Steven C. Ballard

Theory and practice of integrated impact assessment: The case of the western energy study☆

Abstract Four aspects of an applied technology assessment of western energy development are examined: the social and political context, the analytical approach, organization and management, and participation and utilization strategies. The value of technology assessments in addressing the uncertainties and value conflicts created by technological change depends in large part on organizational and management devices, particularly interdisciplinarity, external review, and participatory research strategies. While these approaches provide no guarantees, they help to compensate for inadequate theories and methodologies in providing integrated research findings.

Speaking Out Perceptions of Women Managers in the Public Service

Women are underrepresented in all levels of management at every level of government -- a condition relatively unchanged by 25 years of proactive policy. While numerous theories exist on why this condition remains virtually unchanged, women managers qualified for advancement have not been questioned concerning their perceptions of the conditions and barriers experienced by female public managers. A survey of such women is reported here, indicating their perceptions of the barriers and conditions experienced by women in the public sector and contrasting these experiences with their perceptions of the private sector.

Western States and National Energy Policy: The New States' Rights.

Since the 1973 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) oil embargo, a consistent theme in national energy policy has been to achieve independence from insecure foreign sources of energy. In the shortto mid-term, the principal means for achieving this objective is to increase the production and utilization of domestic energy resources, particularly fossil fuels and uranium. Given the large quantities of these energy resources located in the western United States, the West is a prime regional candidate for contributing to this increased production. But matters of how much production, where, and what energy development technologies are used are being and will be very largely determined by national policies. Awareness of this situation has already affected federal-state relations, and some westerners have begun to argue for a larger role for the states in national policy making in energy, environmental, and related areas. That

Energy from the western states of the USA: conflicts and constraints

Abstract Large-scale energy resource development in the western states will almost certainly be required if the USA is to increase its domestic energy production significantly. Such development will create several problems, including conflicts over water use and quality, air quality, growth management and housing, and land use. In this article the authors discuss each of these issues and the kinds of trade-off which can be expected if certain policies are chosen. Although there are several promising strategies for realizing the benefits of development while minimizing environmental and socioeconomic costs, their success is likely to be limited by serious institutional constraints. These constraints ultimately block much energy resource development in the western states.