Swensen, Eirik | Norway

Eirik Swensen is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for Technology and Society at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Oslo, where he graduated in humanities and languages. He continued with his Masters at NTNU, writing his thesis on the Norwegian energy policy 2000-2007. In 2010 he received a 4 year grant through NTNU and the Centre for Sustainable Energy Studies (CenSES) for continuing his research on Norwegian climate and energy policy. From August 2012 to June 2013 he was a research fellow in Oslo at the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK). He will be visiting at IAS-STS from October 2013 to January 2014.

Project at IAS-STS: Climate change: Transition strategies in the context of denial

In my PhD project on transition strategies for a more climate friendly society, I am investigating the Norwegian efforts related to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS has for long been important in the Norwegian strategy to mitigate climate change. While Norwegian politicians are reluctant to implement domestic climate initiatives that may affect people’s everyday life here and now, the same politicians are relying on more undetermined strategies abroad or in the future. CCS is here, alongside the rainforest preservation initiative (REDD) and carbon trading (CDM), one of the main pillars. In my thesis I am critically assessing different parts of the CCS complex. My data consists of (1) interviews with experts working hands on with CCS, (2) interviews with all the main environmental NGOs in Norway, and (3) an analysis of the Norwegian media debate related to CCS. Technological progress and innovation are the main answers to how we can solve the climate issue while at the same time continue without main societal changes. When CCS is the climate technology par excellence, I find it extremely interesting and important to further investigate the links between political targets and technological status in this context.

Selected Publications (in Norwegian)

Swensen, E.: "Rammer for handling – klimaskeptikere i den norske klimadebatten”. Sosiolgisk tidsskrift 02/2013. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget

Swensen, E.: “Mediemagneten Mongstad – debatten om CO2-fangst – og lagring i norske aviser." Norsk medietidsskrift 04/2012. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget

Swensen, E.: "Klimakampen er død – leve miljøengasjementet." Syn og Segn 01/2012. Oslo: Det norske Samlaget.