@phdthesis{Kunze2011, author = {Kunze, Conrad}, title = {Soziographie l{\"a}ndlicher Energieprojekte: Eine vergleichende explorative Untersuchung {\"u}ber l{\"a}ndliche partizipative Initiativen zur Entwicklung regionaler Energie-Infrastrukturen mittels regenerativer Energien am Beispiel von sieben Kommunen in einem neuen Bundesland}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus-22929}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Die "Energiewende" wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit als umfassender gesellschaftlicher Prozess aus soziologischer Perspektive untersucht. Da die Vorreiter der Entwicklung bisher in geographischen und damit auch sozialen Nischen zu finden sind, wurden sieben m{\"o}glichst weit fortgeschrittene und ambitionierte „Energieregionen" im l{\"a}ndlichen Raum als Fallstudien ausgew{\"a}hlt. Das Paradigma der Energieautarkie oder der 100\% Region wurde dabei als Leitbild eines noch jungen Entwicklungspfades mit Hilfe qualitativer Methoden untersucht. Unter Energieautarkie (oder Energieautonomie) wird das Ziel verstanden, eine Region vollst{\"a}ndig durch erneuerbare Energieproduktion mit W{\"a}rme und Elektrizit{\"a}t zu versorgen. Dies ist aufgrund der hohen Anforderungen bisher selten vollst{\"a}ndig realisiert worden. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die Hindernisse, Entwicklungsstufen und typischen Probleme sowie die Faktoren, welche ihre Bew{\"a}ltigung erm{\"o}glichen. Im Vergleich der Fallstudien wird ein theoretisches Modell entwickelt, um den Erfolg einzelner Initiativen erkl{\"a}ren und in gewissem Umfang vorhersagen zu k{\"o}nnen. Daraus wird die These abgeleitet, dass sich die technische und {\"o}konomische Infrastruktur erneuerbarer „Energieregionen" langfristig der Sozialstruktur anpasst und die Diffusion weiterer „Energieregionen" vom gegebenen Niveau des Sozialkapitals bedingt wird. Aufgrund der gegenseitigen Abh{\"a}ngigkeit sozialer und technischer Komplexit{\"a}tsniveaus bedeutet die Energiewende f{\"u}r den l{\"a}ndlichen Raum in erster Linie eine soziale und organisatorische Herausforderung. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die verschiedenen Strategien der beteiligten Akteure und ihre Konstellationen.}, subject = {Deutschland <{\"O}stliche L{\"a}nder>; L{\"a}ndlicher Raum; Regionale Infrastruktur; Erneuerbare Energien; Energiewende; L{\"a}ndlicher Raum; Soziologie; Energieregion; Erneuerbare Energie; Energy shift; Countryside; Sociology; Energy region; Renewable energy}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Missagia2011, author = {Missagia, Bruna}, title = {Agricultural and forestry residues for decentralized energy generation in Brazil}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus-25180}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Regular electricity access is a key element for the economic development and social welfare of rural areas. Decentralized energy generation has the advantage of using local resources, increasing employment and reducing transmission and distribution losses. Brazil is a tropical country, endowed with vast arable land, plentiful precipitation levels, and a large supply of human labour. Furthermore, it has strong regional distinctions with geographical, cultural and economical differences. Forestry and agriculture, important activities in the Brazilian economy, are dependent on local people and are deeply connected to traditions, nature and culture. Furthermore, these activities generate a significant amount of residues that could be used in conversion technologies for biomass, based on type, availability and market demand. When biomass were used to generate energy locally, community members could have business opportunities, improving local economy and life quality of individuals while diversifying the Brazilian energy matrix, which is mostly based on hydropower. Alternatives for implementing small-scale decentralized biomass schemes are dependent on the screening of the existing biomass supply chains, the implementation of adapted technologies for local conditions and the exploration of local resources. The present research carried out a detailed field work in order to evaluate the potential of Brazilian biomass in different regions. The author identified crucial needs, usual constraints and possible challenges of rural electrification and economic development in Brazil. Several case studies and social groups were investigated in the Federal States of Minas Gerais, S{\~a}o Paulo and Par{\´a} to identify different resource management strategies, which biomass technology was applied and the needs of the local population. It was concluded that the compaction of biomass to generate solid biofuels with uniform properties could be a cost-effective alternative for communities taking advantage of the resources available in the region to produce energy. Nevertheless, each case has to be considered on its own. It was concluded that energy supply and consumption should be addressed through integrated research. Scientific research should be focused on technological solutions for improving living standards and socio-economic development in rural areas. The implementation of new regulatory arrangements and a constant revision of the Brazilian energy policies are crucial for encouraging a national industry for renewables. It was also concluded that the cultural, geographical and socio-economic discrepancies of Brazil could involve challenges for the implementation of future projects, even when their development would provide benefits for Brazil as a whole.}, subject = {Brasilien; Biomasse; Bioenergieerzeugung; Dezentralisation; Feste Biomasse; Dezentralisierte Energieerzeugung; Brasilien; Biomass residues; Forestry; Agriculture; Decentralized energy generation; Brazil}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Cheo2011, author = {Cheo, Victor Ngu}, title = {Policy and environmental communication in mitigation of non-sustainable forest exploitation in Cameroon: an impact assessment of Anglophone Cameroon}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus-20769}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2011}, abstract = {The economic crises of the mid 1980s and 1990s due to a fall in economic productivity inflicted serious negative consequences on Cameroon's forest ecosystems and forest resources which became the target of intense exploitation for multiple purposes. A forest policy reform at the behest of the World Bank was intended to regulate forest exploitation in a sustainable way. More than a decade since the inception of this policy, this study, through a three-tier methodological approach of survey, content analysis and observation, seeks to assess policy impacts per se, as well as the role of environmental communication in mitigating non-sustainable forest exploitation in Anglophone Cameroon. The study also investigates a valid and reliable option for the sustainable management of forest resources, by comparing and contrasting the two operational forest management paradigms. The outcome of the investigation reveals that both policy and environmental communication have a more positive impact in the community forest area than in the state-managed forest area, implying that the former is a better forest management option than the latter. However, forest sustainability is still at stake in both areas, due, generally, to bad forest governance such as corruption, minimal public participation, lack of transparency and accountability, as well as the ubiquitous presence of poverty, unemployment and inadequate public access to socio-economic development indicators. To this end, the study proffers some robust recommendations that if implemented will greatly enhance the badly needed forest sustainability.}, subject = {Kamerun; Wald{\"o}kosystem; Nachhaltigkeit; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpolitik; Umweltkommunikation; Forstwirtschaft; Kamerun; Policy; Environmental Communication; Forestry; Cameroon}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Moeller2011, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {M{\"o}ller, Carolin}, title = {Empowerment strategies for environmental sustainability : proposal of concepts to master social and environmental impacts of the large-scale gold and copper mining project in Didipio, Philippines}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus-30767}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Conflicts emerging through large-scale mining projects among government, industry and affected population are common all over the world. Especially the indigenous communities and their strong human-nature relation are threatened by the land transformation due to mining operations. Open pit gold mining performed by transnational companies TNCs and supported by the Philippine government aligning decisions on economic standards and market orientated legislative period, have been imposing tremendous damage on the Philippine indigenous communities and the national environmental resources for many decades, from colonial times, dictatorship, and new democracy . This thesis displays and discusses the interwoven web of socially and environmentally degrading impacts introduced to the small village of Didipio in the north of the Philippines by a planned gold and copper mining project. After describing influencing sectors of industry and government for decision making in mining projects and introducing interests and purposes of all stakeholders, assessment of changes in water quality and quantity, which are associated with technical requirements of open pit gold mining, is used to specifically relate the initiation of a punctual impact, on a natural good, and its provoked tremendous environmental and furthermore social degradation. A central assertion of this thesis is the call for recognizing human-rights based participation of all affected stakeholders via emphasizing indigenous people's rights, balancing market-centred development aggression and foreign control over national markets, as well as implementing sustainable environmental awareness management by industry and government. Further recommendations are related to the resignation of defining nature merely according to its function under the utilization concept, to TNCs' application of postmodern understanding of reason based on flexibility and versatility, and to the promoting of indigenous self-determination and individual initiative.}, subject = {Environment; Indigenous; Mining; Philippines; Sustainability}, language = {en} }