Search Results (61)

We examine the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s collaborative process to locate, build, and operate one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities (FCISFs) for commercial U.S. spent nuclear fuel—instead of continuing to store the material at over 70 nuclear reactor sites. Technocratic siting of nuclear facilities in the U.S., most of which did not involve meaningful public participation, was not successful. We consider increasing pressure to find at least one FCISF site, as well as the critical role of trust in engaging communities and reaching agreement—leading some observers to assert that DOE is in the “trust building business”, not the siting business. We present case studies with the following: (1) illustrating community engagement that led to a more satisfactory outcome than had been anticipated (Fernald); (2) a planned voluntary process that failed to produce an operating CISF (Office of the Nuclear Waste Negotiator); and (3) a site that demonstrates the ongoing need for negotiations to keep a site open and operational (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant). The essay concludes with the observation that a collaboration-based siting effort can succeed in the U.S., but that five main challenges—related to trust and requiring patience—will need to be addressed. Full article

This article examines the work of journalists employed in communication offices within key centres of power, specifically, prominent institutions. It explores their professional self-perception, the working conditions they face, and how occupying such positions influences their subsequent career paths. To this end, the study conducted fourteen in-depth interviews with Spanish journalists who hold or have held significant roles in institutional communication offices in this country. Many of these professionals previously worked in the media, and some have returned to journalism after their tenure in administration. The results obtained from these interviews reveal a significant disparity in the levels of pressure experienced by professionals in offices closely tied to political decision-making compared to those in secondary institutions, despite similar financial compensation. Moreover, the study confirms that professionals working near major centres of power—referred to as “nuclear reactors” in their own words—encounter greater challenges when returning to journalism and the media due to increased political stigmatisation. Additionally, the interviews show that journalists in such offices experience stress and work pressures on a par with or exceeding those encountered in media roles. Full article

Establishing a sound agricultural investment risk measurement and dynamic monitoring mechanism is a key path to optimize the efficiency of agricultural capital allocation and ensure the stability of the global food supply chain. Based on the five dimensions of politics, economy, society, agricultural management, and bilateral diplomatic and economic relations with China, this paper constructs an index system to assess the risks of China’s agricultural investment in 49 countries along “the Belt and Road” and uses nuclear density analysis, a Markov chain, and other methods to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of different risks during 1995–2022. A deep neural network model is constructed to monitor the investment risk dynamically. The research shows that China’s agricultural investment risk to most of the countries along the route (61.22%) is at a normal level, and risk in bilateral diplomatic and economic relations with China is the most critical influencing factor. The agricultural investment risk among countries along the route has a significant positive spatial correlation and dynamic infectivity and shows a trend of gradually transferring from high risk to low risk in the long run. Endowment of agricultural water resources, natural disasters, and other indicators have the greatest impact on the high risk. Unemployment status and communication level have the greatest influence on the low risk. Investment relationship and endowment of agricultural land resources have the least influence on different investment risk levels. On this basis, the paper puts forward some policy suggestions for expanding the investment scale and strengthening dynamic monitoring. This paper enriches the index system of China’s agricultural investment risk and provides a reference for other countries’ agricultural investment and regional economic belt construction. Full article

The Visegrad Group, comprising Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, has several common features, including their geographical proximity, membership in the EU and NATO, and similar levels of economic development. However, they also have significant differences. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has exposed new disagreements among them, particularly regarding how to ensure energy security amid a changing geopolitical landscape and the issue of sanctions on Russian energy supplies. Despite these differences, the Visegrad Group countries have shown unity in their approach to nuclear power. Although their use of nuclear technology varies, they have recently aligned their nuclear energy policies. Czechia and Slovakia have a long history with nuclear technology, dating back to the 1970s, while Hungary began its nuclear program in the 1980s. Poland, which had paused its nuclear program after the Chernobyl disaster, has recently resumed its nuclear energy efforts. All four countries aim to expand their nuclear energy capacity to either maintain or increase its share in their electricity mix. This paper provides a comparative analysis of their nuclear energy policies, focusing on the political initiatives driving advancements in this field. It argues that these nations see nuclear energy as crucial for creating a resilient, crisis-resistant, and secure energy sector. Full article

With climate change rapidly accelerating, we must seriously reconsider our inconsistent and, at times, disjointed approach to energy grid decarbonisation by applying extant low-carbon technologies rapidly and at scale rather than continuing to rely on fossil fuel generation. In contrast to more transient renewables such as wind and solar energy, nuclear power is capable of reliably generating large quantities of baseload low-carbon energy. Despite this advantage, however, deployment has stagnated due to a combination of high costs, safety concerns, and an unwillingness of political authorities to commit to a large-scale, publicly funded program. The focus on private sector leadership in R&D has resulted in a smorgasbord of under-developed and conceptual reactor and fuel cycle technologies, many of which are a decade or more from commercial viability. Meanwhile, the aforementioned political issues have prevented the necessary long-term funding, incentivisation, or provision of the necessary market structures for the significant construction of actual generating plants. With this in mind, we present a potential path to a long-term sustainable approach to the nuclear fuel cycle, highlighting key reactor and fuel cycle technologies and providing an overview of how these should be implemented. Additionally, we discuss the industrial, political, and societal changes needed to achieve this through the comprehensive management of both waste and resources. Full article

The concept of the post-apocalypse, a cultural imagination of nuclear energy, the temporality of trauma, and time travel are linked herein in order to arrive at a political reading of the Dark series. This show is a commentary on the phasing out of nuclear power in Germany in response to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. Two readings of this series are proposed: a meditation on the possible futures of the world (the possibility of reparative action and the post-apocalypse) and a traumatic narrative (the concepts of trauma and loss are crucial to understanding the plot, while both the visuals and the plot borrow from posttraumatic cinema). Nevertheless, the series plays by the rules of popular trauma culture, rules whereby a tragedy suffered by others serves the economic interests of the media. Full article

With the uncertainty concerning the future use of natural resources due to depletion and lack of access caused by the pandemic and recent political events that led to increased prices, nuclear energy may become an alternative efficient energy. NPPs raise serious concerns, including waste management, and any case of an NPP accident has the potential to disrupt the positive impact of energy production in terms of circular economies. Our research analyzed the impact of nuclear incidents as examples of disasters worldwide to decide whether any of the different forms of insurance coverage could be useful in future events. By using 2533 historical records of incidents from 1901 to June 2022, we set out to find the best predictor of damage causes and further observe whether the validation of current forms of insurance may be possible. The disaster subtype and declaration represent the best predictor of the total damage value (adjusted or not) for all types of disasters, including nuclear. The results are important inputs for underwriters working in insurance, including in radioactive waste management, which must consider historical data in order to tailor future contracts, adjusting the cost and coverage to the type of disaster. Our results highlight that with an increase of only one event involving a nuclear source, the total adjusted damages will increase by USD 1,821,087.09 thousand, representing 75% of the damage costs of the rest of the disaster subtypes. The results are useful for public entities to evaluate nuclear energy as a new solution and can help further adapt existing policies to include better responses for waste prevention, reuse and recycling. Full article

The article presents conceptual foundations for solving the problem of global importance that determines the sustainable development of all countries and regions without exception. The energy transition is being implemented amid the unfolding global energy crisis; economic ties and logistics routes are being broken and rebuilt; and political decisions are being taken, shaping the socio-economic and technical architecture of the world. Having summarized scientific publications and analytical reports and the results of expert surveys, the authors were able to substantiate that the energy transition is an interdisciplinary task that requires taking into account numerous factors of different nature and risks arising from the one-sided orientation of energy systems to use a particular type of energy source or type of energy production. As the main conceptual provision of the article, a thesis about the social equivalence of the final results of the energy transition is put forward: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring the reliability of energy supply and a socially acceptable level of electricity prices. New elements of the energy transition concept include the definition of transformation milestones, a diversified technical policy, and tools for advanced training of personnel to work in complex projects of energy system transformations. It has been proven that the main factor for the successful implementation of the energy transition is the presence of a technical policy, i.e., a set of measures that enable consistent decisions regarding various types of generating capacities, the development of the power grid complex, and the transformation of power-consuming systems. As part of this policy, special attention is paid to recommendations for the development of thermal and nuclear power plants, which are often ignored within long-term energy transition programs. Full article

The present paper is a narrative review focused on a few important aspects and moments of trends surrounding materials and methods in sustainable nuclear energy, as an expression of applied chemistry support for more efficiency and safety. In such context, the paper is focused firstly on increasing alloy performance by modifying compositions, and elaborating and testing novel coatings on Zr alloys and stainless steel. For future generation reactor systems, the paper proposes high entropy alloys presenting their composition selection and irradiation damage. Nowadays, when great uncertainties and complex social, environmental, and political factors influence energy type selection, any challenge in this field is based on the concept of increased security and materials performance leading to more investigations into applied science. Full article

Fossil fuel consumption has triggered worries about energy security and climate change; this has promoted hydrogen as a viable option to aid in decarbonizing global energy systems. Hydrogen could substitute for fossil fuels in the future due to the economic, political, and environmental concerns related to energy production using fossil fuels. However, currently, the majority of hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, which is not a renewable source of energy. It is therefore crucial to increase the efforts to produce hydrogen from renewable sources, rather from the existing fossil-based approaches. Thus, this study investigates how renewable energy can accelerate the production of hydrogen fuel in the future under three hydrogen economy-related energy regimes, including nuclear restrictions, hydrogen, and city gas blending, and in the scenarios which consider the geographic distribution of carbon reduction targets. A random effects regression model has been utilized, employing panel data from a global energy system which optimizes for cost and carbon targets. The results of this study demonstrate that an increase in renewable energy sources has the potential to significantly accelerate the growth of future hydrogen production under all the considered policy regimes. The policy implications of this paper suggest that promoting renewable energy investments in line with a fairer allocation of carbon reduction efforts will help to ensure a future hydrogen economy which engenders a sustainable, low carbon society. Full article

The World Energy Council ranks the Danish energy system among best in the world judging by the energy trilemma criteria: energy security, energy equity, and sustainability. District heating (DH) and CHPs are pivotal for this ranking. This brief historical account illustrates how a mix of historical events, collective societal experiences, cultural and political values inform the Danish history of DH and CHPs. After the global energy crisis in the 1970s, public and political sentiment called for energy independence, alternatives to imported fuels, and alternatives to nuclear power. National-scale collective heat infrastructure planning initiatives targeted the energy policy objectives: energy independence, fuel diversification, and energy efficiency, and a political culture of broad coalition agreements made the necessary long-term planning possible. In the following decades, growing environmental awareness and concern called for renewable energy resources as alternatives to fossil fuels. Research considered the role of collective memories and temporal distance (i.e., time) for this sociotechnical journey; it notes the innovative thinking, re-use/re-cycling and energy efficiency focus that still characterize the Danish DH communities today, and it suggests that the intangible, yet reliable nature of heat could lead to the rebound effect in end-user heat-consumption behaviours. The methodological question of how, and to what extent, historical insights and lessons learnt may be translated across contexts is raised and discussed. Although sociotechnical trajectories may have granted the Danish energy system a head-start in the global race towards low-carbon energy transitions, perhaps the route was less direct than popularly portrayed. The Danish DH sector currently faces challenges of growing biomass import dependency, but also the potentials of sector coupling and energy flexibility. Energy efficiency and energy flexibility potential may be harvested via DH and district cooling solutions in future ‘smart’ energy systems globally. Hopefully, insights and lessons learnt from this brief history of Danish DH and CHPs prove informative elsewhere. Full article

Nuclear waste management is a contested challenge that lasts for decades. Especially in Germany, the history of the usage of nuclear energy is conflictive and notions of justice are therefore omnipresent in the ongoing site selection process for a nuclear waste repository. Against the background of injustices caused by the deployment of nuclear energy, such as the obligation for current generations to deal with nuclear waste, questions of how to justly deal with nuclear waste and to find a just repository site arise. By conducting a survey among people that participate in the site selection process as well as people living in or representing an area that is still considered suitable, the assessment of different aspects of justice was evaluated. The role of a science-informed site decision without any political bias is considered highly important for a just site selection. Distributional aspects, such as notions of utilitarianism, retribution, or the exemption of environmentally burdened regions are generally not approved but more detailed questions have shown that such notions cannot be dismissed at this early stage of the site selection process. The difference for general agreement can also be observed for intergenerational recognition, as the recognition of future generations is regarded as necessary, but concrete implications (retrievability or enclosure) are assessed ambiguously. Although some factors of justice are assessed more importantly than others, the analysis has shown that the interrelations between the different dimensions of justice are manifold and the argument that one dimension can be substituted for another one is too reductive. Full article

The global renewable energy landscape is changing rapidly. Green energies reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diversify the energy supply, and lower dependence on volatile and uncertain fossil fuel markets. The future looks promising for green energy sources, which are taking on an increasingly important role, especially in the current context, as governments are trying to identify viable solutions to the energy crisis and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Worldwide, there is a growing interest in and support for green energy sources, a factor that could help accelerate the current energy transition. Despite these positive developments, much remains to be done globally to make the energy transition a reality. In this respect, the European Union member states have committed to a wide neutrality target by establishing an increase in the total share of energy from renewable sources to 55% (by 2030) and, at the same time, reducing the net greenhouse gas effect emissions by at least 55% until 2030 to reach the neutrality target by 2050. Green energy sources are essential for long-term efforts to mitigate climate change and will play an important role in improving energy security and accessibility. The efforts of every country to strengthen the energy sector through the development of green energies will reduce geopolitical risks and disproportionate external costs for society. The large-scale use of green energies will contribute to sustainable development. The objective of our research is to review the literature on green energy in the context of sustainable development by analyzing research conducted by various authors and international organizations on these topics. The period considered for this study is 2011–2020. Our research focused on the EU 27, but the review also took into account the results obtained by other countries worldwide, such as China, the USA, Norway, and Iceland. The main research method used was the analysis of scientific papers, studies developed by international organizations, and a wide set of agreements and political commitments assumed by different states for developing green energy as a solution for sustainable development. The obtained results show an interesting international debate about green energies and how they can contribute to sustainable development. This paper’s results also show that in 2019 at the global level, low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear power and renewable energy, accounted for 15.7% of primary energy (solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal and wave and tidal), while in 2021, for the EU 27, the share of energy from renewable sources reached 22%. According to international statistics, more than 90% of the governments of many countries are making investments to efficiently capitalize on green energy sources and to design new models of sustainable economic and social development, in order to lower pollution levels, reduce the dependence on fossil fuel imports and limit the climate change impact. Full article

Successful energy transitions, also referred to as leapfrog development, present enormous prospects for EU nations to become carbon neutral by shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Along with climate change, EU countries must address energy security and dependency issues, exacerbated by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, rising energy costs, conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and political instability. Diversifying energy sources, generating renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, preventing energy waste, and educating the public about environmental issues are proposed as several strategies. The study draws the conclusion that central European countries may transition to a clean energy economy and become carbon neutral on economic and strategic levels by locating alternative clean energy supply sources, reducing energy use, and producing renewable energy. According to the study, the EU energy industry can be decarbonised and attain energy security using three basic strategies, such as supply diversification, energy savings, and quicker adoption of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. The energy transformation industry still needs to improve energy efficiency, incorporate a circular and sustainable bioeconomy, and support renewable energies, including solar, wind, hydropower, nuclear, and hydrogen. Full article