‘Opening up’ geoengineering appraisal: Deliberative Mapping of options for tackling climate change

Deliberate large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate system, known collectively as climate ‘geoengineering’, have been proposed in order to moderate anthropogenic climate change. A host of normative rationales for geoengineering has led to a growing number of appraisals to evaluate the different proposals and provide decision support. This thesis critically reviews current appraisals of geoengineering before developing and executing its own appraisal methodology in response to their limitations. These limitations concern: (1) the appraisal of geoengineering proposals in ‘contextual isolation’ of alternative options for tackling climate change; (2) inadequate methodological responses to the ‘post-normal’ scientific context in which climate change and geoengineering resides; and (3) a premature ‘closing down’ upon particular geoengineering proposals, principally stratospheric aerosol injection, through the exertion of power via framings. This thesis exhibits the findings of an ‘upstream’ participatory appraisal of geoengineering called Deliberative Mapping; an innovative analytic-deliberative methodology designed to ‘open up’ appraisal inputs and outputs to a broader diversity of framings, knowledges and future pathways. A diversity of international experts and stakeholders from across academia, civil society, industry and government, and of sociodemographically representative citizens from Norfolk (UK), were engaged using a combination of analytic Multi-Criteria Mapping specialist interviews and deliberative citizens’ panels, as well as a joint specialists-citizens workshop. The results present a radically different view to other appraisals of geoengineering, where: (1) geoengineering proposals are most often outperformed by mitigation options, with stratospheric aerosol injection ranking particularly poorly; (2) a greater diversity of perspectives and assessment criteria spanning the natural, applied and social sciences reveals considerable uncertainties in all areas of research and decision making; and (3) four propositions for governance emerge that advance sociotechnical foresight, technology control and public consent, the anticipation and alleviation of impacts, a demonstration of robustness, and ultimately, the responsible innovation of geoengineering

Perceptions of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in different policy scenarios

There is growing interest in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) as a possible technology for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. In the first study of its kind, we investigate whether and how different forms of incentivisation impact on public perceptions of this technology. We develop a new experimental method to triangulate perceptions of BECCS in different policy scenarios through quantitative measurement and qualitative elicitation. Here we show that the type of policy instrument used to incentivise BECCS significantly affects perceptions of the technology itself. While we find approval of coercive and persuasion-based policy scenarios for incentivisation, supportive instruments proved polarising. Payments based on the amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere were approved, but guarantees of higher prices for producers selling energy derived from BECCS were strongly opposed. We conclude that public support for BECCS is inextricably linked to attitudes towards the policies through which it is incentivised

Communicating carbon removal

Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is “unavoidable” if net zero emissions are to be achieved, and is fast rising up the climate policy agenda. Research, development, demonstration, and deployment of various methods has begun, but technical advances alone will not guarantee a role for them in tackling climate change. For those engrossed in carbon removal debates, it is easy to forget that most people have never heard of these strategies. Public perception of carbon removal is therefore particularly sensitive to framings—the ways in which scientists, entrepreneurs, activists, politicians, the media, and others choose to organize and communicate it. In this perspective, we highlight four aspects of carbon removal for which their framing will play a decisive role in whether—and how—different methods are taken forward. First, the use of analogies can be helpful in guiding mental models, but can also inadvertently imply processes or outcomes that do not apply in the new example. Second, a taxonomic split between “nature-based” and “technological” methods threatens to divert attention from the actual qualities of different methods and constrain our policy options. Third, people are likely to overestimate the emissions-reduction potential of carbon removal, but this misperception can be corrected. Fourth, communications overlook the social arrangements for carbon removal and the alternative trajectories that implementation may take. We end by offering key recommendations for how we can communicate carbon removal more responsibly

Appraising sociotechnical visions of sustainable energy futures: A distributed deliberative mapping approach

Meeting international targets to limit climate change requires countries around the world to decarbonise whole energy systems. It is increasingly recognised that low-carbon energy transitions will need to focus as much on social transformations and the meaningful engagement of society as they do technical aspects. Most existing studies to engage society with energy system change focus on discrete forms of participation around specific technologies or particular parts of the energy system, with very few exploring distributed engagements with energy in terms of ‘whole system’ change. We set out to address this research gap in two important ways. First, we report on an innovative approach to opening up diverse issue framings and participant perspectives about energy futures in the UK, called distributed deliberative mapping (DDM), that examines how alternative formats and models of public participation shape appraisal outcomes. In this way, we experimentally broaden out beyond conventional deliberative formats of participation, in terms of ‘representative’ mini-publics and expert elicitation, to also engage with activist, grassroots innovator and consumer-based models of participation and their associated publics. Second, in doing so we develop an explicitly sociotechnical approach, emphasising the often-unacknowledged social arrangements that are co-produced with the technical elements of energy systems. Six diverse sociotechnical visions were developed and appraised: business as usual, large-scale technologies, deliberative energy society, smart tech society, local energy partnerships and off-grid energy communities. Across the five groups, we find a variety of problem framings that go far beyond the energy ‘trilemma’ and a greater diversity and range of technical and social criteria with which low-carbon energy futures are appraised. Our DDM study involving citizens and specialists shows that incumbent visions of centralised energy systems, such as business as usual and large-scale technologies, perform much lower than decentralised alternatives, such as a smart-tech society and local energy partnerships. Rather than a dominant focus on eliciting the views of ‘representative’ mini-publics to inform centralised decisions made by those managing ‘the transition’, DDM reveals and can support much more distributed modes of governing and democratising sustainable energy futures, across spaces and scales

Casting a wider net on ocean NETs

Societal issues involving policies and publics are generally understudied in research on ocean-based Negative Emission Technologies (NETs), yet will be crucial if novel techniques are ever to function at scale. Public attitudes are vital for emerging technologies: publics influence political mandates, help determine the degree of uptake by market actors, and are key to realizing broader ambitions for robust decision-making and responsible incentivization. Discourses surrounding ocean NETs will also have fundamental effects on how governance for the techniques emerges, shaping how they are defined as an object of governance, who is assigned the authority to govern, and what instruments are deemed appropriate. This Perspective brings together key insights on the societal dimensions of ocean NETs, drawing on existing work on public acceptability, policy assessment, governance, and discourse. Ocean iron fertilization is the only ocean NET on which there exists considerable social science research thus far, and we show that much evidence points against its social desirability. Taken in conjunction with considerable natural science uncertainties, this leads us to question whether further research is actually necessary in order to rule out ocean iron fertilization as an option. For other ocean NETs, there is a need for further research into social dimensions, yet research on analogous technologies shows that ocean interventions will likely evoke strong risk perceptions, and evidence suggests that the majority of ocean NETs may face a greater public acceptability challenge than terrestrial NETs. Ocean NETs also raise complex challenges around governance, which pose questions well-beyond the remit of the natural sciences and engineering. Using a conceptual exploration of the ways in which different types of discourse may shape emerging ocean NETs governance, we show that the very idea of ocean NETs is likely to set the stage for a whole new range of contested futures

Investigation Of An Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene (NOS2A) Polymorphism In A Multiple Sclerosis Population

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting most commonly the Caucasian population. Nitric oxide (NO) is a biological signaling and effector molecule and is especially important during inflammation. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is one of the three enzymes responsible for generating NO. It has been reported that there is an excessive production of NO in MS concordant with an increased expression of iNOS in MS lesions. This study investigated the role of a bi-allelic tetranucleotide polymorphism located in the promoter region of the human iNOS (NOS2A) gene in MS susceptibility. A group of MS patients (n = 101) were genotyped and compared to an age- and sex-matched group of healthy controls (n = 101). The MS group was subdivided into three subtypes, namely relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS), secondary-progressive MS (SP-MS) and primary-progressive MS (PP-MS). Results of a chi-squared analysis and a Fisher's exact test revealed that allele and genotype distributions between cases and controls were not significantly different for the total population (X 2 = 3.4, P genotype = 0.15; X 2 = 3.4, P allele = 0.082) and for each subtype of MS (P > 0.05). This suggests that there is no direct association of this iNOS gene variant with MS susceptibility

Effectiveness of prolonged use of continuous passive motion (CPM) as an adjunct to physiotherapy following total knee arthroplasty: Design of a randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN85759656]

BACKGROUND: Adequate and intensive rehabilitation is an important requirement for successful Total Knee Arthroplasty. The primary focus of early rehabilitation is ambulation of patients and regaining range of motion in the knee. Although research suggests that Continuous Passive Motion should be implemented in the first rehabilitation phase following surgery, there is substantial debate about the duration of each session and the total period of CPM application and. A Cochrane review on this topic concluded that short-term use of CPM leads to greater short-term range of motion. It also suggested, however, that future research should concentrate on the treatment period during which CPM should be administered. METHODS: In a randomised controlled trial we intend to investigate the efficacy of prolonged use of a continuous passive motion (CPM) device in the home situation as an adjunct to standardised physical therapy. The experimental treatment is compared to standardised physical therapy, in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Efficacy will be assessed in terms of faster improvements in range of motion and functional recovery. Seventy patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA and experiencing early postoperative flexion impairment (less than 80° of knee flexion at the time of discharge) will be randomised over two treatment groups, a usual care group and an experimental group The experimental group will receive CPM + physiotherapy for 17 consecutive days after surgery, whereas the usual care group will receive the same treatment during the in-hospital phase (i.e. about four days), followed by physical therapy alone (usual care) in the first two weeks after hospital discharge. From 18 days to three months after discharge, both groups will receive standardised PT. The primary focus of rehabilitation will be functional recovery (e.g. ambulation) and regaining range of motion (ROM) in the knee. DISCUSSION: Because restricted knee ROM affects functional activities, knee ROM and knee function are regarded as the primary indicators of successful TKA. Potential effects of the intervention under study include rapid return of knee flexion accompanied by earlier return to functional activities of daily life. If patients benefit significantly from prolonged CPM use, this treatment should be added to the standard PT treatment at home. We expect the additional home CPM programme to be more effective than the usual physiotherapy programme, resulting in a difference in ROM of at least 5°, 17 days after surgery. This clinically important difference, with a possible flexion ROM of about 100°, is expected to lead to better functioning in activities of daily life, like walking, and earlier ability to cycle. These advantages should result in earlier and increasing independence

Efficiency of immediate postoperative inpatient physical therapy following total knee arthroplasty: an RCT

BACKGROUND: The main goal of physical therapy treatment (PT) in the clinical stage following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is to prepare patients for discharge from the hospital as soon as possible after their operation. Although aggressive rehabilitation is believed to be important, evidence of effects of different exercise programmes following TKA is limited. This led to the question whether the intensity of PT (once versus twice daily) following TKA affects short-term recovery, measured as range of motion. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial compared an exercise regimen of two sessions per day with a similar programme administered once daily. Primary outcome measure was ROM. RESULTS: At the time of hospital discharge, there was no difference between the experimental and control groups in range of motion. CONCLUSION: This study shows that in our setting twice daily PT sessions do not produce different results as daily PT sessions. It may be questioned whether multiple daily therapy sessions are needed as an in-hospital PT regimen in OA total knee patients

Automatic radiographic quantification of hand osteoarthritis; accuracy and sensitivity to change in joint space width in a phantom and cadaver study

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.OBJECTIVE: To validate a newly developed quantification method that automatically detects and quantifies the joint space width (JSW) in hand radiographs. Repeatability, accuracy and sensitivity to changes in JSW were determined. The influence of joint location and joint shape on the measurements was tested. METHODS: A mechanical micrometer set-up was developed to define and adjust the true JSW in an acrylic phantom joint and in human cadaver-derived phalangeal joints. Radiographic measurements of the JSW were compared to the true JSW. Repeatability, systematic error (accuracy) and sensitivity (defined as the smallest detectable difference (SDD)) were determined. The influence of joint position on the JSW measurement was assessed by varying the location of the acrylic phantom on the X-ray detector with respect to the X-ray beam and the influence of joint shape was determined by using morphologically different human cadaver joints. RESULTS: The mean systematic error was 0.052 mm in the phantom joint and 0.210 mm in the cadaver experiment. In the phantom experiments, the repeatability was high (SDD = 0.028 mm), but differed slightly between joint locations (p = 0.046), and a change in JSW of 0.037 mm could be detected. Dependent of the joint shape in the cadaver hand, a change in JSW between 0.018 and 0.047 mm could be detected. CONCLUSIONS: The automatic quantification method is sensitive to small changes in JSW. Considering the published data of JSW decline in the normal and osteoarthritic population, the first signs of OA progression with this method can be detected within 1 or 2 years.This work was funded by the Dutch Arthritis Association (Reumafonds). The study sponsor had no involvement in study design, data collection, data analysis, or interpretation of the results