Abstract
In January 2004, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor Sir David King was reported as describing climate change as ‘the most severe problem that we are facing today — more serious even than the threat of terrorism’ (King, 2004). In the post 9/11 world it has become routine to characterise western society as increasingly dominated by concerns over risk and security. Given the context of Sir David’s comments, on a visit to the US administration, it is clear that he intended to highlight and draw into sharp relief the profound long-term and potentially catastrophic risks of human induced global climate change. Whilst some may take exception to the politically charged nature of the comparison, few would dispute the extent to which the twin concerns of climate change and energy policy are central to addressing the fundamental challenge of sustainable development: of creating an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable society for generations to come.
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© 2007 Malcolm Eames and William McDowall
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Eames, M., McDowall, W. (2007). Towards a Sustainable Energy Future: Participatory Foresight and Appraisal as a Response to Managing Uncertainty and Contested Social Values. In: Flynn, R., Bellaby, P. (eds) Risk and the Public Acceptance of New Technologies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230591288_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230591288_11
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