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Imagining sustainable energy and mobility transitions: valence, temporality, and radicalism in 38 visions of a low-carbon future
Version 2 2023-06-12, 09:22
Version 1 2023-06-09, 20:38
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:22 authored by Benjamin SovacoolBenjamin Sovacool, Noam BergmanNoam Bergman, Debbie Hopkins, Kirsten E H Jenkins, Sabine Hielscher, Andres Goldthau, Brent BrossmanBased on an extensive synthesis of semi-structured interviews, media content analysis, and reviews, this article conducts a qualitative meta-analysis of more than 560 sources of evidence to identify 38 visions associated with seven different low-carbon innovations – automated mobility, electric vehicles, smart meters, nuclear power, shale gas, hydrogen, and the fossil fuel divestment movement – playing a key role in current deliberations about mobility or low-carbon energy supply and use. From this material, it analyzes such visions based on rhetorical features such as common problems and functions, storylines, discursive struggles, and rhetorical effectiveness. It also analyzes visions based on typologies or degrees of valence (utopian vs. dystopian), temporality (proximal vs. distant), and radicalism (incremental vs. transformative). The article is motivated by the premise that tackling climate change via low-carbon energy systems (and practices) is one of the most significant challenges of the twenty-first century, and that effective decarbonization will require not only new energy technologies, but also new ways of understanding language, visions, and discursive politics surrounding emerging innovations and transitions.
Funding
Research Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand; G1020; RCUK-RESEARCH COUNCILS UK; EP/K011790/1
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Social Studies of ScienceISSN
0306-3127Publisher
SAGE PublicationsExternal DOI
Page range
1-38Department affiliated with
- SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2020-02-18First Open Access (FOA) Date
2020-05-13First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2020-02-17Usage metrics
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