Determining the Success of Carbon Capture and Storage Projects

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is regarded as one of the most important technologies to mitigate climate change while providing fossil-fuel based energy security. During the past decade, projects in support of the development and deployment of the technology have been initiated across the globe. However, a considerable number of these projects have later been put on hold or cancelled. Currently, there is little understanding of what characteristics may have led to these undesirable outcomes. Using data on planned, cancelled and operational CCS projects to date, this paper aims to elicit technological, economic and policy characteristics that render CCS projects more or less likely to become operational. The results consistently find that confirmation of storage site and capture processes that are pre-combustion, industrial separation, or natural gas separation increase the probability of project success, while presence of a carbon policy and non-commercial storage of CO2 are negatively linked to project success

A competing motivation

Although environmental awareness is a strong motivation, even for highly engaged individuals it has to compete with other motivations in guiding behaviour. A process-oriented approach to this dilemma allows for alternative behaviour and continuous engagement. That approach might be transferred also to organizational units

Report on the Survey 2012 amongst doctoral candidates within the Helmholtz Association: Created, carried out and evaluated by the Helmholtz Juniors, the PhD representatives of the Helmholtz Association

The Helmholtz Juniors are the PhD students‘ network of the German Helmholtz-Association (HGF). Their main mission is to intensify collaboration between the PhD students of the different Helmholtz research centers and improvement of the PhD education. In order to represent the interest of the PhD students at the Helmholtz Association, we need to have precise and up-to-date knowledge about the working conditions, problems and wishes of PhDs. This survey is a crucial basis. In the report, firstly we provide information about the background of the participants. Secondly we address four main topics of interest, namely PhD project planning, the income situation of PhD students, conditions for starting a family during the time as PhD student and the situation of students of foreign nationalities within the HGF. And thirdly we report results regarding the Helmholtz graduate schools

Characterising Livestock System Zoonoses Hotspots

A systematic review of the published literature was undertaken, to explore the ability of different types of model to help identify the relative importance of different drivers leading to the development of zoonoses hotspots. We estimated that out of 373 papers we included in our review, 108 papers touched upon the objective of 'Assessment of interventions and intervention policies', 75 addressed the objective of 'Analysis of economic aspects of disease outbreaks and interventions', 67 the objective of 'Prediction of future outbreaks', but only 37 broadly addressed the objective of 'Sensitivity analysis to identify criteria leading to enhanced risk'. Most models of zoonotic diseases are currently capturing outbreaks over relatively short time and largely ignoring socio-economic drivers leading to pathogen emergence, spill-over and spread. In order to study long-term changes we need to understand how socio-economic and climatic changes affect structure of livestock production and how these in turn affect disease emergence and spread. Models capable of describing this processes do not appear to exist, although some progress has been made in linking social and economical aspects of livestock production and in linking economics to disease dynamics. Henceforth we conclude that a new modelling framework is required that expands and formalises the 'one world, one health' strategy, enabling its deployment in the re-thinking of prevention and control strategies. Although modelling can only provide means to identify risks associated with socio-economic changes, it can never be a substitute for data collection. Finally, we note that uncertainty analysis and uncertainty communication form a key element of modelling process and yet are rarely addressed

A visual network perspective on social interaction and space: using net-map and wennmaker in participatory social-spatial research

Various network paradigm approaches are increasing in significance in the field of social-spatial sciences. In recent times, scholars engaged in research related to spatial features have more frequently grasped and explained social structures and discourses using an analytical network perspective. A relatively young strand of Social Network Analysis (SNA) is Visual Network Research, which uses network maps to gather and analyse social relationships, mostly using participative methods. This article discusses the specific possibilities and challenges that emerge by applying a visual network perspective in social- spatial sciences. Therefore, two different tools for visual data collection are introduced by presenting exemplary case studies that discuss the processes of space constitution. Net-Map is a pen-and-paper tool and is meant to manually draw multiplex networks in cooperation with interview partners or focus groups. By doing so, qualitative and quantitative network data are collected. Additionally, the influence, aims and roles of different actors are evaluated in relation, for example, to spatial scales or resources. The VennMaker tool offers cooperative network reconstruction through computer software. It generates a digital network map, collects quantitative relational and attributive data and provides a simultaneous qualitative triangulation of these data. Finally, the article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the different tools and suggests a conceptual and methodological combination of Visual Network Research and the relational sociology of space for a richer understanding of social action and space.Die verschiedenen Zugänge der Netzwerkforschung gewinnen in den Raumwissenschaften zunehmend an Bedeutung. In jüngster Zeit nutzen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler im Rahmen raumbezogener Forschungsarbeiten immer häufiger eine analytische Netzwerkperspektive um soziale Strukturen und Diskurse zu erfassen und zu erklären. Eine relativ junge Ausprägung der Sozialen Netzwerkanalyse (SNA) ist die Visuelle Netzwerkforschung, die mit Hilfe von sogenannten Netzwerkkarten soziale Beziehungen in meist partizipativen Verfahren erhebt und analysiert. Der Beitrag diskutiert die spezifischen Chancen und Herausforderungen dieser visuellen Netzwerkperspektive in der Raumforschung, indem er die Verwendung von Netzwerkarten in zwei unterschiedlichen Erhebungswerkzeugen vorstellt und raumbezogene Fragestellungen an exemplarischen Fallstudien diskutiert. Net-Map ist ein Pen-and-Paper-Instrument und ermöglicht das manuelle Zeichnen von multiplexen Netzwerken zusammen mit Interviewpartnern oder Fokusgruppen. Dabei werden qualitative und quantitative Netzwerkdaten, eine Bewertung des Einflusses, der Ziele und Rollen beispielsweise in Bezug zu Raumskalen oder Ressourcen der Akteure generiert. Die Software VennMaker ist ebenfalls ein Werkzeug zur partizipatorischen Netzwerkrekonstruktion, hier werden die Netzwerke zusammen mit den Interviewpartnern am Computer gezeichnet. Damit kann eine (digitale) Netzwerkkarte erstellt und zeitgleich quantitative relationale und attributive Daten erhoben und kommunikativ mit qualitativen Daten trianguliert werden. Der Beitrag diskutiert anhand der raumbezogenen Anwendungsbeispiele Vor- und Nachteile der beiden Werkzeuge und schlägt eine konzeptionell-methodische Kombination von Visueller Netzwerkforschung und relationaler Soziologie des Raumes vor, um so zu einem tieferen Verständnis des Zusammenhanges von sozialem Handeln und Raum zu gelangen

Understanding actor roles in sustainability initiatives: an exploratory study in five European countries

Several strands of literature have developed around the ambition to influence or bring about transitions toward greater sustainability. In this context researchers have come to be interested in the types of actors involved in sustainability transitions and the roles these actors play. However, there is a lack of clear definitions of actors, and their roles. Our research takes an exploratory approach and is designed to describe and analyse the actors concerned and to identify their roles in sustainability initiatives. Our aim in doing so is to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge on transitions and to provide sustainability initiatives themselves with helpful information. Data were collected using the Net-Map tool, a well-established method in actor and stakeholder analysis. In our results we identify and define six actor roles: catalysts, opponents, intermediaries, frontrunners, drivers and visionaries. In the literature, particular roles are connected to common actor categories (civil society, governmental actors, private sector, etc.). Our results imply that sustainability initiatives are neither necessarily hindered by the absence of certain actors, nor are they hindered per se by the presence of an actor - rather, a broad mix seems to be helpful

Green Lifestyles Alternative Models and Up-scaling Regional Sustainability (GLAMURS). Work Package 4. Deliverable 4.3: Report on Future Lifestyle Scenarios and Backcasting Vision Workshops

[Abstract] A participatory backcasting methodology has been developed for the GLAMURS project, entitled participatory backcasting for sustainable lifestyles and a green economy. It consists of two stakeholder workshops; a first workshop for problem exploration and development of visions for sustainable lifestyle and a green economy followed by a second workshop focussing on pathways and implementation.In six regions studied in the GLAMURS project vision workshops have been successfully executed. Thirteen visions have been generated. Visions have been compared on several dimensions including (1) sufficiency versus green growth, (2) individual versus community orientation, (3) governance by government or market, and (4) urban versus rural focus.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement Nº 61342

Das Leipziger Mobilitätspaket für Umzügler: Bedingungen für eine wirksame Maßnahmenumsetzung zur Erhöhung der Nutzung von Öffentlichem Verkehr, Carsharing und Fahrrad

In einer 19-monatigen Feldstudie wurde das Leipziger Mobilitätspaket für Umzügler, bestehend aus Informationen und Schnupperangeboten, erprobt und evaluiert. Ziel war es, diese für ein verändertes Verkehrsverhalten sensibilisierte Gruppe für eine stärkere Nutzung von Öffentlichem Verkehr, Carsharing und Fahrrad zu gewinnen, wobei zugleich die Nutzung des eigenen Pkw reduziert werden sollte. Knapp 400 Personen und damit die Hälfte aller Teilnehmer interessierte sich für das Paket. Die Studie lässt Tendenzen für eine Veränderung des alltäglichen Verkehrsverhaltens auf Grund des Mobilitätspakets erkennen und macht zugleich die Grenzen und notwendigen Voraussetzungen für dessen Erfolg sichtbar

EduLARP - Ein Blick auf haptische Lernzugänge

Must T, Thronicker R. EduLARP - Ein Blick auf haptische Lernzugänge. In: Bienia R, Schlickmann G, eds. LARP: Dokumentation. Aufsatzsammlung zum MittelPunkt 2020. 1st ed. Braunschweig: Zauberfeder; 2020: 149-162