Conflicts around Germany’sEnergiewende: Discourse patterns of citizens’ initiatives

Abstract

Especially since the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe (2011), Germany has expanded its renewably sourced energies. Nuclear power is to be phased out by 2022. What is central to federal policy is the expansion of wind-generated energy. Plans for new wind farms have, however, faced opposition. And the transportation of electricity from the windy north to the high-use south entails an expansion of the existing power grid, which also provokes conflict. The article scrutinises dominant patterns of discourse on these issues. Based on current discourse theory, the research sheds light on the argumentative power of citizens’ initiatives with respect to nature conservation, landscape, health and economics.

Landscape Conflicts—A Theoretical Approach Based on the Three Worlds Theory of Karl Popper and the Conflict Theory of Ralf Dahrendorf, Illustrated by the Example of the Energy System Transformation in Germany

“…A successful settlement of conflicts is-as described in the previous section-not without prerequisites. In the following, current studies on (landscape-related) conflicts over energy system transformation in Germany will be used to examine the preconditions and institutional framework conditions for conflict resolution using Germany as an example (especially [96,[104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122]):…”

Technological Transformation Processes and Resistance—On the Conflict Potential of 5G Using the Example of 5G Network Expansion in Germany

“…On the one hand, it is possible to identify spatial concentrations of citizens' protests, which, in the case of wind energy plants, are concentrated in the (south) west of Germany and, in the case of power line projects, on certain routes in North Rhine-Westphalia and, in particular, in Bavaria (cf. [64]), on the other hand, a clustering of citizens' initiatives can be observed in areas that-as in the case of 5G-are not extraordinarily more affected by 5G than other regions (see Figure 1), but nevertheless show an increased number of citizens' initiatives against 5G, such as in parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg (see Figure 2).…”

“…Accordingly, large parts of the population already have access to the 5G network, but isolated 5G coverage gaps remain, particularly concentrated in eastern Germany (see Figure 1). In the course of further extensive social transformations and technical innovations in Germany, for example, the implementation of the energy transition resistance to the implementation plans was formed, in the context of which quasi-groups with the same latent interests and an increasing external presence were formed, and in the course of which dichotomizing camps of pro and con were formed (see among many: [24,[64][65][66][67]), whereby the controversies here often moved from factual argumentation to a morally conducted dispute [68][69][70] and thus made conflict resolution more difficult. As already shown with the emergence of citizens' protests against the local implementation of physical manifestations of the energy transition (wind turbines and power lines), the emergence of counter-movements such as citizens' initiatives is not necessarily related to the appearance of the projected or later implemented facilities [64].…”

“…In the course of further extensive social transformations and technical innovations in Germany, for example, the implementation of the energy transition resistance to the implementation plans was formed, in the context of which quasi-groups with the same latent interests and an increasing external presence were formed, and in the course of which dichotomizing camps of pro and con were formed (see among many: [24,[64][65][66][67]), whereby the controversies here often moved from factual argumentation to a morally conducted dispute [68][69][70] and thus made conflict resolution more difficult. As already shown with the emergence of citizens' protests against the local implementation of physical manifestations of the energy transition (wind turbines and power lines), the emergence of counter-movements such as citizens' initiatives is not necessarily related to the appearance of the projected or later implemented facilities [64]. On the one hand, it is possible to identify spatial concentrations of citizens' protests, which, in the case of wind energy plants, are concentrated in the (south) west of Germany and, in the case of power line projects, on certain routes in North Rhine-Westphalia and, in particular, in Bavaria (cf.…”

Energiewende und Megatrends

“…Jahrhunderts darin, Umbrüche nicht einfach diskussionslos hinzunehmen und mit Argumenten zu arbeiten, die eine hohe lebenswirkliche Anschlussfähigkeit aufweisen, wie gerade Landschaft und Heimat. Auffällig ist, wie sehr sich Ausführungen im Hinblick auf den Windkraft-und den Stromnetzausbau ähneln (Weber et al 2017a;Weber et al 2017b). Wird nicht aktiv auf den einen oder anderen Kontext verwiesen, sind Ausführungen der jeweiligen Bürgerinitiativen durchaus einfach austauschbar.…”