ETHICS OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES DR. MARK COECKELBERGH (DEPT. OF PHILOSOPHY)

 Global problems related to energy:  Environmental problems / Sustainability  Climate change  Human Development / Global Justice  Energy security / War & peace GLOBAL ENERGY CHALLENGES AS ETHICAL CHALLENGES 10/8/15 2

 Use of fossil fuels causes  Pollution  Acid rain  Climate change ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 10/8/15 3

 Perceived as the major environmental issue of our time  What is happening…  Evidence includes continued ice-loss from glaciers  Changes in (other) ecosystems CLIMATE CHANGE 10/8/15 4

 Consequences for environment, but also for economy, human lives  Dimensions: environmental, economic, health & safety, food production, security, …  Recommendation UNEP: Transform hydrocarbon based energy systems NOW! CLIMATE CHANGE 10/8/15 5

 Peak oil: maximum rate of petroleum extraction is expected to decline soon (optimistic scenario) SUSTAINABILITY 10/8/15 6

 Alternatives? Gas is not sustainable, nuclear energy also ethically problematic  Consensus that our current way of producing and using energy is not sustainable, and that we need to develop, and invest in, renewable energy sources (production) and improve energy efficiency (use)  Better technologies  Different behaviour, different lives  Make sure that our (current) use does not burden future generations: inter-generational justice SUSTAINABILITY 10/8/15 7

 Energy not only central to sustainable development, but also to poverty reduction  Affects all aspects of development, including livelihoods, access to water, agricultural productivity, health, population levels, …  Aims (see also UNDP):  Access to energy  Quality of energy  Security of energy  Affordability of energy (problem of oil price after peak oil…)  Clean energy HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 10/8/15 8

 How should (the benefits of) energy production and use be distributed across society and across the world?  How should the burdens of energy production and use be distributed?  North – South, West – East  Energy and goods produced in one part of the world, (health) risks in other part of the world GLOBAL JUSTICE 10/8/15 9

 Problems  Depletion of oil and other non-renewable sources of energy  Energy needs of the West  Energy needs of poorer countries AND OF ADVANCING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (e.g. China, India, Brazil – the so-called BRIC countries)  Population growth  Accidents and natural disasters  Competition, political instability, geopolitics, war  Address energy concerns in a sustainable and peaceful manner  IEA (International Energy Agency): ‘the world is locking itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system’ ENERGY SECURITY 10/8/15 10

 Energy conflicts  wars WAR & PEACE 10/8/15 11

 Survival  Better lives  Sustainability  Human development  Justice  Security  Peace ENERGY & VALUES 10/8/15 12

 Take values into account in design of new technologies (see also Brey, van den Hoven, and others) DESIGN & VALUES 10/8/15 13

 Threats  ‘old’ energy technologies  Opportunities  Innovation ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY 10/8/15 14

 Global context: competition, innovation wars: ‘green technology race’ ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY 10/8/15 15 US energy secretary warns of 'Sputnik moment' in green technology race Steven Chu says US must invest urgently in research and innovation to keep pace with China and other countries (Guardian)

 Philosophers  Social scientists  Engineers & designers  Policy makers  Consumers / citizens COLLABORATION 10/8/15 16

 CTIT research  projects on energy and sustainability  energy-efficiency via micro-CHP  energy pricing  optimalization of traffic-, transport and logistics processes  environmental monitoring via sensor networks  Philosophy  Ethics & technology  energy EXAMPLE: CTIT RESEARCH + PHILOSOPHY 10/8/15 17

EXAMPLE: SMART GRIDS 10/8/15 18

 Scientific methods  Other ways of thinking about the future  Imagining the future  fiction EXAMPLE: SCENARIOS 10/8/15 19

CONTACT 10/8/15 20