Showing papers in "Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society in 2008"
TL;DR: The prevailing paradigm in Internet privacy literature, treating privacy within a context merely of rights and violations, is inadequate for studying the Internet as a social realm as discussed by the authors, which is not the case in the real world.
Abstract: The prevailing paradigm in Internet privacy literature, treating privacy within a context merely of rights and violations, is inadequate for studying the Internet as a social realm. Following Goffm...
805 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how local experiments and negotiation processes contribute to social and field-level learning and propose a framework for analyzing the relation between projects in local contexts and the transfer of local experiences into generally applicable rules.
Abstract: This article examines how local experiments and negotiation processes contribute to social and field-level learning. The analysis is framed within the niche development literature, which offers a framework for analyzing the relation between projects in local contexts and the transfer of local experiences into generally applicable rules. The authors examine 2 case studies drawn from a meta-analysis of 27 new energy projects. The case studies, both pertaining to biogas projects for local municipalities, illustrate the diversity of applications for a technology through processes of local variation and selection. The authors examine the diversity of expectations and the negotiation and alignment of these expectations underlying the diversity of local solutions. Moreover, the authors address how the transfer of lessons from individual local experiments can follow different pathways and yet always require due attention to the social and cultural limits to the transferability of solutions.
152 citations
TL;DR: An overview of piezoelectric energy harvesting technology along with a discussion of proof of concept devices, relevant governing equations, and figures of merit is provided in this paper, where energy capture from the operation of a novel shear and elastic modulus indentation device subjected to applied voltage and vibration is discussed.
Abstract: Providing efficient and clean power is a challenge for devices that range from the micro to macro in scale. Although there has been significant progress in the development of micro-, meso-, and macro-scale power supplies and technologies, realization of many devices is limited by the inability of power supplies to scale with the diminishing sizes of CMOS-based technology. Here, the authors provide an overview of piezoelectric energy harvesting technology along with a discussion of proof of concept devices, relevant governing equations, and figures of merit. They present two case studies: (a) energy capture from the operation of a novel shear and elastic modulus indentation device subjected to applied voltage and (b) energy capture from vibrating commercial bimorph piezoelectric structures mounted on household appliances. Lastly, areas of development needed for realization of commercial energy harvesting devices are suggested.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the benefits of applying renewable energy and analyzes the main difficulties that have stood in the way of more widely successful renewable energy for rural areas in the developing world and discusses why outcomes from these technologies fall short.
Abstract: This article establishes the benefits of applying renewable energy and analyzes the main difficulties that have stood in the way of more widely successful renewable energy for rural areas in the developing world and discusses why outcomes from these technologies fall short. Although there is substantial recognition of technological, economic, institutional, and other supply-side barriers that have generally interfered with success, the household and other stake-holders have been left outside the scope of evaluation. This article first discusses the usefulness of renewable energy for encouraging sustainability in rural, poor areas, analyzes barriers that have often interfered with the promotion and delivery of expected outputs of installed modern energy technology in remote communities, and finally presents findings from a survey on the actual performance state of the renewable energy technology and degree of satisfaction with it.
43 citations
TL;DR: Empirical data from a large sample of Canadian youth aged 13 to 17 years suggest that although the current privacy policy framework is having a positive effect on the extent to which young people...
Abstract: Empirical data from a large sample of Canadian youth aged 13 to 17 years suggest that, although the current privacy policy framework is having a positive effect on the extent to which young people ...
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of existing lifecycle analyses of renewable energy systems to determine the current understanding of their full lifecycle impacts and compare these with each other and those of conventional power generation systems.
Abstract: The lifecycle concept is a “cradle to grave” approach to thinking about products, processes, and services, recognizing that all stages have environmental and economic impacts. Any rigorous and meaningful comparison of energy supply options must be done using a lifecycle analysis approach. It has been applied to an increasing number of conventional and renewable energy generation systems and in an increasing range of countries. There is now a good amount of research reporting the lifecycle environmental and economic aspects of power generation systems. This article reviews the existing lifecycle analyses of renewable energy systems to determine the current understanding of their full lifecycle impacts. These are then compared with each other and those of conventional power generation systems. The renewable energy systems reviewed include wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal (for electricity), hydroelectric, solid biomass, wave, geothermal, biogas, and tidal. The article also highlights the areas where m...
33 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine some of the challenges that society faces in the transition from a global economy in which transportation fuels are derived from fossil fuels to one in which they are derived via renewable biomass via a "biorefinery".
Abstract: Biomass provides the only sustainable source of organic carbon for the production of chemicals used in manufacturing and as liquid transportation fuels. In this article, the authors examine some of the challenges that society faces in the transition from a global economy in which transportation fuels are derived from fossil fuels to one in which they are derived from renewable biomass via a “biorefinery.” In so doing, the authors present an overview of the technology currently available to society and highlight some of the key issues that must be resolved in order to grasp the opportunities that stem from the transition. They conclude by considering the situation of their own country, Australia, to illustrate that the solutions to the challenges will likely depend not only on technology development but also on social, political, and geographical factors.
33 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the feasibility of district heating in a small town adjacent to a Kraft pulp mill in eastern Canada is investigated and a detailed heat demand analysis is performed for all buildings using a geographical information system and archived data provided by the municipality.
Abstract: The article investigates the feasibility of district heating in a small town adjacent to a Kraft pulp mill in eastern Canada. A detailed heat demand analysis is performed for all buildings using a geographical information system and archived data provided by the municipality. The study shows that the entire space heating requirement of the town can be supplied by steam from the mill, even during exceptional peak demands. A screening test based on load density indicators, however, reveals that a district heating serving the entire town would probably not be economically viable. An economic analysis of partial districts show that a district covering about half of the town can be economically viable with a proper balance between the price of the steam sold by the mill to the district operator and the cost of the energy sold to customers.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate wind turbine production, the variability of that production, and the relationship between output and system-wide demand, and find that wind power performs better than the seasonal average during peak periods; wind is a better “partner” for the Ontario electricity system in the winter as opposed to the summer.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to investigate wind turbine production, the variability of that production, and the relationship between output and system-wide demand. A review of the literature reveals that a variety of measures (and methods) to explore the variability of wind power production exist. Attention then turns to the province of Ontario (Canada), and the performances of four wind farms are examined for 2006 and 2007. Key conclusions include that the wind farms' capacity factors vary from 27.6% to 35.6%, with higher values in winter as compared to summer; wind power performs better than the seasonal average during peak periods; wind is a better “partner” for the Ontario electricity system in the winter as opposed to the summer; and the increased geographic distribution of wind farms decreases their collective variability.
21 citations
TL;DR: In this article, sensitivity analyses have been obtained for open-loop ground-coupled heating-cooling systems in typical hydro-geological settings for urban GSHCSs in the United Kingdom, revealing that breakthrough of injected water will likely lead to significant declines in system performance in less than 25 years for well spacings less than 300 m, unless injection rates are kept below 250 m3/d.
Abstract: Ground-coupled heating-cooling systems (GCHCSs) exchange heat between the built environment and the subsurface using pipework buried in trenches or boreholes. If heat pumps in GCHCSs are powered by “green electricity,” they offer genuine carbon-free heating-cooling; for this reason, there has been a surge in the technology in recent years. Interference between adjoining installations is being reported, raising issues of sustainability in terms of performance, equitable sharing of natural resources, and localized ecological impacts. Using an analytical model for heat transport in porous media, sensitivity analyses have been obtained for open-loop systems in typical hydro-geological settings for urban GSHCSs in the United Kingdom, revealing that breakthrough of injected water will likely lead to significant declines in system performance in less than 25 years for well spacings less than 300 m, unless injection rates are kept below 250 m3/d. Only by cooperatively planning will adjoining landowners in urban a...
19 citations
TL;DR: Nanotechnology is viewed by those in favor of its development in two different ways, and the divide is not recent as mentioned in this paper, and the origins of the differing visions of nanotechnology and examines their broader impacts.
Abstract: Nanotechnology is viewed by those in favor of its development in two different ways, and the divide is not recent. This article describes the origins of the differing visions of nanotechnology and examines their broader impacts. The typical history of the field tells nothing about these differing visions, which perhaps misleads. At least two distinct camps among scientists and engineers pursue work on the nanoscale, but they rarely interact, and when they do, they get nowhere. This article looks first at definitional issues in the field; then turns to the common history of nanotechnology, the history's shortcomings, and one particular episode that highlights the divide; and then examines the broader impacts of this dispute. The divide among those interested in nanotech tells something about the way different groups of people see technology and the application of science. This historical review clarifies controversy over societal issues and terminology in nanotechnology.
TL;DR: Using a pretest-post-test quasi-experimental control group design, a learning environment study was conducted to evaluate the environmental literacy of postsecondary, nonscience majors as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental control group design, a learning environment study was conducted to evaluate the environmental literacy of postsecondary, nonscience majors. Data were co...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that post-September 11 political debates and legislation around security necessitate a reconsideration of a right to privacy in Canada, and they look at the proposal for a Canadian Charter of Privacy Rights promoted by Senator Sheila Finestone in the late 1990s and the current challenges of emergent material technologies accelerated by digitization and political technologies of regulation and governance.
Abstract: This article argues that post—September 11 political debates and legislation around security necessitate a reconsideration of a right to privacy in Canada. It looks at the proposal for a Canadian Charter of Privacy Rights promoted by Senator Sheila Finestone in the late 1990s and the current challenges of emergent material technologies accelerated by digitization and political technologies of regulation and governance.
TL;DR: An inclusive, equilibrium model is offered to conceptualize the spectrum of challenge that this interplay of desirable but oppositional values creates, within the resulting impact sectors of individual security, health care priorities, public health effectiveness, and e-health development, while specifying beneficial outcomes for each.
Abstract: Electronic information is a vital but complex component in the modern health care system, fueling ongoing efforts to develop a universal electronic health record infrastructure. This innovation creates a substantial tension between two desirable values: the increased quality and utility of patient medical records and the protection of the privacy of the information they contain. This article discusses related U.S. legislation, policy, and law—including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This article offers an inclusive, equilibrium model to conceptualize the spectrum of challenge that this interplay of desirable but oppositional values creates. The model illustrates the relationship between information privacy and information flow, and that between individual and society-level needs, within the resulting impact sectors of individual security, health care priorities, public health effectiveness, and e-health development, while specifying beneficial outcomes for each.
TL;DR: The authors present the framework of a model that integrates strategic product development decisions with the product's impact on future conditions of resources and the environment and serves as a means of analyzing normative resource-cost scenarios in regulatory policy mechanisms for sustainability.
Abstract: In this article, the authors present the framework of a model that integrates strategic product development decisions with the product's impact on future conditions of resources and the environment. The impact of a product on stocks of nonrenewable sources and sinks is linked in a feedback loop to the cost of manufacturing and using the product and to the end-users' preference for a sustainable product. Two product development scenarios are analyzed to illustrate the model's capabilities. These cases represent widely different market conditions and strategies in product development vis-a-vis sustainable product design and manufacturing. Future work must focus on application of the present framework to cases of realistic products and markets to further develop the model as a useful decision-making tool. The model might also serve as a means of analyzing normative resource-cost scenarios in regulatory policy mechanisms for sustainability.
TL;DR: There is no need to compromise the many existing conceptions of expertise by forcing them into a false common ground, and it is shown that existing accounts of expertise can be better understood by viewing them as connected parts of a complex network.
Abstract: In this article, the author proposes a dynamic, interdisciplinary, network conception of expertise that differs from conventional static, linear conceptions. Using a range of graphic images, the author propose specific visualizations of this network conception of expertise. First, he discusses attempts to pin expertise down in a definition. Then he considers the network of notions from which expertise emerges. The author briefly describes representative nodes in the network, such as experience and excellence. He concludes with the view that there is no need to compromise the many existing conceptions of expertise by forcing them into a false common ground. Instead, he shows that existing accounts of expertise can be better understood by viewing them as connected parts of a complex network.
TL;DR: In this paper, the results of a survey of 405 high school students in a school district in the western United States were used to determine why so many students take only the minimal classes.
Abstract: This study reports the results of a survey of 405 high school students in a school district in the western United States. The data were used to determine why so many students take only the minimal ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the legal and ethical implications of using memory-dampening agents for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are examined for governments and courts to appropriately address issues that may emerge.
Abstract: The formation and recall of memories are fundamental aspects of life and help preserve the complex collection of experiences that provide us with a sense of identity and autonomy. Scientists have recently started to investigate pharmacological agents that inhibit or “dampen” the strength of memory formation and recall. The development of these memory-dampening agents has been investigated for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Currently, these agents are being tested in multicenter clinical trials and will likely soon be approved for the treatment of PTSD. With advancements in technology, more targeted memory-dampening techniques may be developed in the future. Accessibility to these agents will inevitably affect one's sense of identity and also one's sense of autonomy. Therefore, it is essential that the legal and ethical implications of using these agents be examined for governments and courts to appropriately address issues that may emerge.
TL;DR: In this paper, the competition between two groups of technocrats in Indonesia during the New Order era that has hitherto afflicted national policy making is observed, the first group is the engineers and the second group are the scientists.
Abstract: This article observes the competition between two groups of technocrats in Indonesia during the New Order era that has hitherto afflicted national policy making. The first group is the engineers wh...
TL;DR: The ISA, based on system theory, is the best way to organize knowledge and exchange it as discussed by the authors and is applicable to all kinds of systems, which makes it most suitable for cross-disciplinary investigations and innovation.
Abstract: The ISA, based on system theory, is the best way to organize knowledge and exchange it. It depends on defining every system through its boundary, main processes within this boundary, and exchange with the environment through this boundary. It relies upon thermodynamics and information theory and is, therefore, applicable to all kinds of systems, which makes it most suitable for cross-disciplinary investigations and innovation. SD is complex and cross-disciplinary by its very nature and, therefore, the ISA is the best way to investigate its different subsystems. Among the most important subsystems of SD are integrated bio-refineries and bio-fuels, both of which are investigated in this article.
TL;DR: In the first phase of the research project Nanotechnologies for Tomorrow's Society (www.nanosoc.be), the research consortium explored a variety of futuristic visions or technoscientific imaginaries.
Abstract: In the first phase of the research project Nanotechnologies for Tomorrow's Society (www.nanosoc.be), the research consortium explored a variety of futuristic visions or technoscientific imaginaries...
TL;DR: The world passed the halfway point of oil supply in 2005 and the demand for oil likely will severely outstrip supply in 2008, leading to increasingly higher oil prices as discussed by the authors, leading to increasing gasoline prices, rapidly increasing inflation and subsequently a series of increasingly severe recessions followed by a worldwide economic depression.
Abstract: The world passed the halfway point of oil supply in 2005. World demand for oil likely will severely outstrip supply in 2008, leading to increasingly higher oil prices. Consequences are likely to include increasing gasoline prices, rapidly increasing inflation, and subsequently a series of increasingly severe recessions followed by a worldwide economic depression. Consequences may include, particularly in industrialized countries such as the United States, massive unemployment, economic collapse, and chaos.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that advances in nanotechnology in general, and lab-on-chip technology in particular, have the potential to benefit the developing world in its quest to control risks to human health and the environment.
Abstract: This article argues that advances in nanotechnology in general, and lab-on-chip technology in particular, have the potential to benefit the developing world in its quest to control risks to human health and the environment. Based on the “risk society” thesis of Ulrich Beck, it is argued that the developed world must realign its science and technology policy priorities to meet some of the most pressing needs of humanity.
TL;DR: In this article, an undergraduate engineering course at Duke University has integrated LCA with other interactive teaching techniques to enhance awareness and to inform engineering decision making related to societal issues, such as energy sources and environmental quality.
Abstract: Lifecycle assessment (LCA) is a valuable tool in teaching green engineering and has been used to assess biofuels, including ethanol. An undergraduate engineering course at Duke University has integrated LCA with other interactive teaching techniques to enhance awareness and to inform engineering decision making related to societal issues, such as energy sources and environmental quality. The course also includes a three-part studio beginning with application of thermodynamics, moving to team projects, and ending with a “green” innovation proposal by each student. Students who participated in this interactive series were able to apply LCA to venues beyond biofuels (e.g., computing and brick making). They were also able to consider societal and geopolitical aspects of complex issues, such as comparing benefits to costs and risks associated with increased production of ethanol on decreased food production and environmental impacts.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how these developments are being mediated in Britain through the intersection of government policy, private interests, and the institutional configuration of the state, and show that the challenges posed by open-source software to the proprietary business model that has hitherto dominated the market.
Abstract: The debate about the impact of information and communication technology has tended to focus on either its economic or its political aspects. The growing centrality of this technology to life in the 21st century, however, raises important questions about social ownership and control that necessitate a broader and more holistic analysis. Central to this issue is the growing challenge posed by open-source software to the proprietary business model that has hitherto dominated the market. The author examines how these developments are being mediated in Britain through the intersection of government policy, private interests, and the institutional configuration of the state.
TL;DR: In this article, the feasibility of manufacturing biofuel ethanol at small scale from agricultural sources in New Zealand is investigated and a feasibility study is presented. But, the authors focus on the use of potato processing waste and spoilt kiwifruit as feedstock.
Abstract: This article presents a study of the techno-economical feasibility of manufacturing biofuel ethanol at small scale from agricultural sources in New Zealand. It investigates possible agricultural products and wastes as potential feedstock and looks at laboratory-scale fermentation trials to determine their ethanol yields. The ethanol requirement to replace all gasoline in New Zealand with a 10 vol% blend (E10) is 300 ML/yr. Current production is derived from whey with output being about one sixth of this requirement. Sugarcane, sugar beets, maize, potato waste, and spoilt kiwifruit possess potential for use as feedstock. New Zealand currently grows approximately 150,000 t/yr maize, sufficient for making 45 ML/yr ethanol, and also has the potential to exploit 100,000 t/yr potato processing waste and 18,000 t/yr spoilt kiwifruit. Sugarcane and sugar beets are currently not grown on a large scale in New Zealand. However, sugarcane is of particular interest because of its high ethanol yield (7,750 L/Ha) and ea...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that wind power faces significant technological and institutional barriers, which need to be overcome if wind power is to play a significant role in Australia's electricity supply.
Abstract: Until recently, Australia had little installed wind capacity, although there had been many investigations into its potential during the preceding decades. Formerly, state-owned monopoly utilities showed only token interest in wind power and could dictate the terms of energy debates. This situation changed in the late 1990s: Installed wind capacity began growing rapidly following the introduction of supportive renewable energy policies and the restructuring of the electricity industry. However, wind farms still provide only 1% of Australia's electricity, the future of supportive policies is uncertain, and industry momentum is yet to become self-sustaining. Wind power, the authors argue, faces significant technological and institutional barriers, which need to be overcome if wind power is to play a significant role in Australia's electricity supply. The current window of opportunity is providing—for the first time—a significant space in which these barriers can be better understood and addressed and the req...
TL;DR: In recent years, there has been concern among law enforcement and national security organizations about the use of anonymous prepaid mobile phone service and its purported role in supporting crimi....
Abstract: In recent years there has been concern among law enforcement and national security organizations about the use of “anonymous” prepaid mobile phone service and its purported role in supporting crimi...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the main urban-related technical aspects of modern drilling rigs and the new trends in integrating architecture, urbanism, and drilling rig design are discussed.
Abstract: Drilling wells in urban spaces requires special types of rigs that do not conflict with the surrounding environment. For this, a mutation of the current drilling equipment is necessary into what can be defined as an “urbanized drilling rig.” Noise reduction, small footprint, and “good looking” rigs all help persuade the general public to accept the presence of drilling rigs in their neighborhood. This article reviews international projects that aim to integrate drilling with the urban infrastructures with a special focus on geothermal projects. Case studies are presented where tailored drilling rigs and new technology have already been implemented. The review aids the analysis of the main urban-related technical aspects of modern drilling rigs. Finally, the new trends in integrating architecture, urbanism, and drilling rig design are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship of action to thermodynamic processes such as the spontaneous increase in entropy of the second law is explained and the utility of action for measuring changes in energy and material distribution is promoted.
Abstract: Consideration of the property of action is proposed to provide a more meaningful definition of efficient energy use and sustainable production in ecosystems. Action has physical dimensions similar to angular momentum, its magnitude varying with mass, spatial configuration and relative motion. In this article, the relationship of action to thermodynamic processes such as the spontaneous increase in entropy of the second law is explained and the utility of action for measuring changes in energy and material distribution is promoted. In particular, the view that increases in entropy and action are equivalent to disorder is challenged. Given that the development of action states may be assigned an economic value and the various sources of free energy assigned a price, action theory may provide a novel mechanism for the economic allocation of resources. The importance of the diversity and redundancy of energy resources and work processes to optimize action is highlighted.