Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DXN088257.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-166).

This thesis considers India's pursuit of energy security. Defining energy security within traditional parameters of supply, delivery, diversification of fuels and suppliers, and affordable prices; the work considers India's energy security condition by surveying the core energy sectors including coal, oil and gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear power and renewables. India's pursuit of energy security is then disaggregated into domestic and international arenas and both are analysed in turn. Considerable attention is paid to the international dimension where India's quest to acquire energy resources is contextualised within bilateral relations with specific countries. What the proceeding analysis makes clear is that the international arena offers considerable opportunities, but also constraints on, the realisation of greater energy security. Chapter one analyses global trends in the main energy sectors of coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear power and renewables. Historically, the fortunes of the global energy sectors have mirrored trends in the global economy. Since 2008, most of the world's major industrialised economies have experienced negative or greatly reduced levels of growth. This is primarily due to the proliferation of vast quantities of debt that have capsized several financial institutions and are adversely affecting the liquidity and solvency of many developed governments. The global energy sectors have also been deeply affected by the economic downturn with access to funds for the development of new infrastructure squeezed. The recent poor economic growth of these countries has further accentuated the downward trend they have experienced in energy consumption. Nevertheless, many parts of the developing world, including India, have only been marginally affected by the global economic downturn and continue to develop rapidly. Consequentially most of the growth in demand for energy is coming from developing countries, particularly India. Although there are slight variations depending on sector, this dual trend of stagnation in the developed world and rapid growth in the developing is one ofthe recurring themes in the global energy markets. It is within this context that the second chapter considers India's energy security condition. Detailed analysis of the coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric and renewable sectors demonstrate succinctly that India is experiencing considerable growing pains. While several challenges are unique to each sector the chapter also identifies several systemic problems, including insufficient supply, rampant demand, a tendency to import.

Traditional research into pro-environmental behaviour change has a tendency to be focussed on either the context in which practices are enacted or the cognitive processes that lead to particular behaviours. Research is often located within individual disciplines, with policy implications defined by (often) narrow interpretations of a problem. Despite increasing recognition of the ability of behaviour change to significantly contribute to the reduction in emissions required to meet UK targets, policy is so far failing to encourage ‘normative’ low carbon practices in many areas of life. Based on theories of social practice, this thesis attempts to redress the relationship between individuals and behaviour in order to discover how energy practices are developed, maintained and reconfigured. Specifically, it develops a phenomenological approach to energy consumption by exploring how energy practices are experienced by individuals on a daily basis, based on the premise that much human behaviour is driven by individuals’ perceptions of their actions. The study highlights the importance of the meanings and associations that individuals possess in relation to their energy practices and how these are implicated by their experiences, past and present. Furthermore, it contends that practices are influenced by social interactional dynamics and normative frameworks within the home, as well as by the form and frequency of social relations external to the home. With energy consumption so closely interlocked with the practices with which individuals engage in a daily basis, this thesis suggests that policy needs to be more in tune with the everyday experiences of energy consumers. It concludes by setting out a form of policy-making that has the potential to reduce everyday energy use by being sensitive to the experiences and well-being of individuals and society.