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University of Liverpool 1st Year BA Philosophy student Isabel Dixon-Hardy finished second place in the annual Young Persons' Lecture Competition organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining as well as the North East region local society heat of the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers. The event was sponsored by the Henry Royce Institute and The Worshipful Company of Armourers & Brasiers, and was hosted by the University of Leeds.
In her talk, titled ‘Philosophical Foundations of Just Mining in the Low-Carbon Transition’, Isabel explored key philosophical questions surrounding the shift to low-carbon energy systems. The abstract from her presentation is provided below.
Abstract: Transitions to lower-carbon energy systems are heavily dependent on the extraction of critical minerals on a large scale. These minerals are necessary for the production of green technology such as wind turbines, electric vehicle motors and solar panels. This presentation will focus on the necessary philosophical considerations needed for just energy transitions. This includes an exploration into the features of just mining practice and an examination of why dominant technocratic knowledge systems shape critical mineral governance in a way that creates epistemic injustice. In this presentation I will argue that it is necessary to combine just mining practice with ways of ensuring epistemic justice in order to prevent justifying any unethical practices in the name of sustainability.