Àlex Boso

Public Responses to Co2 Storage Sites: Lessons from Five European Cases

Studies of the factors involved in public perceptions of CO2 storage projects reveal a level of complexity and diversity that arguably confounds a comprehensive theoretical account. To some extent, a conceptual approach that simply organises the relevant social scientific knowledge thematically, rather than seeking an integrated explanation, is as useful as any single account that fails to do justice to the contingencies involved. This paper reviews and assembles such knowledge in terms of six themes and applies these themes to five European cases of carbon capture and storage (CCS) implementation. We identify the main factors involved in community responses to CCS as relating to: The characteristics of the project; the engagement process; risk perceptions; the actions of the stakeholders; the characteristics of the community, and the socio-political context.

La relevancia de la confianza en conflictos socioambientales por energía en Chile: los casos de "Castilla" e "Hidroaysén"

Modern social dynamics are related to increasing hazards and risks, a situation that is crystalized in socio-environmental con fl icts that arise under dif...

Should irregular migrants have the right to healthcare? Lessons learnt from the Spanish case

This article critically evaluates the Royal Decree-Law 16/2012, which regulates migrants’ access to public healthcare services in Spain. In particular, it examines the political rationale behind the restriction of migrants’ access to primary and specialised healthcare services. We depart from the right to health as it is defined in the Spanish and international legislations to deconstruct three arguments used by the Popular Party government – the administrative status, high health costs and possible pull effect of welfare policies – to legitimise irregular migrants’ exclusion from full medical coverage. We contend that the Royal Decree-Law 16/2012 not only fails to meet the requirements of a human rights based approach but it may also be economically inefficient in the medium to long term.

Public support for wood smoke mitigation policies in south-central Chile

This study analyzes the role of the affect heuristic, risk perceptions, and air quality and sociodemographic factors in the support for policies to control urban air pollution. The sample includes 489 participants residing in Temuco and Padre Las Casas, suburban areas located in southern Chile, affected by the smoke that wood-burning stoves and cookers produce. In line with previous studies, the results show that the rejection of pollution mitigation policies is associated with a positive affect to heat homes with wood. Awareness and risk perception also seem to be relevant factors, but the effect of the latter on the support for policies ceases to be significant when it is controlled by key sociodemographic variables such as household income. The study findings contribute to the theories of processing information about risk, when suggesting that emotions and awareness play an important role in the support for policies to control air pollution and that, also, structural factors like household income cannot be avoided. Finally, the implications for urban energy transition processes are discussed.

El transnacionalismo político de las asociaciones de inmigrantes en Barcelona

espanolEl objetivo de este articulo es explorar en que medida las asociaciones de inmigrantes se im-plican en el transnacionalismo politico y que determina las diferencias en su implicacion. El estudio compara los niveles de transnacionalismo politico de 24 asociaciones de inmigrantes en Barcelona, indagando como influyen variables de nivel meso y macro en dicho proceso. Los resultados senalan que el compromiso politico transnacional no sigue un patron generalizado entre las asociaciones de inmigrantes y presenta un nivel relativamente bajo de regularidad. El analisis de los datos tambien apunta la importancia de la estructura de oportunidades politicas en el pais de origen, las redes sociales y la financiacion de la organizacion como elementos clave para entender su nivel de implicacion politica transnacional. EnglishThis article aims to addresses two fundamental questions: to what extent immigrant associations engage in political transnationalism; and what are the main determinants of their transnational political activism. The study compares the degree of political transnationalism of 24 immigrant associations in Barcelona, by exploring the influence of meso- and macro- level determinants. The results show that transnational political engagement is not generalized among all immigrant associations and presents a relatively low level of regularity. They also indicate the importance of the political opportunity structure in the home country, the social networks and the sources of funds as significant factors to understand the level of their transnational political engagement.