Postdoctoral Fellowship: Innovation and Environmental Justice in the Clean Tech Space: Measuring Performance and Anticipating Risks of Renewable Energy Technologies

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。这一科学、技术和社会(STS)博士后奖学金项目探索了评估清洁和可再生能源技术的指标的发展。生命周期分析、间接土地利用变化和碳足迹等指标用于评估可再生能源技术的后果，并决定采用哪些技术。但不同的社交行为者以不同的方式使用这些指标。我们的主要研究问题是，这些绩效指标遗漏了什么，以及它们如何预测风险。例如，生命周期分析的边界在哪里划定？在指标的开发、采用和编码过程中，哪些因素起作用？该项目进行了广泛的调查，然后重点介绍了可再生能源案例研究的两个实例--太阳能光伏领域的纳米技术和生物燃料领域的生物技术。该项目利用半结构化访谈、行业协会会议、贸易展和研讨会的参与者观察，并召集行业、监管机构和积极分子的焦点小组。次要数据将从专利、政府报告和听证会、学术出版物和会议记录、能源政策博客和风险投资播客以及发表的采访中收集。该项目的学术价值包括综合科技创新框架、全球商品链和金融社会研究方面的全面博士后培训。这项研究的意义在于了解：1)各种指标如何突出，2)什么被包括和排除，以及3)这些指标如何用于做出战略决策。该项目承诺在为有关新能源经济、“绿领”工作以及新兴技术的环境、健康和安全政策的讨论提供信息方面产生更广泛的影响。狭隘地解释指标可能会错过重要的社会关切和促进环境正义的机会。未能评估风险可能会导致社会对新能源技术的担忧，可能会减缓投资和创新。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(Public Law 111-5). This Science, Technology & Society (STS) Postdoctoral Fellowship project explores the development of metrics to evaluate clean and renewable energy technologies. Metrics such as life cycle analysis, indirect land use change, and carbon footprint are used to evaluate the consequences of renewable energy technologies and to make decisions about which technologies to pursue. But different social actors engage these metrics in different ways. Our primary research questions ask what these performance metrics leave out, and how they anticipate risks. Where do the boundaries get drawn for the life cycle analysis, for example? What factors count in the development, adoption and codification of metrics? The project conducts a broad survey and then focuses on two instances of a renewable energy case study--nanotechnology in solar photovoltaics and biotechnology in biofuels. The project draws on semi-structured interviews, participant observation of industry association meetings, tradeshows and workshops, and convenes focus groups with industry, regulators, and activists. Secondary data will be collected from patents, government reports and hearings, academic publications and conference proceedings, energy policy blogs and venture capital podcasts, and published interviews. The intellectual merits of the project include comprehensive postdoctoral training in the synthesis of emerging frameworks from STS, global commodity chains, and social studies of finance. The significance of this research is understanding: 1) how various metrics gain prominence, 2) what is included and excluded and, 3) how these metrics are used to make strategic decisions. The project promises broader impacts in informing discussions on the new energy economy, "green collar" jobs, and environment, health, and safety policies for emerging technologies. Narrowly construed metrics could miss important societal concerns and opportunities for promoting environmental justice. Failing to evaluate risks could lead to societal apprehension about new energy technologies, potentially slowing investment and innovation.