Trust in ultima thules: social capital and renewable energy development in Iceland and Greenland. Part I

Автор: Patonia Aliaksei

Журнал: Arctic and North @arctic-and-north

Рубрика: Northern and arctic societies

Статья в выпуске: 41, 2020 года.

Бесплатный доступ

Iceland - an independent republic - and Greenland - an autonomous country within Denmark - represent two nations with similar geographical, economic, and historical backgrounds. Isolated from the continents, both are significantly affected by an adverse climate, making their economies dependent on trade and import. Nevertheless, despite their similarities, their national energy patterns differ substantially. Specifically, Iceland covers most of its energy mix with local renewables, whereas Greenland meets most of the energy demand with imported hydrocarbons. This paper investigates the reasons for Greenland lagging behind Iceland in terms of developing renewable energy resources. It hypothesises that, apart from the commonly-mentioned geographical, institutional, and cultural factors, the difference in social capital level has significantly contributed to the countries’ divergent energy strategies. In this sense, Iceland’s higher social capital stock stimulates its renewable power progress, whereas Greenland’s lower social capital level hampers it. To examine this hypothesis, the article constructs a ‘social capital tripod’, which assumes specific geographical, institutional, and cultural factors to be linked to renewable energy development through social capital. The findings demonstrate that Greenland, being dependent on hydrocarbon import, has a significantly lower expected level of social capital than Iceland, which runs mostly on renewables, therefore generally aligning with the research hypothesis.

Еще

Iceland, greenland, renewable energy, social capital, geography, institution, culture

Короткий адрес: https://sciup.org/148318368

IDR: 148318368   |   DOI: 10.37482/issn2221-2698.2020.41.182

Список литературы Trust in ultima thules: social capital and renewable energy development in Iceland and Greenland. Part I

  • Kristjansdottir H. Sustainable Energy Sources and Economics in Iceland and Greenland. New York, Springer, 2015. 86 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15174-8
  • Hart G. Geography and Development: Development Beyond Neoliberalism? Progress in Human Geography, 2002, no. 26 (6), pp. 812–822.
  • Gad U. Greenland: A post-Danish Sovereign Nation State in the Making. Cooperation and Conflict, 2014, no. 49 (1), pp. 98–118.
  • Orkustofnun. Hydro power plants in Iceland. URL: http://www.nea.is/hydro-power/electric-power/hydro-power-plants/ (accessed 11 July 2019).
  • Inaba Y. What’s Wrong with Social Capital? Critiques from Social Science. Global Perspectives on Social Capital and Health, 2013, no. 1 (1), pp. 323–342.
  • Acemoglu D. Root Causes: a Historical Approach to Assessing the Role of Institutions in Economic Development. Finance and Development, 2003, no. 40 (2), pp. 27–30.
  • Acemoglu D., Robinson J. Why Nations Fail: the Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty. New York, Crown Business, 2012. 529 p.
  • Sachs J. Government, Geography, and Growth: True Drivers of Economic Development. Foreign Affairs, 2012, no. 91 (5), pp. 142–150.
  • Kourtellos A., Stengos T., Tan C. Do Institutions Rule? The Role of Heterogeneity in the Institutions vs. Geography Debate. Economics Bulletin, 2010, 30 (3), pp. 1–7.
  • Shi S., Huand K., Ye D., Yu L. Culture and Regional Economic Development: Evidence from China. Papers in Regional Science, 2014, no. 93 (2), pp. 291–299.
  • Moe E. Energy, Industry and Politics: Energy, Vested Interests, and Long-Term Economic Growth and Development. Energy, 2010, no. 35 (4), pp. 1730–1740.
  • Gudmundsson J. Utilisation of Geothermal Energy in Iceland. Applied Energy, 1976, no. 2 (2), pp. 127–140.
  • Franco B., Fettweis X., Erpicum M. Future Projections of the Greenland Ice Sheet Energy Balance Driving the Surface Melt. Cryosphere, 2013, no. 7 (1), pp. 1–18.
  • Stevens N., Alley R., Parizek B. Enhancement of Volcanism and Geothermal Heat Flux by Ice-Age Cycling: A Stress Modelling Study of Greenland. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2016, no. 121 (8), pp. 1456–1471.
  • Partl R. Power from Glaciers: The Hydropower Potential of Greenland’s Glacial Waters. Energy, 1978, no. 3 (5), pp. 543–573.
  • Wilson E. Negotiating Uncertainty: Corporate Responsibility and Greenland’s Energy Future. Energy Research and Social Future, 2016, no. 16 (1), pp. 69–77.
  • Lyck L., Taagholt J. Greenland: Its Economy and Resources. Arctic, 1987, no. 40 (1), pp. 50–59.
  • Boute A. Off-grid Energy in Remote Arctic Areas: An Analysis of the Russian Far East. Renewable and Sustainable Reviews, 2016, no. 59 (1), pp. 1029–1037.
  • Chmiel Z., Bhattacharyya S. Analysis of Off-Grid Electricity System at Isle of Eigg (Scotland): Lessons for Developing Countries. Renewable Energy, 2015, no. 81 (1), pp. 578–588.
  • Corcoran P. et al. The Earth Charter in Action: Toward a Sustainable World. Amsterdam, KIT Publishers, 2005.
  • Mazza M. Energy, Environment and Indigenous Rights: Arctic Experiences Compared. The Yearbook of Polar Law, 2015, no. 7 (1), pp. 317–351.
  • Hansen A., Croal P., Vanclay F., & Skjervedal A. Managing the Social Impacts of the Rapidly-Expanding Extractive Industries in Greenland. Extractive Industries and Society, 2016, no. 3 (1), pp. 25–33.
  • Newson S. This Changing World: Preserving Wilderness Versus Enabling Economic Change: Iceland and the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project. Geography, 2010, no. 95 (3), pp. 161–164.
  • Hauberer J. Social Capital Theory: Towards a Methodological Foundation. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2011. 325 p. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-531-92646-9
  • McShane C. et al. Connections: The Contribution of Social Capital To Regional Development. Rural Society, 2016, no. 25 (2), pp. 154–169.
  • Cilona T. Sustainability, Territorial Resources and Social Capital. International Journal of Sustainable Development Planning, 2017, no. 12 (4), pp. 819–828.
  • Nanetti R., Holguin C. Social Capital in Development Planning. New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
  • Johnston M., Karageorgis S., Light I. Mexican Population Growth in New US Destinations: Testing and Developing Social Capital Theories of Migration Using Census Data. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2013, no. 39 (9), pp. 1479–1505.
  • Elshof H., Bailey A. The Role of Responses to Experiences of Rural Population Decline in the Social Capital of Families. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2015, no. 10 (1), pp. 72–93.
  • Westlund H., Rutten R., Boekema F. Social Capital, Distance, Borders and Levels of Space: Conclusions and Further Issues. European Planning Studies, 2010, no. 18 (6), pp. 966–970.
  • Rosenfeld R., Messner S., Baumer E. Social Capital and Homicide. Social Forces, 2001, no. 80 (1), pp. 283–309.
  • Recker N. & Moore M. Durkheim, Social Capital, and Suicide Rates Across US Counties. Health Sociology Review, 2016, no. 25 (1), pp. 78–91.
  • Spina N. Out-migration, Social Capital and the Cooperative Dilemma: Evidence from Bulgaria’s Population Crisis. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2017, 1 (1), pp. 1–17.
  • Bourdieu P. The Forms of Capital. In: Richard J.D., ed. Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. New York: Greenwood Bourgois, 1986, pp. 241–258.
  • Coleman J. Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital. Culture and Economic Growth, 1988, no. 1 (292), pp. 380–405.
  • Lin N. Social Capital: a Theory of Social Structure and Action. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2001. 292 p.
  • Portes A. Social Capital: Its Origins and Applications in Modern Sociology. Annual Review of Sociology, 1998, no. 24 (1), pp. 1–24.
  • Putnam R. Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital. Journal of Democracy, 1995, 6 (1), pp. 65–78.
  • Woolcock M. Social Capital and Economic Development: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis and Policy Framework. Theory and Society, 1998, no. 27 (2), pp. 151–208.
  • Carruth S. Developing Renewable Energy in Discontiguous Greenland: an Infrastructural Urbanism of Material Practices. Journal of Landscape Architecture, 2016, no. 11 (1), pp. 66–79.
Еще
Статья научная