Intergenerational Democracy, Environmental Justice and the Case of Nuclear Waste

1. Auflage 2024
ISBN: 978-1-032-72801-8
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd (Sales)

Buch, Englisch, 200 Seiten, Format (B × H): 140 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 381 g

Reihe: Routledge Explorations in Energy Studies

This book explores the interplay between intergenerational justice and intragenerational justice using nuclear waste management as a consistent case to explore these themes.

Lee Towers and Matthew Cotton examine the issue of intergenerational justice from a social scientific perspective, drawing on central case studies of nuclear waste management in Canada, Finland, and the United Kingdom. They connect indigenous philosophies and notions of justice with the concept of intergenerational democracy, advocating for better inclusion of youth and elders in decision-making that affects their well-being. As such, the book’s primary objectives are fourfold:

- To assess whether trade-offs between intergenerational and intragenerational justice are necessary, and if so, what these trade-offs are and how they might be resolved.
To critically assess dominant western liberal philosophical approaches that shape contemporary intergenerational justice thinking in policy and practice, and consider alternatives drawn from anthropology and indigenous philosophies.
To assess how far our current capitalist system can achieve substantive forms of justice.
To critically examine three nuclear waste management case studies and assess how far these achieve environmental and energy justice and how they exemplify tensions between inter- and intragenerational justice.

This short, accessible volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy, environmental justice, and ethics.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Towers, Lee

Cotton, Matthew

Fachgebiete

• Technische Wissenschaften Energietechnik | Elektrotechnik Atomenergietechnik
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Mechanik Energie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction Defining Intergenerational Justice Three Features of Intergenerational Justice Children as Proxies of Future Generations Indigenous Societies and the World System Humanity, Ethnoclass, Ability, Gender, and Sexuality Book Outline

Part One – Intergenerational justice dilemmas

Chapter 1: The philosophical challenge of intergenerational justice Philosophical challenges and concepts in intergenerational justice Can future people have rights? The non-identity problem What obligations do we hold to future generations? The problem of reciprocity The weighting of future obligations – the issue of social discounting Sufficientarianism, or is enough, enough? Environmental Rights Ontological challenges Conclusions

Chapter 2: Alternative philosophical traditions Social Relations of the Gift Indigenous Perspectives on Justice and Time Defining the Human Across Deep Time The Over-determination of Man Conclusions – a new/old subjectivity for intergenerational justice

Chapter 3: Mainstream Economics and Scarce Justice Generational Wealth Transfers Trading Justice The Economics of the Anthropocene Conclusions

Chapter 4: Abundant Justice and Democracy Intergenerational Dilemmas Children and Young People as Future Generational Proxies Intergenerational Democracy Media Framings of Youth Protestors Youth as Proxies The UN Convention on the Rights of Children The Intergenerational Capability Approach Future Studies, Decoloniality, and Backcasting Mainstream Future Studies Backcasting Decolonised? Conclusions

Part Two – Nuclear Waste and Intergenerational Democracy

Chapter 5: Critical Nuclear Concepts Nuclear Landscapes & Communities Peripheralisation Energopower Nuclear Colonialism Conclusions

Chapter 6: Canada and the Nuclear Waste Management Organisation Context and Histories NWMO – Aims, Scope and Assumptions The Search for a GDF Site and Implementation Conclusions

Chapter 7: The World’s First GDF – Finland Context and History Aims, Scope and Assumptions of NWMOs in Finland STUK TVO & Fortum Posiva Shared Assumptions Implementation of the Most Advanced GDF in the World Finland’s Search for a GDF Media Representations and Consumption Intragenerational and Intergeneration Justice and Finland’s GDF Conclusions

Chapter 8: The United Kingdom and Nuclear Power and Waste Context and history of nuclear technologies in the United Kingdom Period one – Economic and Military Securitisation Period 2. Nuclear energy expansion and the recognition of waste as an environmental concern Period 3. The Deliberative Turn Period 4. Climate change securitisation Current UK Nuclear Waste Policy Implementation of the GDF Expanding Costs and Expanding Inventories Democratic Deficits and the Nuclear Conclusion

Conclusion: Justice for All Nuclear Waste Management and Justice Distributional Justice Procedural Justice The Justice of Recognition The Justice of Redress and Reparation Ghosts of Seppo and Western Science The Darkness of the Grave or the Womb?

References

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Lee Towers is a postdoctoral researcher working at Teesside University looking into aspects of intra- and intergenerational justice and nuclear waste solutions. He holds a PhD in applied social sciences from Brighton University. This PhD explored energy justice with a focus on community energy organisations and their work on energy poverty and climate mitigation in the United Kingdom. Previous published work includes an examination of community energy work on reducing energy poverty in the UK privatised energy system and an exploration of the intergenerational aspects of the pandemic published by Brighton University. His current postdoctoral position is funded by the Nuclear Waste Services.

Matthew Cotton is professor of environmental justice and public policy in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Law at Teesside University. He holds a PhD in environmental science from the University of East Anglia. His research explores the social and ethical dimensions of technology development and environmental planning, and the effective involvement of stakeholders in questions of socio-economic and ecological justice. His previous published works on these topics include the monographs: Virtual Reality, Empathy and Ethics; Nuclear Waste Politics (Routledge); and Ethics and Technology Assessment; and co-edited volumes: Governing Shale Gas (Routledge) and Engaging Environmental Justice. His research in the field of environmental justice is funded by Nuclear Waste Services; Research England; The Economic and Social Research Council; Euratom; The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; and the National Institute for Public Health Research.