Services as a package
People, Places and their key role in the Energy Transition:
Regional energy markets worldwide
France in the limelight – plein feu sur la France
Today, just about everywhere, we see polarisations and political and social divisions that seem to be very similar. This creates the impression that we are not very different after all. Maybe that’s true. Still, I find it absolutely astounding and mystifying that these developments arise not from the same social and political environments but from totally different contexts.
Take France and Germany: To many of us in Germany, the French and Germans have more in common than divides them. This may be true but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. The tips of the icebergs may look the same, but the icebergs themselves are not. Our perspective underestimates the profound divergencies between the mindsets of the two peoples and the structures and organisations of the countries.
When we compare France and Germany, we are often comparing apples and oranges, a methodology generally regarded as inadmissible. But the opposite is the case. We should not shy away from the challenge; we should embrace it. Because it helps us understand better what is different about our partner „dans le couple franco-allemand“. It is a necessary precondition for fruitful discussions between those people in both countries who are interested in the
„dialogue franco-allemand“
It is better to admit that we do not always see eye to eye, e.g. in energy matters. We need to begin by analysing how and why our partners reach their conclusions.
Here is a headline from Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) of 23.06.2023
France and Germany “agree on 90 percent” of energy issues, must close ranks
But is that really true? Nuclear may be at the heart of the energy policy problems between France and Germany, but it is not the only reason for the divide. Energy expert Jena-Marc Jancovici has characterised Germany as the absolute counter model to what France should do. And he has done much to shape public opinion and is often referenced as an authority on energy matters. Yet Jancovici is far from the only energy expert and public figure strongly opposed to renewable energy. The result was effectively a culture war in France.
See, for example, what the „École de Guerre Économique“ in Paris – a kind of strategy school for economic competition and warfare in the international arena – has to say about renewables *, **. The hostility of these influential people has left its mark on French society to a degree that wind and solar energy have been derided by large sections of the population. It will take a lot of work to break down these barriers – more than the CLEW headline would have us believe.
Even an imaginary reality appears real if it is shared by a great many people. Acknowledging the fissure between France and Germany helps us circumvent the inevitably futile attempts to harmonize the incompatible. Papering over polarisations is unhelpful when it results in unworkable compromises that jeopardize decisions on existential matters.
All this proves that technological and practical potentials are not sufficient to progress the energy transition. To move forward we need to reconcile
People, Places and Energy Technologies
in other words, technology and social sciences. We need major advances in the social sciences to address these issues successfully. When it comes to analysing other countries and regions and their readiness for renewable energy, France is fertile ground for new insights.
*https://www.ege.fr/infoguerre/polemique-sur-le-cout-reel-des-energies-renouvelables
**https://www.ege.fr/infoguerre/les-causes-de-la-faillite-de-la-politique-energetique-allemande
My portfolio in just five keywords …
People, Places and the Energy Transition
- Energy Markets Worldwide
- New Regional Energy Markets [research & analysis]
- Energy and the Social Sciences
- Social sciences applied to the energy transition
- La France et l‘Allemagne: France Germany Energy Partnership [see text above]
…and here in more detail
People, places and the energy transition
Social sciences and the energy transition
Juggling emerging energy markets in a world turned upside down; how to find your way into new markets
Hydrogen: Technology & Society
- Global trends against regional backgrounds in key regions
- Regional energy markets: world regions, country regions, energy partnerships
Relying on energy technology alone was yesterday, today a multi-faceted approach is needed
Energy technology and society:
- Global trends against regional backgrounds in key regions
- Collective mentality and energy transition
keywords: geopolitics, supply chain security, major trends in regions, power blocs, H2 emerging markets, transition technologies, inequality
Explorer le monde par l’intermédiaire de la France
étudier la France pour mieux comprendre le monde
la France – une autre manière de penser
Sociologie francaise
for intellectual, societal, historical questions my choice is France – le dialogue franco-allemand
Not shy away from contrarian views
Ne pas craindre des avis contraires
French transition énergétique, Energie wende and the future of European energy policy
les regions de la France et la transition énergetique
at a glance: Hydrogen France Geopolitics Language & Ed-tech
Professional practice
30 years of teaching practice, 20 years of translation practice,
consultancy services: extensive knowledge in social sciences / history
-
social sciences, history and the energy transition:
-
regional studies: France, Poland, worldwide
-
-
education / training:
-
30 years of teaching practice in Germany, UK and France
-
English and history at German state schools
-
Paris: 5 years as a trainer for specialist English at CCIs etc,
-
London: lecturer in sustainable transport for the Chartered Institute of Transport, London, https://ciltuk.org.uk/
-
-
specialist translations – with a focus on technology
in energy and transport (for 20 years)-
most recent translation: 80 page translation offshore wind into English
-
translations for major German wind energy players
-
about 60 trade magazine articles
-
press releases
-