Ankara Üniversitesi Çevrebilimleri Dergisi

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Browsing Ankara Üniversitesi Çevrebilimleri Dergisi by Subject "Coal-Dependent Cities"

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    Perception of the possible post-coal period in coal-dependent cities: Zonguldak example in Turkey
    (Ankara Üniversitesi Çevre Sorunları Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi, 2021) Üstün, Alkan; Other; Other
    Due to the threats caused by fossil fuel consumption, developed European countries are searching for ways to coal phase-out. Although there are examples of strategic plans on the issue, it is necessary to carry out academic studies as well as efforts to increase social awareness. This research is a study conducted to describe and discuss how the relevant public opinion can be affected and prepared for an era without coal in Turkey where energy production is approximately 35% dependent on coal today. The province of Zonguldak, which is economically and culturally dependent on coal mining in Turkey, has been chosen as an example. The research was conducted between January and August 2020. Adopting the sociological phenomenology research methods and techniques, 21 people from the non-governmental organizations of the city and official institutions were interviewed. The meanings, culture, and identity structures that coal and related sectors formed have been analyzed through the interviews. Cities are seen as places where experiences turn into meanings and meanings into memory. In this context, discussing mining in Zonguldak is understood as questioning the meaning and memory of the city by Zonguldak residents. The people of Zonguldak still desire to protect the facilities based on the collective production logic and maintain their solidarity habits, despite the neoliberal policies that have been effective significantly after 1990. City residents long for the 20th-century development model based on the concept of the social welfare state. Another consequence of the adoption of this model is the continuing expectation that all initiatives about the future of Zonguldak are planned and implemented by the state. People of Zonguldak consider other economic areas (agriculture, trade, industry, etc.) as alternatives; however, they demand the continuity of a self-sufficient economy approach which coal mining located at the center. As a result, it is seen that the people of Zonguldak have a meaningful relationship with coal mining. The residents of Zonguldak, without experiencing sustainable employment and development projects which alternative to coal, are skeptical about the future of the city. Despite the environmental damage caused by both mining and coal-based energy production in the city, studies aiming to raise awareness on these issues will be inconclusive. The projects that will be carried out by international organizations or national central government will create new cultural institutionalizations and a meaning system in the city, creating more comprehensive and direct new employment opportunities. Otherwise, activities that raise awareness about the damage caused by fossil fuels will not be supported by the public in coal-dependent cities and the funds spent would be wasted.