Intergenerational Governance for NW: the tension builds ; Gouvernance intergénérationnelle: la tension monte

Abstract

This presentation began with two common understandings about intergenerational governance. First, we talk about governance in societies (Schröder 2016). On this topic, pro- and anti-nuclear people share concerns about the need to think about future generations: "Feelings of responsibility for our descendants seem to play an important role in the argumentation of both pro- and anti-nuclear people" (Taebi, Roeser, and Van de Poel 2012, 4) Second, NW managers and controllers face the classic planning dilemma: "Both foregoing options and introducing new technologies increase risk." (Herbold, 1995, 193). In a similar vein, Ibo Van Poel points out that "the exact impacts on society are currently largely unknown and are very difficult to predict in advance" (Van Poel, 2015,3). While there is a common agreement among people who share concerns or feel responsible for the next generations, the way in which they want to integrate them differs. This presentation focuses on four potential intergenerational tensions. Each of these tensions already exists and will continue to exist. For each tension, we ask: What do social scientists or STS researchers suggest examining? What are the very concrete issues for Sitex members? This presentation focuses on entry points that might support other ideas, highlight particular assumptions, or pose provocative questions. These STS concepts might be useful for examining NWMs or controls with other challenging perspectives.