25th-28th of July 2018 – EASST Conference: Making science, technology and society together

Toyah Rodhouse presented her first draft article within the PhD project on the EASST (European Association for the Study of Science and Technology) 2018 conference on ‘Making Science, Technology and Society Together’. The conference took place from 25-28 July in Lancaster, United Kingdom. She discussed how currently, various conflicting visions for the future of gas and gas infrastructure exist within policy- and decision-making on energy in the Netherlands. These visions for the future include ideas regarding various gas fuels and alternative energy sources, technologies, infrastructures, but also societal, political and economic structures. While these visions for the future, such as ‘Aardgasvrije wijken’, increasingly become implemented, new expectations, roles and responsibilities for publics emerge. As such, visions for the future give shape to publics as perceived by decision-makers. At the same time, current perceived public acceptance also impact what futures are seen as realistic and desirable.