From: buser@igc.apc.org
Newsgroups: sci.energy
Date: 11 Nov 92 12:04 PST
Subject: Request : Social Science Research
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1466300102:000:3982
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!buser    Nov 11 12:04:00 1992


REQUEST : CONTACTS/INFORMATION ON SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH
          WITHIN THE FIELD "ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY"


I hoped that I might find something on this subject on the
EcoNet, but so far I haven't found much. (Perhaps I should 
have been more patient and thorough.)  Now I hope that there 
will be people reading this who could given me some clues and
hopefully refer me to concrete (high quality) social science
/multidisciplinary research projects/reports/publications.

The reason for my interest is that I'm trying to initiate
projects within a multidisciplinary research program at the
University of Trondheim, termed "Energy, Environment and
Society".

The main focus will probably be on finding the main societal
obstacles and promoting factors for the enhanced use of 

1) more energy efficient devices and practises as well as
house-building techniques.

2) renewables, especially wind, solar and bioenergy

Short-term economic analysis plays an important role, but in
that genre (economic modelling) I already have some articles
and references.  ( Good, groundbreaking /
"revolutionary"research is of interest though. )

Besides, energy taxes alone do not seem to be a particularly
good instrument for enhancing energy efficiency, at least not
for the domestic (private household) use of energy.

The setting of minimum standards, for instance, probably has a
greater effect.

But it takes time to develop such standards and they may not
suited in all the areas where increases in efficiency and
modernisation of practises is needed.

In many instances the available technology is already
price-competitive, as well as more environmentally sound than
the traditional. Why then are they not brought into more
widespread use ?

I presume the basis of the work should be within the sociology
and history of science.

When it comes to investigating why these technologies aren't
given better opportunities by corporations and governments,the
basis might be in political studies organizational theory,
management -  corporate- and government-  and the study of
research policies.(I don't know if those designations are
good, but I hope the main idea is understood.) 

Some words about geography : The program will primarily focus
on that which is relevant for the Norwegian setting. In Norway
we already have a large portion ( close to 100% ) of the
electricity supplied coming from renewable hydropower,covering
roughly 50% of the energy consumed inland, excluding ships in
international traffic. The per capita consumption of energy is
amongst the highest in the world, although a lot is saved by
good practises on the insulation of houses.

Although the Norwegian setting is special, the mechanisms in
these issues will be comparable to a great extent from country
to country within the OECD. 

Social science research literature and contacts pertaining to
the situation in developing countries would be useful for the
programme's ambition not to neglect the ties betweeen
environment and development in the rich and the poor parts of
the world.

Finally, I'll mention one theme that probably is not going to
be the first to be pursued in our program Energy, Environment
and Society, but that I personally think is relevant in the
near future:  

What are the societal feasibility and implications of reducing
spendings and perhaps the material standard of living, not
just effectivize ?  What if the population in the
industrialized countries went back to the _material_ living
standard of the 1960's, say ?

This might of course be an absolute necessity one day, because
we simply don't achieve enough with our efficiency schemes,our
technological fixes. The perils of "Business as usual" are
well known to all the potential readers, I suppose. 



Thanks, from

Morten Lange     Email  : morten.lange@smu.unit.no
Univ. of Trondheim, Centre for Environment and Development,
Medisinsk Teknisk Senter, N-7005 TRONDHEIM,  *NORWAY*
(Standard disclaimer applies.)

Newsgroups: sci.energy