Walking with Energy: overcoming energy invisibility through research participation

Our contemporary relationship with energy is characterised by complete dependency and almost complete ignorance. We are disengaged from decisions about how energy is generated in terms of modes of generation and types of fuel, engendering a sense that energy is something 'done to us' and breeding mistrust in relation to energy providers and controversy around energy projects. The Walking with Energy method brings together oral history techniques, walking interviews and novel psychological tests to offer a highly innovative, creative and low cost method of engaging the public in debates and decisions regarding energy production and consumption. Critically, it offers the potential to reduce energy consumption and foster environmental citizenship amongst participants.

Walking with Energy has already been tested in the UK and in this project we will try it out in Sweden. We will try out and evaluate different methods with the purpose to engage and have people talk about the energy systems surrounding our everyday life.