Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and taste (e.g. of fishes drawn to the warm discharge waters of a power plant).
Visual simulations are thus more of use in rather abstract assessments of land-
scapes and visual representations for tourism purposes and the like.
As a general conclusion of this article, practices like the use of visualisations in
the licensing of nuclear power plants in Finland do not only need further guidance
in training, supervision in practice, and thus ethical reflection throughout applica-
tion, but also a critical evaluation of what visual simulations can offer in regard to
a “better understanding by local people”, and which priority should be assigned to
their use in a planning procedure when compared to other methods of assessment.
It is likely that technology enthusiasm in environmental management continues to
overlook the pitfalls in focussing on visual assessment which does not enable the
user to perceive environmental changes in advance. Thus, it is less an informed
decision-making promoted by environmental managers, but the delivery of a posi-
tive image about a company's activities and consequently a smooth siting process.
Alternative approaches such as presented by Al-Kodmany (1999) should not be
expected to enable citizens to perceive or understand “better”, however, collabora-
tive production of visual representations allows individual interpretation and en-
gagement. Instead of being swamped with beautiful images, people could directly
participate in the process of visualisation, learn about uncertainties and contin-
gency, observe experts dealing with computer failures and explore their environ-
ment on foot in the quest for a “good view” of their environment (as those land-
scape architects in Büscher 2006). Practitioners would aim at an “attentive
involvement” (Ingold 2000, p. 207) of residents in the assessment rather than the
distribution of finalised information.
In order to achieve such a participatory development of visualisation, I propose
the following points for consideration.
Environmental legislation should specify assessment practices in general, in
particular regarding the use of visual material and visual simulations.
Industries should be encouraged to commit themselves to a more reflective use
of visual material and to provide open information with regard to the produc-
tion and aims of simulations.
Main documents like the environmental impact assessment programme and re-
port should include a section disclosing information on visual material, such as
a description of the uncertainty and arbitrariness of visual simulations.
Authorities should supervise the assessment procedure and guarantee quality
control.
Decision makers should be made aware of current practices and possible biases
in the documents they are dealing with.
Public participation should be aimed at with regard to the making of visual ma-
terial. If this is not feasible due to technical and time constraints, an information
campaign could put the production and use of simulations and aesthetic photo-
graphs into a wider and reflective context.
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