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Climate change and energy use: The role for anthropological research
Author(s) -
HENNING ANNETTE
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
anthropology today
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 1467-8322
pISSN - 0268-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0268-540x.2005.00352.x
Subject(s) - electricity , climate change , per capita , nuclear power , gallon (us) , agricultural economics , economics , sociology , engineering , geology , demography , ecology , population , oceanography , aerospace engineering , electrical engineering , biology
1 For reviews on earlier periods of social scientific energy research, see for example Lutzenhiser, Harris et al. (2002), Rosa, Machlis et al. (1988). 2 For other discussions and suggestions concerning the role of the social sciences within energy studies, see for example Lutzenhizer, Harris et al. (2002), Shove, Lutzenhiser et al. (1998), Wilhite (2000). 3 In the mid‐1970s and early 1980s a large number of Swedish single‐family houses were constructed with electrical panel heating systems. This was largely due to a dramatic rise in oil prices, while at the same time the price for electricity and electrical equipment was low. It was also due to extensive construction of nuclear power plants in Sweden from 1970 onwards, resulting in the largest per capita nuclear power programme in the world (Summerton 1994). 4 Bio‐pellets are small pieces of compressed biofuel, often sawdust and other by‐products of the timber and paper industries. 5 Swedish houses are normally heated by hot‐water radiators or by electric panel heaters usually mounted on a wall. Solar heating systems in Sweden are hot water systems. Contrary to popular belief in Sweden, solar heating systems are much more dependent on a clear sky than on high air temperature. They are also particularly useful in high northern latitudes as houses in these areas have to be heated throughout most of the year. 6 So far, social anthropologists seem to have been involved mainly in studies of climate change adaptation: see for example Roncoli et al. (2000). 7 In 1997 the Swedish government agreed on a strategy for adjusting the national energy systems (Swedish Energy Agency 2003b). This energy programme comprised two parts: one aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the other at replacing electricity produced by nuclear power.