Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
A Public Understanding
of Renewable Energy
R&D Project
Lars Broman1 and Tara C. Kandpal1,2
1Strömstad
Academy, SE-45280 Strömstad, Sweden
2Centre
for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology
IIT-Delhi, Delhi 11001, India
lars.broman@stromstadakademi.se, tarak@ces.iitd.ac.in
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
1. Introduction and Definitions
Public Understanding of Science PUS is
today an established concept. Bauer (2009)
has given a 3-fold definition of PUS:
(1) "Debunking of superstitions, halfknowledge, ignorance, and
misunderstanding ."
(2) PUS is to "improve science literacy, to
mobilize favourable attitudes, to increase
interest in science, and to intensify public's
engagement with science."
(3) "PUS considers common sense as an
asset" and PUS research should "chart out
the public controversies" exemplified by "the
impact of the climate of opinion on
knowledge production."
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
During the planning the Futures' Museum in
Sweden, Broman gave seven reasons for
creating a science centre:
(1) Give an insight that science is
understandable.
(2) Awaken curiosity.
(3) Give people the courage to experiment.
(4) Facilitate public understanding of science.
(5) Provide preparedness to withstand
superstition and pseudoscience.
(6) Amuse and entertain.
(7) Provide aesthetic experiences.
Reason (4) is in line with Bauer's definitions
(2) and (3), and reason (5) coincides with
Bauer's definition (1).
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
PUS is important, but it is not as simple as
that. There are e.g. so many different
sciences (which in turn are divided into many
disciplines).
"Science" is frequently used as a synonym of
"natural sciences", but science also includes
engineering and medicine, the social
sciences and humanities.
But maybe all different disciplines are not
equally important that the public
understands?
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
It is also important to identify target groups,
since some may be more important than
other. Loosely defined target groups
frequently mentioned are young people (in
the world of science centres often restricted
to the "7-eleven group" of elementary school
children), voting adults, and decision makers.
Other interesting group may include
engineers, teenagers, refugees, religious
fundamentalists, senior citizens, people living
in villages as well as cities, just to name a
few.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Since renewable energy is our main interest,
the authors have decided to investigate a
sub-set of PUS, namely Public Understanding
of Renewable Energy PURE.
The remainder of this presentation attempts
to give a starting point of a potential research
project on PURE.
The main questions are "is PURE important?"
and, if the answer is yes, "how could PURE be
achieved, and which means are useful?"
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
2. On the Importance of Public
Understanding of Renewable
Energy
There are several reasons why PURE might
be important. Four of them are these:
(1) The earth is a lonely planet in a vast
space.
(2) The earth is a planet alive with a dead
sister and a dead brother.
(3) Scientists generally agree upon
anthropogenic influence on the world's
climate.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
2. On the Importance of Public
Understanding of Renewable
Energy
There are several reasons why PURE might
be important. Four of them are these:
(4) A major source of greenhouse gases is
combustion of fossil fuels, which have to be
replaced by increased energy efficiency and
large-scale worldwide dissemination of
renewable sources of energy.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
A reasonable conclusion is that PURE is
important. Thus, a research project on PURE
would be to identify pros and cons in this
respect.
There are also several related questions:
What do professionals? How interested is the
public in renewable energy, and what do they
already know?
Which disciplines in renewable energy
science are more important than others?
A very crucial role of common people in large
scale harnessing of renewable sources of
energy is that the adoption requires their
participation.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
3. How Could Public Understanding
of Renewable Energy be Achieved,
and which Means Are Useful?
There are many channels that can be and are
used: Newspapers, TV programs, books,
interactive exhibits in science centres,
lessons in the school. Different media attract
different target groups.
The project should also find out how science
centres with interactive exhibits can be used.
The great difference between large science
centres (like Nehru Science Centre in
Mumbai, India) and small ones (like Ekohuset
in Strömstad, Sweden).
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
The Chinese philosopher Confucius' proverb
is a motto for Boston Children's Museum: I
hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do
and I understand.
William Glasser wrote (1990): We learn 10% of
what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of
what we see, 50% of what we both see and
hear, 70% of what is discussed with others,
80% of what we experience, and 95% of what
we teach.
An important component of achieving PURE
is thus likely to be interactivity and hands-on
experience, and useful environments for this
are science centres and planetariums.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
3.1 Popular Education of Renewable
Energy through International Association
of Solar Energy Education
IASEE started in 1989 and became the International
Solar Energy Society ISES Working Group on education
in 1990.
Since 1991, IASEE has arranged International
Symposiums on Renewable Energy Education ISREE,
held yearly or biennially.
Papers have dealt with education in schools and at
university level, as well as educating the general public.
Our paper in the WREC'11 Proceedings gives several
examples.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
3.2 Renewable Energy
Dissemination at Village Level
A large proportion of the Earth's population is
rural, and the quality of life of rural people
could be increased at the same time as their
negative influence on climate is decreased by
introduction of renewable energy at village
level: "Low carbon technology for lowpurchasing power people."
This includes a multitude of technologies and
education of users is important.
When educating rural people, it should be
understood that many people live below the
poverty line and that illiteracy is common.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
4. A Public Understanding of
Renewable Energy Research
Project Proposal
Presently this concept is more important than
ever. An interdisciplinary and international
science communication project on PURE is
being formed with the hub at Strömstad
Academy in Sweden.
It should include both research on the
importance of PURE and on the impact of
different methods to achieve PURE including
determining which methods are best adapted
for varying target groups.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Different target groups have to be approached,
ranging from renewable energy specialists and
energy policy makers to school teachers,
engineering students and different kinds of
end-users.
A variety of methods, such as questionnaire
studies, interviews and focus groups, should
be considered.
A start has been made with trying out a
questionnaire on participants in the workshop
Solar Energy in the MENA Countries from
Multiple Social Science Perspectives in Tunis,
Tunisia 12-14 Nov. 2012.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Much more need however to be done.
A good start would be a to distribute a
questionnaire world-wide to well-defined
target groups (such as engineering students,
teachers, and visitors to science centres)
aiming at finding out the present level of
public understanding renewable energy.
Please contact us if you would like to
participate in the PURE project.
The authors' email addresses are
lars.broman@stromstadakademi.se and
tarak@ces.iitd.ac.in
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
We will conclude this presentation by
showing a few examples of how hands-on
and interactivity has been used in conveying
PURE.
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
SERC Solar Energy Exhibition, now at Grönhögen,
Sweden
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Yourself a Sun-dial Teknoland, Falun, Sweden
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Greenhouse Effect being built at Teknoland
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
The Solar-Heated Chessboard, Teknoland
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
8th International Symposium on Renewable Energy Education, Orlando, Florida, 4-8 August 2002
Solar Surfaces from Teknoland
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Prof. H P Garg, IIT, demonstrating a Solar Cooker for
ESES students
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Solar Popcorn at Teknoland
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
PV PLayhouse at Toddlers' Teknoland
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India
Presentations at the Polytechnic Institutes in Kiev and Kharkiv 22-25 April 2013
Thanks for your
attention!
Lars Broman and Tara Kandpal, Strömstad Academy, Sweden and IIT-Delhi, India