Between public participation and energy transition:The case of wind farms

This thesis researches the role of the public in governmental wind farm decision-making procedures in the Netherlands. Wind farms are an essential part of the Dutch energy transition towards to a CO2 neutral society. For a successful realisation of wind farms it is important that the Dutch society supports this realisation. Unfortunately, many wind farm plans so far have been met with substantial societal resistance. For a long time this phenomenon was explained by the self-interest based Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) theory. However, recent studies suggest a strong link to the decision-making processes leading to the realisation of wind farms. Therefore, this thesis studies the relation between government and the public during the governmental decision-making process of a wind farm. This concerns an interdisciplinary study into the concept of public participation on the basis of fundamental legal and political science theories. Both disciplines have studied the concept of public participation in detail and both lead to different analysis and conclusions. This theoretical framework results in an evaluative norm, namely the deliberative ideal, in which processes focus on the common good and dialogue rather than individual interests. This thesis secondly analyses how the concept of public participation is implemented in the wind farm relevant legal frameworks: Dutch administrative, environmental and spatial planning law. On the basis of this analysis and a case study we arrive at the conclusion that the legal implementation does not meet the deliberative ideal and make some suggestions to improve these decision-making procedures

Coal and Sustainability: regional phase out and policy

Mitigating global climate change and the aim to achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 2, although preferably to 1.5 °C, puts pressure on coal-fired power generation. Coal-fired power has (had) a large contribution to global climate change. Phasing out unabated coal-fired power is therefore an important part of global climate action. According the International Energy Agency all emissions from coal-fired power must be reduced by 2040 globally, and developed countries should reach this target before 2030. This therefore poses significant challenges, especially since coal-fired power is linked to economic development, which is essential for various countries across the globe. This chapter describes firstly the necessary targets for unabated coal-fired power, and global pledges following from alliances and international conferences. Furthermore, this chapter describes the different types of legal and policy instruments countries can employ to achieve coal-phase out strategies. Lastly, this chapter offers descriptions of regional (if applicable) and country commitments and the use of instruments to achieve a coal-phase out across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia Pacific and progress thus far

Modification of the IFCC reference measurement procedure for determination of HbA1c by HPLC-ESI-MS

The reference measurement procedure for determination of HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) using HPLC(high performance liquid chromatography)-ESI(electrospray ionisation)-MS(mass spectrometry) has been modified. Main modifications were a change in the buffer composition of the HPLC, a change in the gradient elution profile and the introduction of a post-column splitting system. The long-term stability of the HPLC-ESI-MS system proved to be of high importance to get reproducible results

Ln(III) complexes as potential phosphors for white LEDs

Generating white light with LED technology requires a trick; one of them is to use color-converting (phosphor) layer that covers the LED chip. Suitable phosphors that can be excited with LEDs are scarce, necessitating research in this area. Complexes of the trivalent lanthanoids are interesting candidates, as their absorption properties can be tuned by modification of the organic part of the molecule, while the emission is line-like in nature and characteristic for the Ln(III) ion. In this thesis, several classes of Ln(III) coordination compounds are explored and their photophysical properties investigated. Several compounds with promising properties, such as a long-wavelength excitation maximum and a high photoluminescence quantum yield are reported.Metals in Catalysis, Biomimetics & Inorganic Material

Groeten uit ... Montreal

In elke editie is er een Bestuurskunde student aan het woord geweest om te vertellen over zijn of haar tijd en ervaringen in het buitenland. Zo hebben we verslagen over Afrika, Curaçao en Noorwegen voorbij zien komen. In deze editie zal Moniek vertellen over haar tijd in Canada, in de stad Montreal

Buiten bewandelde paden: een alumnusinterview met de gebroeders Broekema

Jeroen en Wout Broekema studeerden beiden Bestuurskunde in Leiden. Na hun studie gingen zij verschillende kanten op; Jeroen is werkzaam bij ABN AMRO, terwijl zijn broer Wout een bekend gezicht is binnen het instituut Bestuurskunde als onderzoeker en docent. In deze rubriek vertellen zij over hun ervaringen tijdens hun studie en loopbaan