1 Challenge the future Value sensitive design: the case of shale gas exploitation 1 Sixth Annual...

1Challenge the future

Value sensitive design: the case of shale gas exploitation

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http://newenergyandfuel.com

Sixth Annual Conference on

Competition and Regulation in Network

Industries (CRNI)

22 November 2013

Residence Palace in Brussels.

Aad Correljé [email protected] Behnam Taebi [email protected] Eefje Cuppen [email protected] Udo Pesch [email protected] Marloes Dignum [email protected]


Zimmermann: A functional theory on resources (1933, 1951)

• “Resources are not, they become; they are not static but expand and contract in response to human wants and human actions”

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The creation of resources

• Is driven by “the mother of all other resources”: Knowledge

• Changes with civilization

• Dynamic not only in response to increased knowledge, improved arts, expanding science, but also…

• changing individual wants and social objectives• Reflecting every change in the purpose of the appraiser

• Culture modifies natural environments and resources, and affects human attitudes and relations

• Resources are also returned to “neutral stuff”

April 19, 2023 3


Shale gas: the creation of a resource?


Hypothesis

• ‘Responsible’ shale gas innovation: • Appropriately reflect divergent stakeholders’ values. • Both technologies and institutions incorporate values • Contestation arises when not all values are incorporated

To what extent do current shale gas technologies and institutions accommodate the variety of (conflicting) stakeholder values and (how) can technology and institutions be developed in such a way as to incorporate the variety of (conflicting) stakeholder values?


Institutional economic approach

• Dominant mainstream economic framing of energy ignores relationships between energy production/use & society • Production and consumption of energy are linked to

environmental, economic and social effects, • With local, regional and global impacts.

• In our approach, environmental, safety and security of supply issues of energy markets are framed as public values • E.g. welfare is not considered to be a simple neutral aggregation

of all individual interests aiming at maximization

• We aim at internalizing labor relations, education, social security, external safety rules etc. into market behaviour as “public values”


Values from different perspectives

• Ethics relates to:• Value upheld and value specification • Values embedded in technologies • Identifying value trade-offs and reflection on them

• Economics relates to values that are (or have become) embedded in institutional contexts• The economic system as a realization of values• The market and political realm as formative contexts in

which values are stabilized

• STS look at dynamics of values• In relation to their emergence during innovation trajectories• In relation to their articulation in stakeholder interaction


Where are the values in design?

• Value sensitive design aims at incorporating human values in technological design • First developed in ICT, and furthered in other

engineering fields

• Values at three levels

Institutional context

Technology Stakeholders Participation


Specifying values

• Values: Generally considered important to be upheld• Norms: Formulated to realise values• Design criteria: Very specific criteria for complying with

norms

Environmental friendliness

Prevent pollution surface water

Context dependent: e.g. standards

for drinking water purification


Construction of value hierarchy

• Building on (Van de Poel forthcoming)• A value hierarchy can be constructed top-down or bottom-up • Most arguments are voiced on the level of norms


Example of a value hierarchy

The well need to be design such that it could withstand seismic effects up to Y

There must be Compensation Fund for repairing any damage caused up to the level Z.

Chemicals A, B and C may not reach the biosphere with a concentration higher than a, b and c.

There must be constant monitoring of micro-seismic activities for the period of X years

The seismic risks as a result of shale gas exploitation need to be managedNorm

Design Criteria

Health and SafetyValue


Values conflicts in shale gas debate

Source: Correlje, A., Cuppen, E., Dignum, M., Pesch, U. and B. Taebi, Forthcoming. Responsible Innovation in Energy Projects: Values in the Design of Technologies, Institutions and Stakeholder Interactions. In Responsible Innovation. Volume II, edited by J. Van den Hoven, E. J. Koops, H. A. Romijn, T. E. Swierstra and I. Oosterlaken: Springer:


Preliminary findings 1/2

• We have empirically analyzed the Dutch debate • Situation in the Netherlands • Both proponents and opponents are vociferous: rich data

• As regards substantive values• Proponents and opponents often endorse the same

values The controversy often happens at the level of norm, and how one value is being operationalized

• Responsible innovation requires a better understanding of these controversies• To what extent can the controversy be helped using new

technology: example of new exploitation methods


E.g. Health and Safety

Arguments in favor

Groundwater contamination is extremely unlikely because the shale layer is 3000 meters under the groundwater level. There are six layers of impervious rocks in between the two layers. (Health & Safety)

The drill and fracking technologies are proven and safe. (Health & Safety)

Shale gas requires water. However, in Brabant this is less than 1% of the industrial water use by Brabant Water. (Environmental Friendliness)

Arguments against

Chemicals could migrate to the surface. (health & safety, environmental friendliness)

Currently, there is too little known on shale gas exploration. (health & safety, accountability)

The large quantities of water that are used for shale gas exploration could negatively impact water availability for agriculture. (Welfare, Health & Safety)


Preliminary findings 2/2

• Procedural values are often neglected in policy-making• Questions of distributive justice • Questions of procedural justice: how to decide, who to

decode, transparency of information and decision-making

• Particularly opponents seem to emphasize and add these values into the debate • Responsible innovation of shale gas at least requires

appropriate inclusion of these values into the design of • Institutions and public participation


Thank you

• Comments are highly appreciated, now or later through email

• The research team

Aad Correljé [email protected] Eefje Cuppen [email protected] Marloes Dignum [email protected]

Udo Pesch [email protected] Behnam Taebi [email protected]

1 Challenge the future Value sensitive design: the case of shale gas exploitation 1 Sixth Annual...

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