Nanotechnology and Energy Dialogue Appendices

Nanotechnology and Energy Dialogue Appendices 1

Appendix A – preliminary documents 2

Participant Information Sheet 2

Eventbrite site 3

Nanotechnology and Energy Dialogue consent form 4

Appendix B – participants 5

Appendix C – Engagement results 6

Energy issues session 6

Problem Definition session 9

Problem solutions 12

Nanotechnology and the energy sector session 18

Appendix D – Survey written responses 23

Appendix E – FoE media release 28

Appendix A – preliminary documents

Participant Information Sheet

Project title: Nanotechnology and Energy Dialogue

Organiser: National Enabling Technologies Strategy – Public Awareness and Community Engagement Program (NETS-PACE) – Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE)

Contact: Dr Wendy Russell

Ph: 02 6276 1803

E:

This dialogue is a community engagement project under the NETS-PACE program within DIISRTE. NETS-PACE has recently launched the STEP (Science & Technology Engagement Pathways) community engagement framework, which seeks to engage a range of stakeholders and the wider community in discussions about emerging technology areas such as nanotechnology and biotechnology. One of the aims of STEP is to provide channels for input into decision making about these new technologies. More information about STEP can be found at: www.innovation.gov.au/step.

This dialogue is a STEP engagement project. The objectives of the dialogue are:

·  To explore an application area for nanotechnology, particularly in relation to problem definition, considering a range of perspectives and involving a range of stakeholders, including members of the general public

·  To raise awareness amongst all participants by broadening a topic beyond the usual focus on technology as problem solver and to consider technology in social context

The dialogue will involve a series of discussion exercises, during which participants will make notes, and a note-taker will take a record of the discussion. All notes from the dialogue will be written up into a report, which will be made available to participants.

In addition, participants will be asked to complete a survey before and after the dialogue, and several months later (sent by email). This survey is aimed at evaluating the dialogue in terms of process (what people think about the process) and impact (whether it increased people’s awareness, made them think differently about the topic or changed their behaviour).

In answering the survey, you will be given an identifying number, which will allow us to match responses, while keeping responses anonymous. Results of the survey will be included in the final report, and may form the basis of other publications (e.g. journal articles).

During the afternoon session, parts of the dialogue will be videotaped. This video will be used to promote future events and the STEP framework. You can choose not to be video-taped.

Eventbrite site

Nanotechnology and Energy

How can we meet the grand challenge of energy for Australia’s future?

This dialogue will bring together people from various walks of life to consider the enduring challenge of energy - how Australia can move forward, maintaining our quality of life into the future?

We want you to join us to hear about cutting-edge technologies such as nanotechnology and to consider how they may address this challenge.

But this workshop is not just about how the latest technology will save us all, we’ll take a deeper look at what is really needed in moving forward, and how nanotech fits in.

The challenge is open to engineers, home-owners, scientists, commuters, economists, consumers, environmentalists, students and anyone who uses energy and is concerned about the future.

We welcome people from all walks of life and your fresh perspectives!

If you have any queries, please contact


Nanotechnology and Energy Dialogue consent form

Organiser: National Enabling Technologies Strategy – Public Awareness and Community Engagement Program (NETS-PACE) – Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education

Contact: Dr Wendy Russell
Ph: 02 6276 1803
E:

Declaration of Consent

I hereby agree to be involved in the above dialogue as a participant. I have read the information sheet about this project and understand the nature of the project and my role in it.

I understand that my input during the dialogue, my responses to survey questions and any other data collected will be de-identified (made anonymous) before any publication.

I also agree to be video-taped during the engagement.

Yes No

Name of participant: ______

Signature: ______

Date: ______

Appendix B – participants

Luis Alvarez, citizen / Joel Baker, engineer
John Bell, engineer, Engineers Australia / Emma Bosworth, environmental NGO
Ezra Bowen, engineering student / Hayley Brindell, organiser
Shelley Brown, industry / Amalia Buckerfield, student, consumer
Miguel Ccalachua, citizen / Terry Cridland, home owner/consumer
Gregory Crocetti, environmental NGO / Tito Cueva, engineer
Katrina Cutler, facilitator / Erik de Wit, science communicator
Marina Divella, citizen / Derek Dixon, citizen
Thomas Draper, English teacher / Tim Eaton, Home owner
Maaroof Fakhri, public servant (federal) / Judith Feros, home owner/consumer
Erika Fiset, researchers / Arden Fraser, environmental engineer
Benjamin Friebe, engineering student / Michael Gallwey, consumer
Andrew Gatland, engineering student / Jennifer Gett, home-owner
Chris Greig, engineer / Lingli Guo, environmentalist
John Harrison, social researcher / Andrew Harvey, researcher
Shane Harwood, consumer / Lisa Hudson, consumer
Mallory James, social scientist / Matthew James, engineer
Craig Johnson , public servant (federal) / Daniel Jong, citizen
Matthew Kearnes, social researcher / Penelope King, home-owner
Lorrie Ko, environmentalist / Andrea Kriewaldt, home-owner
Justine Lacey, social scientist / Jason Latham, student
Robert Lemon, retiree / Xue Leng, engineer
Jian Liu, chemist / Josephine Loader, citizen
Raymond Loader, citizen / Max Lu, academic
Bill Macfarlane, environmental engineer / Kylie Madge, consumer/home-owner
Scott Martyn, nanotechnology researcher / Stephen McGrail, social researcher
Grace Mullins, environmental engineering student / Amanda Newbery, facilitator
Sue Nugent, home owner / Paul O'Carrigan, Home-owner & consumer
Augustine Okoro, mechanical engineer / James Pepping, home owner
David Rooney, social researcher / Wendy Russell, organiser
Cathy Sage, note-taker / David Schofield, home owner, consumer
Roman Shirshov-Menzel, engineering student / Abhijit Shrotri, engineer
Geoff Silcock, citizen / Vanessa Solomon, public servant (State)
Michael Swifte, citizen / Fengqiu Tang, environmentalist
Lianzhou Wang, nanotechnology researcher / Hao Wang, environmentalist
Dunyang Wang, consumer / Peter Wang, consumer
Nicholas Westwood, public servant (State) / Ross Wilton, home owner, consumer.
Jason Wood, citizen / Lingxia Zhang, engineer
George Zhao, nanotechnology researcher

Appendix C – Engagement results

Energy issues session

The issues are listed in order from lowest score to highest.

Need for availability of affordable clean energy

Carbon – just an excuse for more taxes? Australia is still a small offender world wide

Run out of resources to provide constant energy

Using cars as little as you can

Energy (electricity) is mostly invisible.. .how do we make it visible?

Over reliance on oil

Saving energy important

Reduce power consumption on everyday electronics

How easily people use energy without thinking ie leaving lights on... bothers me that people are uninformed and don’t use common sense

Where is it (energy) being used effectively?

Economic ways of households to provide their own energy

How to efficiently use energy

Our national dependence on Fossil Fuel exports for sustained economy & lack of development of alternative sources

Is it important to reduce the energy produced from oil?

Generation capacity

Cost of rising electricity prices – energy saving lightbulbs are $15 each, old lightbulbs $2

Use of green strategies... “renewable”... Wind sun

Location of infrastructure

Energy consumed & development

New viable technologies that have not been looked at – Improvement of current renewable energy sources through fields of nanotechnology

Fossil fuels need to be somewhat replaced... ie not viable for the future

Keeping cost LOW

New not yet known technologies

How to improve energy efficiency

Life Cycle Assessment (L CA) of manufacture

Govt support of renewable energy

Balance between energy consumption & global warming

Are the new (green) energies clear to the consumer?

Have energies to run industries

Consumption, price, availability

2 x How manage translation from now to future

Given our heavy reliance on COAL, what will a translational energy economy look like?

2 x Australian economy without coal

Grid - make smarter and fit energy mix

Lowering energy use in future

Renewable energy ... are we doing enough?

Water / hydro

2 x How will we provide for energy in future?

Which fuel energy is best?

Wave energy to achieve outcomes – genuine benefits - measurable solar over current availability

Well being of animals, plants and non-human parts of natural world. People’s e use affects them and they have no say / environmental quality

Health impacts with new energy technologies

Converting to low cost energy at home / in business

Movement to sustainable source of energy with a low carbon footprint

Consumption, save energy, energy for all people in the world

How to live more sustainably

2 x climate change

Seemingly immovable barriers to action on climate change (energy problem is part of this)

Climate change and cost of energy, including renewable energy

2 x Current way of producing energy is not sustainable; depleting resources

Waste / cost of n11ew technologies? New ideas not implemented by govt

Converting to low cost energy at home

Rising costs

Most efficient, cost effective way to reduce power?

Waste & cost - government interference

Trade-offs with food, environment, overall human development

Waste of energy (efficiency)

Sustainability – how do we ensure energy consumption doesn’t come at cost to environment?

Sustainable, plentiful, cheap production of energy (given finite resources)

Transition now from fossil fuels (coal & gas) to 100yr renewable energy

Renewable energy (sources) vs/and environmentally friendly energy

How do we get govt to focus on long term policies for a secure & sustainable energy future?

Problem Definition session

Participants were asked to write problem definitions individually, following discussion in groups. About half the participants provided definitions.

“The problem is we don’t have enough water..... Hydroelectricity on the Ord river could supply our energy needs.. we need to get labour from Asia... & export food to Asia”

“The challenge is how do we provide enough energy for our needs and distribute it”

“The challenge is transforming our energy system from current centralised generation to a hybrid distributed model”

“The problem is a) devising a means of promoting new energy solutions to the community... b) clarifying costs”

“There is a lack of understanding and political will... we need to focus on education”

“(Action) is possible but the govt hasn’t set up policies, processes to achieve it”

“The problem is a lack of infrastructure planning and credible ideas for future ... (the issue has) created political mistrust and has stalled the way forward”

“The challenge is achieving bipartisan solutions and global solutions rather than picking winners”

“We need to focus on making immediate changes to renewables like solar”

“The problem is that 20th century fossil fuel is the accepted paradigm – how do we change that?”

“We need to define the problem in economic values as the world works this way”.

“The problem is to produce energy at a cost that fits all and that produces the lowest heat output”

“Appropriate technology may not necessarily be new high tech technology”

“There is a lack of motivation – we need ways to marginalise doubters, lobby groups etc – (doubters) stop action”

“We don’t need technological solutions – we need social and political will... social solutions”

“Our biggest challenge is maintaining our natural environment via renewable energy versus economic issues such as keeping costs low and staying competitive in the global market (Environment vs. Economics: Finding a happy medium).”

“Our biggest challenge is to inform and educate the general public on the issues involved in using and sourcing both traditional and unconventional forms of energy. A better informed public can significantly influence government regulation and private sector operations.”

“The problem is: Vote-garnering by politicians and their desperate revenue-raising as a result of their self-centred incompetence is harming industry and wrecking the economy. A healthy resource industry and a healthy economy form the cradle for a wealthy, sustainable, well-educated energy future. Resources is one of the few industries Australia has left – Don't kill it off!”

“Our biggest challenge is to provide for our future energy needs in the most cost effective way. We should be looking at solar power, nuclear power and wave power. In my opinion wind power is not the answer.”

“The problem is that leadership as it is has a lack of understanding and political will. We need to focus on education from the top-down and also down-top: a two dimensional approach.”

“Our biggest challenge is to educate our nation on utilising energy and provide resources outlining essential strategies.”

“The problem is our acceptance of appropriate technology - simple, small scale, appropriate solutions. Things that are not new, rather, things that are one-size-fits-all, things that combine use and are decentralised. How do we define what is appropriate to the situation? Also, localised education is important.”

“Our biggest challenge is finding a cost effective and situation-appropriate way to produce energy to all communities globally, which has a positive, symbiotic relationship with environmental quality: appropriate technology.”

“Our biggest challenge is identifying the best form of energy while still considering cost and the environment.”

“The problem is to produce energy at a cost which meets a level playing field yet produces the lowest level of heat and pollutants, affecting sustainability.”

“The problem is that the government has not set up long-term policies, targets and royalties that benefit the renewable sector (eg. bi-partisan targets). For example, the fossil fuel industry subsidies $12,000,000,000 plus; Queensland's gas target is higher than those of renewable energy sources; environmental impact studies are incomplete for coal seam gas exploration.”

“The biggest obstacle faced in terms of Australia's energy future is sustainability, there is need to fund a sustainable energy that can be used to replace the more harmful energy production methods.”

“We need to separate the debate between climate change and energy and instead focus on developing sustainable technologies so we aren't held to ransom by a handful of oil producing nations.”