Alena Bleicher

Sustainability assessment and the revitalization of contaminated sites: operationalizing sustainable development for local problems

The problem of contamination of soil and groundwater has only been discussed widely in industrialized countries since the 1970s. Since the 1980s, when the debate on sustainable development began to be taken up in urban and regional planning, soil was increasingly seen as a scarce and non-renewable resource. Consequently, the goal of brownfield redevelopment became an urgent issue in policy circles. Because revitalization of contaminated brownfield areas is characterized by many uncertainties and complex decision-making processes, there is a growing need for generic decision-support systems. In this paper we discuss the development of a systematic approach aimed at assessing different land-use scenarios for a contaminated site in terms of their sustainability value as part of a computer-based module. The overall management system, of which sustainability indicator development discussed in this paper is but one part, supports users in developing a case-specific set of criteria for sustainable development. In this paper, we present and critically discuss this new sustainability assessment module. We describe the different steps of the indicator development process and discuss areas that need to be improved in order to derive answers that reach beyond the field of contaminated site management.

The Experimental Turn in Environmental Sociology: Pragmatism and New Forms of Governance

Drawing from American pragmatist thinking this chapter knits together European and North American approaches on decision making under conditions of ignorance and uncertainty. By doing so, the chapter develops an experimentalist policy logic based on the writings of early pragmatists as well as the Chicago School of sociology to exemplify an example of experimental governance and strategies for continuously coping with ignorance in the remediation of areas with multiple contaminant sources and plumes related to industrial activities in the former socialist east of Germany. Finally, the chapter fathoms further possibilities and limits of an experimental approach in environmental sociology.

User motivation, energy prosumers, and regional diversity: sociological notes on using shallow geothermal energy

In this paper, we shed light on some sociocultural aspects underlying the use of shallow geothermal energy and point to relevant research on the utilization and public understanding of geothermal energy. We show how societal components such as user preferences in heating and cooling, users’ involvement in co-designing technology and producing energy, or country-specific administrative procedures influence the development of the technologies. We rely on existing studies and statistics and also on our own fieldwork (expert interviews) that has been carried out in 2013 and 2014 in Germany. Although we will focus on the cases in Germany, where shallow geothermal technologies have spread in a short time and evoked diverse forms of engagement from social actors, we also include comparative information from other countries.

‘It’s always dark in front of the pickaxe’: Organizing ignorance in the long-term remediation of contaminated land

This article departs from the view in which ignorance is seen as necessarily detrimental and analyses how specified ignorance (here called ‘nonknowledge’) can even serve as a productive resource. By using the example of cleaning up contaminated land in a timely and effective manner, it is argued that nonknowledge is a useful resource; in some instances, on a par with knowledge in its importance. The article discusses some of the strategies used to cope with ongoing situations involving ignorance in the remediation of areas containing multiple contaminant sources and plumes. Analysis of these processes indicates that planning and policymaking may benefit when limits to knowledge are openly acknowledged.

Actor networks and the construction of applicable knowledge: the case of the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool

This article deals with experiences acquired during the process of developing the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT). Developing a decision support tool that takes into account the expectations and experiences of its potential users is similar to creating applicable knowledge by the joint action of scientists and heterogeneous actors. Actor network theory is used to explore the construction of this form of applicable knowledge as a process of actor network creation. Following the French sociologist Callon, networks are seen to be initiated and carried out by a group of scientists (tool developers) via four moments of translation, called problematization, interessement, enrolment and mobilization. Each step in the construction of the TBPT—from the initial research question to the final model—can be linked in retrospect to changing configurations of actor networks. Based on the experiences of the tool developers in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Romania, we illustrate how these configurations varied across space and time. This contribution emphasizes the ability to correlate gains in knowledge with the more visible changes in the scope of actor networks in order to highlight achievements but also limitations in acquiring applicable knowledge.

Technological change in revitalization - Phytoremediation and the role of nonknowledge.

In the 1990s, remediation methods that use plants to investigate and extract contaminations were developed. According to their proponents, these technologies have considerable potential for greening remediation and to develop a more sustainable trajectory for revitalization. Although a great deal of research has been conducted on these technologies they have, so far, rarely been applied in European countries. This article will contribute a perspective from social science to this debate. By taking an approach inspired by social science practice theories, attention will be drawn to a specific socio-cultural aspect: dealing with nonknowledge. The analysis of remediation practices reveals how the phenomenon of nonknowledge becomes relevant in the process of inventing and applying new technologies. This allows for a better understanding of technological innovation processes in remediation. Based on this understanding strategies are suggested which might increase the use of plant-based technologies in remediation and site management.

Transdisciplinarity in Practice: The Emergence and Resolution of Dissonances in Collaborative Research on Brownfield Regeneration

Abstract The restoration of areas contaminated by industrial or mining activities has been a major issue in environmental research in many European countries since the 1980s, and it also constitutes a major area of research at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research — UFZ. Within this research environment, a consortium consisting of natural and social scientists has developed an EU-funded research project aimed at providing problem- oriented, tailored approaches and technologies for the revitalization of contaminated areas. The approach taken by the project is one that seeks to integrate scientific and non-scientific knowledge. In this paper we show how the idea of joint knowledge production between scientists and non-scientists is pursued in the context of the project. We explore how the rather fuzzy presentation of the transdisciplinary approach in the project proposal opens the door to interpretation and appropriation by scientists and practitioners alike. We describe a number of ad hoc solutions that were deployed to overcome specific dissonances during the collaborative production of knowledge (e.g. substituting common group learning for the single-handed elaboration of concepts by one project partner, or substituting the consultation of external experts for the mere gathering of information). Finally, we show how the interdisciplinary research environment at UFZ enhances the ability of the project team to resolve dissonances, improves collaboration between partners, and increases the innovative potential of project outputs.

Resource Extraction Technologies: Is a More Responsible Path of Development Possible?

Technologies impact societies in manifold and often unforeseen ways. In several fields of technology (e.g. nanotechnology, biotechnology) it has been argued that reflexive modes of technology development are appropriate to deal with this challenge. A central aim of reflexive modes is the integration of broader societal perspectives early in technology development processes in order to achieve a more (societal) responsible way of technology development. Whereas social scientific accounts on mining and resource extraction emphasize topics like corporate social responsibility, occupational safety, or distributive justice, little light is shed on the possibility of more reflexive modes that integrate societal perspectives early on in the development of resource extraction technologies. These technologies decisively influence social life worlds. Within this article we will shed light on mining technologies, and discuss the relevance of early integration of societal concerns into their development. We argue that an early integration of these concerns can help to shape new technologies in societally responsible ways, and by so doing, to deal with globally increasing opposition to resource extraction operations. To underline this argument, the article delineates four major challenges connected to technology development and application in the domain of resource extraction: the identification of the problems’ locus, knowledge integration, the consideration of non-knowledge, and the reflection of manifold roles that actors have in technology development contexts. The article concludes with future research challenges for technology development in the domain of resource extraction.