Achim Brunnengräber – författare

This book explores the political ecology of agrofuels as an encompassing socio-spatial transformation process consisting of a series of changing contexts, political reconfigurations, and the restructuring of social and labour relations. It includes conceptual chapters as well as case studies from different world regions (North America, Europe, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia) and levels (local, national, transnational).The Political Ecology of Agrofuels advances a conceptualisation of agrofuels that helps to fill existing research gaps. It covers global food regimes and agrarian politics as well as political arenas such as energy, climate, transport and trade. It reflects on the biophysical materiality of agrofuels, new forms of nature appropriation, struggles, discursive framings, the building of hegemony, shifting geopolitical constellations, socio-spatial configurations of power, the construction of territory, the agency of social movements and the different ways in which agrofuels are politicized at different scales.This book asks how patterns of mobility, emissions regulation, food and energy production and consumption, and social relations (e.g. labour, class and gender relations) are shaped and re-shaped by the materiality and representations of agrofuels in both the Global South and North. The book provides tools for thinking about the diversity of the conflicts, struggles and spatial, socio-ecological and politico-economic reconfigurations and perpetuations engendered by current production and consumption patterns in the agrofuel sector.

This book explores the political ecology of agrofuels as an encompassing socio-spatial transformation process consisting of a series of changing contexts, political reconfigurations, and the restructuring of social and labour relations. It includes conceptual chapters as well as case studies from different world regions (North America, Europe, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia) and levels (local, national, transnational).The Political Ecology of Agrofuels advances a conceptualisation of agrofuels that helps to fill existing research gaps. It covers global food regimes and agrarian politics as well as political arenas such as energy, climate, transport and trade. It reflects on the biophysical materiality of agrofuels, new forms of nature appropriation, struggles, discursive framings, the building of hegemony, shifting geopolitical constellations, socio-spatial configurations of power, the construction of territory, the agency of social movements and the different ways in which agrofuels are politicized at different scales.This book asks how patterns of mobility, emissions regulation, food and energy production and consumption, and social relations (e.g. labour, class and gender relations) are shaped and re-shaped by the materiality and representations of agrofuels in both the Global South and North. The book provides tools for thinking about the diversity of the conflicts, struggles and spatial, socio-ecological and politico-economic reconfigurations and perpetuations engendered by current production and consumption patterns in the agrofuel sector.

Eine immer wieder auch vom Scheitern verfolgte Klimapolitik zeigt nicht nur die Handlungsgrenzen der Staatengemeinschaft auf. Auch die Strategie der ‚konfliktiven Kooperation’ mit den Staaten, wie sie von NGOs lange schon praktiziert wird, ist an Legitimations- und Glaubwürdigkeitsgrenzen gestoßen. In Reaktion darauf betreten neue, transnational vernetzte soziale Bewegungen die Bühne der internationalen Politik. Die politische Gemengelage wird unübersichtlicher. Wie sehen die transnationalen Beziehungen der zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteure aus NGOs, Bewegungen oder außerparlamentarischen Initiativen aus? In welchem Diskurs- und Handlungskontext bewegen sie sich, wie ist ihr Verhältnis zum Staat und zur Privatwirtschaft, welche Themen werden in den Fokus gestellt und welche Forderungen oder Lösungsansätze haben die ‚alten’ wie die ‚neuen’ zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteure? Auf diese Fragen gibt das vorliegende Buch Antworten. Es wendet sich der übergreifenden Frage zu, ob im ‚globalen Dorf’ der Zivilgesellschaft Unterstützung für das geleistet werden kann, was in der internationalen Politik bisher nicht gelungen ist: die große Transformation des Energiesystems in Richtung einer nachhaltigen, klimaverträglichen Zukunft. Eine Zivilisierung des Klimaregimes scheint dafür unerlässlich.

The world is facing several serious challenges at the close of the fossil and nuclear energy regime: the limited resources of cheap conventional oil can only be surmounted by tapping unconventional oil reserves, e.g. deep sea oil. The explosion of the oil platform Deepwater Horizon in 2010 and the subsequent oil spill caused enormous damage, which even a year later cannot be fully estimated. Another even more important threat emanating from the fossil and nuclear energy regime has been brought to our attention by the Fukushima disaster. Last but not least, the problem of climate change caused by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions is looming, despite the fact that the international community has agreed on a considerable reduction of these emissions. Is this poor result of the Kyoto Protocol and the failure of successive climate conferences the consequence of a preference for the use of market-based instruments? The majority of climate scientists, economists, and politicians believe in the efficiency of “cap-and-trade” regulations. They even conceive them as a constituent ingredient of a “Green New Deal” or “Global Green Recovery”. The contributions in this volume provide a critical examination of the theoretical foundations, the political implications, and the empirical experiences of the application of market mechanisms and financial instruments to climate policy.

​Der Begriff der Energiewende wird bei seinem Lauf um die Welt nicht übersetzt. Er weist auf die Dringlichkeit der Umstellung der Energieversorgung bei Strom, Wärme und Mobilität durch erneuerbare Energien hin. Schneller als von vielen erwartet hat die Energiewende vor allem im Strombereich ein Ausbautempo erreicht, mit dem viele nicht gerechnet hatten. Sie ist allerdings keine freiwillige Maßnahme, sondern wird durch die Krisenhaftigkeit von nicht nachhaltigen Produktions- und Lebensweisen erzwungen. Sie ist auch kein Selbstläufer. Die vielfältigen neuen Initiativen, Maßnahmen und Programme befinden sich im Wettbewerb mit einem alten, fossilen und nuklearen Energiesystem. Von den Hürden, die in diesem Wettlauf bereits genommen wurden, vom Tempo des Ausbaus, von Innovationen sowie von den notwendigen Reformen und vielfältigen Herausforderungen der Energiewende handelt dieses Buch.​

This volume examines the national plans that ten Euratom countries plus Switzerland and the United States are developing to address high-level radioactive waste storage and disposal. The chapters, which were written by 23 international experts, outline European and national regulations, technology choices, safety criteria, monitoring systems, compensation schemes, institutional structures, and approaches to public involvement. Key stakeholders, their values and interests are introduced, the responsibilities and authority of different actors considered, decision-making processes are analyzed as well as the factors influencing different national policy choices. The views and expectations of different communities regarding participatory decision making and compensation and the steps that have been or are being taken to promote dialogue and constructive problem-solving are also considered.​

This is volume two of a comparative analysis of nuclear waste governance and public participation in decision-making regarding the storage and siting of high-level radioactive waste and spent fuel in different countries. The contributors examine both the historical and current approaches countries have taken to address the wicked challenge of nuclear waste governance. The analyses discuss the regulations, technology choices, safety criteria, costs and financing issues, compensation schemes, institutional structures, and approaches to public participation found in each country.

This book is the last part of a trilogy and concludes a long-term project that focussed on nuclear waste governance in 24 countries. It deals with core themes of the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), e.g. the wicked problems of housing nuclear waste disposal facilities, public participation and public discourse, voluntarism and compensation in siting as well as the role of advisory bodies and commissions. The volume reflects on the diverse factors that shape the debate on what can be considered an ”acceptable solution” and on various strategies adopted in order to minimise conflicts and possibly increase acceptability. The various theoretical and empirical contributions shed light on several mechanisms and issues touched upon in these strategies, such as the role of trust, voluntarism, economic interests at stake, compensation, ethics, governance, and participation.

Der Band untersucht die neuen Partizipationsformen zivilgesellschaftlicher Akteure im Prozess der Globalisierung.