Biological and Environmental Sciences Directorate

Seminar Series

Elizabeth Peelle [Bio]
February 14 , 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Building 1505, D. J. Nelson Auditorium

BIO

Elizabeth Peelle

Elizabeth Peelle is an environmental sociologist whose early work at ORNL included NEPA assessments for the AEC of nuclear power plants under construction. She organized and led the first social impacts assessment group at a national laboratory in 1975 to work on impacts of nuclear power plants. Among her research interests are the role and limits of public participation in successful deployment of energy production and waste management facilities; the social organization of energy facilities relative to safety culture, QA and the reactor operator exam; and criteria for successful public participation efforts. For the ORNL Nuclear Power Acceptability Study she developed institutional and public acceptance requirements for an expanded global nuclear future.

Her special interests include interactions between citizens and experts in decision making involving technical components. She is a lifelong student of bureaucracies. Prior to becoming a sociologist she worked 4 years as a physical chemist at K-25 in low temperature gas adsorption studies of nickel barriers.

After her service on one of the Three Mile Island Accident commissions (CONAES) she became a Fellow of AAAS. She also holds an honorary doctorate (JD) from Miami University of Ohio.

For the past decade, she has worked in the biomass feedstocks area defining bioenergy stakeholders with the BFDP program, and on interactions of global climate change with agriculture.

Her presentation on carbon footprints evolved from her work with the National Farmers Union as an advisor on global warming, carbon trading and the feasibility of setting up a carbon bank for their 250,000 farmer/rancher members.

Host: Pat Mulholland, 574-7304