SCK-CEN Has Created a Discussion MICHEL Bow, Exact Or Applied Sciences
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MICHEL Bow AND GILBERT EGGERMONT INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN NUCLEAR RESEARCH Introduction have an education in one or more social sciences or Scientific Staff humanities, some of them combined with training in GlJNTF.R BOMBAERTS, Two years ago SCK-CEN has created a discussion MICHEL Bow, exact or applied sciences. The year 2001 was BENNY CARLE. forum with social sciences and humanities. This has marked by a better focussing of the research subjects GUSTAAF CORNELLS, extended the well-established multidisciplinary proposed for the doctorates and by the finalisation of PASCAL DEBOODT. approach of SCK-CEN with the input of social sci- CHLOEE DEGROS, the post-doctoral research on nuclear waste and GILBERT EGGERMONT. entists from universities. It has led to a structured expert culture. ISABELLE FUCKS, transdisciplinary approach integrating social scien- FRANK HARDEMAN, tists within scientific and technological projects. A The H-team (co-workers in social sciences) is linking ERIK LAES, the result of collective and individual work and STEVEN LIERVIAN, structured collaboration became fully operational in GASTON MESKENS, 2001. addressing new ideas from staff members of BERNARD NEERDAEL, SCK«CEN and of external partners (universities, ANNE VERLEDENS, The programme is focussed on actual problems. We national or international authorities and advisory LUDO VEUCHCI.EN started research projects to treat some of these prob- boards, industry). The reflection groups "expert cul- lems and discussed others in reflection groups. ture" and "ethics in radiation protection" are the main Supporting Staff Moreover, relevant actors within SCK-CEN or in CATHERINE Si'Ecr. forums of interactions. KAREN STOOPS, society have been involved. DOMINIQUE TREPAGNE-GLINNE, At the level of the European Commission, the expert- GRIET VANDERPERREN, Projects have been started upon thematic demand ise and the participation of scientists in the process of MONIQUE VAN GEEL, from internal departments with interested supply of ELS VAN MUSSCHER, political decision (White Paper on Governance) CINDY VERACHTERT Belgian universities. Four project leaders, with the became an important subject. The framework of assistance of steering committees and co-ordinated Sustainable Development (SD) may give new by a horizontal programme manager, are responsible responsibilities for future. The Precautionary for research on the following project issues: Principle (PP) as well as the ALARA principle tend Si sustainable development (SD); to become strategic references in science and risk ss ethics and decision making in nuclear waste man- governance. New trends for radiation protection are agement (transgenerational ethics/retrievability; creating a new momentum with important formal socio-psychological aspects and local involve- and informal implications. ment); Soft law and gentlemen's agreements are influencing Si law and liability (medical applications and the the dynamics of the research. basic safety standards (BSS) implementation); i: decision making (emergency management; safety Objectives culture; ALARA and ethical choices in protec- tion). K Using a transdisciplinary learning process: - to analyse crucial new problems and views; For the reflection groups, a mixed team of 16 co- workers of SCK-CEN (50% social scientists) pre- - to stimulate interdisciplinary reflections with a pares and reports on brainstorming meetings with variety of opinions from internal and external university experts and individuals of industry and experts; authorities, showing interest in developments at -to participate in innovative experiments on SCK'CEN. Two thematic reflection groups discuss safety related issues involving relevant actors; broad items of high actuality. The themes are: -to develop a future capacity for proactive s ethical choices in radiation protection; nuclear problem solving in society; s role and culture of the expert. -to perform communication exercises, studies and support to the development of a communi- cation strategy; Background S to improve company and expert culture by gain- The projects address philosophical, sociological, ing insight in interactions and by implementing legal, organisational and economical issues simulta- ethical guidance; neously. The researchers also look at communica- m concrete in depth development of these objectives tion and culture in the scientific research concerning through field projects. the nuclear activities. Their work is directly con- nected to problems encountered in different depart- The approach aims at stimulating the critical sense of ments in which they are integrated. These scientists the researchers in the nuclear field and tries to Radiation Protection 37 improve the general intervention capacity of the A survey (n=604, 34% response) was conducted fol- experts of SCK-CEN and its partners. lowed by subsequent processing and interpretation of results. The philosophical assessment of central con- cepts like retrievability and precaution referred to Programme three ethical systems: utilitarianism, egalitarianism and Kantianism. Account was given to other deter- The programme of social sciences consists of sever- mining societal factors (economical, psychological, al projects. The various aspects are linked at first to philosophical, etc.). the demands identified by departments prior to being shaped by the individual researchers and fine-tuned The research on "Socio-psychological aspects of by the general programme concept. The research top- decision making on radioactive waste" has focussed ics are in full development. Bridges are established on the feasibility of studying cognitive dissonance between various questions (ALARA, liability, mechanisms in scientists, through a co-promotorship Precautinary Principle, explication of value judge- in social psychology. The research considers the risk ments). The approaches have a specialised base, but assessment phase for decision making in waste man- horizontal interactions allow developing wider and agement. A literature study has been performed. more complex interdisciplinary collaboration often A questionnaire is under construction as part of an via the reflection groups. Moreover we develop a exploratory methodology. The observation of partic- process towards an ethical charter for SCK-CEN. ipation groups of local partnerships on low-level waste disposal options has been started. The researchers have joined the European concerted Sustainable Development action COWAM, structuring experience of similar involvement practices in Europe. The philosophical The project "Sustainability and Nuclear Develop- aspects in radiation protection, defining important ment" SuND aims at performing transdisciplinary criteria and approaches for performance assessment research on the technological aspects of nuclear sci- of waste disposal concepts, are also being analysed ence & technology in view of Sustainability and in and discussed. interaction with human sciences (economics, philos- ophy, social sciences, ethics, law). Within this research project, the researchers intend to: Law and liability :;; elucidate the use and function of the sustainabili- The project pays attention to the need for an optimal ty concept in different contexts; preventive approach in nuclear activities and an 5J map the diverging views on Sustainability: appropriate compensation regime for nuclear activi- ties. It became clear that the medical uses of nuclear s compare different sets of methods and indicators technology represent a distinctive character and used to put Sustainability into practice; necessitate appropriate legal research. :s develop a framework of criteria and indicators for The efficiency of applied law and general principles the transdisciplinary comparison of different is being questioned in particular, as these general energy vectors under the Sustainability paradigm, principles are often not explicitly formulated, espe- with a special focus on nuclear energy. cially in the field of radiation protection. Law has to respond to societal and scientific evolutions where the challenge is: the risk of the unknown. The new Ethics and decision making in nuclear regulations on radiological protection will be exam- waste management ined, putting a renewed emphasis on optimisation (by introducing notions such as "dose constraints" The project on "Transgenerational ethics related to and "diagnostic reference levels"). In this context the the disposal of long-lived radwaste" aims at clarify- researcher pays particular attention to the develop- ing the ethical options, at making the provisions for ment of the precautionary principle and to progress basic information, at identifying the core problems in ALARA, including other new technological risks from a philosophical standpoint and at exploring dif- such as electromagnetic fields. ferent points of view. It initiates a sensitisation-pro- gramme and makes some recommendations to the New trends in research on low-level risks such as stakeholders. genetic susceptibility have been considered. Radiation Protection As environmental law broadened the scope of pro- (as advisors, as project-administrators, as tection of the environment and necessitates more pre- researchers) as well as to the limits of their mandate cautionary measures, the challenge consists in exam- and the respective motivation experts have. The ining how nuclear law faces these fundamental interviewed SCK'CEN experts have given a lot of changes. In many countries, new atomic laws have concrete illustrations