred years? In this introduction to the special topic on the future of nuclear waste disposal, we take a first look at this question by searching the literature for answers and by giving a short overview of the current status of site selection in different countries, including possible challenges.The future is unpredictable. Under these circumstances, how can we plan and construct a nuclear waste repository that is supposed to safely store the waste for up to a million years – an endeavor that may in itself take more than a hundred years? In this introduction to the special topic on the future of nuclear waste disposal, we take a first look at this question by searching the literature for answers and by giving a short overview of the current status of site selection in different countries, including possible challenges
Solar panels - is more always better?: Assessing the carbon footprint of communities
Get PDFAre more solar panels always better in terms of carbon impact for a local energy community, and what is the influence of energy sufficiency? The answer is simple when the national electrical grid is taken as an infinite source of storage. However, this answer becomes uncertain if we consider that exporting power at the national scale is not a desired option. Although this is a conservative hypothesis, it is considered for technical and social reasons. In doing so, load profiles become a key to evaluating the carbon impact of hybrid systems with solar panels plus storage units. To summarize the impact of any load profiles on the optimal sizing of solar panels, we propose a novel index denoted ‘natural self-sufficiency’. Our results show that not only reducing energy demand but also being more flexible significantly affects the carbon emissions related to solar panels.Are more solar panels always better in terms of carbon impact for a local energy community, and what is the influence of energy sufficiency? The answer is simple when the national electrical grid is taken as an infinite source of storage. However, this answer becomes uncertain if we consider that exporting power at the national scale is not a desired option. Although this is a conservative hypothesis, it is considered for technical and social reasons. In doing so, load profiles become a key to evaluating the carbon impact of hybrid systems with solar panels plus storage units. To summarize the impact of any load profiles on the optimal sizing of solar panels, we propose a novel index denoted ‘natural self-sufficiency’. Our results show that not only reducing energy demand but also being more flexible significantly affects the carbon emissions related to solar panels
Meeting report: "Politics, science and technology in times of crisis". Annual DVPW meeting, 2022 (online)
No full textThe seamless web of next generation sequencing and Covid-19
Get PDF„Wann ist Covid Covid?“ titelt ein Diskussionsbeitrag des Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine der Universität Oxford vom 11. September 2020. Inmitten des multinationalen Ringens um einen geeigneten gesellschaftlichen wie politischen Umgang mit der durch Covid- 19 ausgelösten Krisensituation weist ein anerkanntes medizinisches Expert*innengremium darauf hin, dass Covid-19 in unterschiedlichen Kontexten sehr unterschiedlich definiert wird. Bei einer Definition geht es um klinische Symptome am Menschen, bei einer anderen um RNASequenzen des Virus. In dem Beitrag wird diese Frage aufgegriffen und diskutiert, inwiefern neue Sequenzierungspraktiken und deren „nahtlose Netze“ als Deutungs- und Gestaltungsinstanzen gesellschaftlich wirkmächtig werden. Dabei zeigen sich auch die Grenzen solcher Netze in Form von Brüchen, Nähten und Narben.“When is Covid Covid?” is the title of a discussion paper published by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University on 11 September 2020. Amid the multinational struggle for an appropriate social and political approach to the crisis triggered by Covid-19, a recognized panel of medical experts alerts us that Covid-19 is defined very differently in different contexts. One definition focuses on symptoms, another one on RNA sequences of the virus. In the present contribution, this debate is taken up to discuss the extent to which new sequencing practices and their “seamless webs” become socially effective as instances of interpretation and design. At the same time, the limitations of such webs become noticeable as ruptures, seams, and scars