A History of Large-Scale Environmental-Engineering Projects in Russia

俄罗斯大型环境工程项目的历史

• 批准号: 1534860
• 负责人: Paul Josephson
• 金额: $ 8.63万
• 依托单位: Colby College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1534860&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: History; Large; Scale; Environmental; Engineering

General Audience Summary This project uses historical methods to evaluate the extent and relative costs of Russian nature transformation activities from 1900 to the present. It is situated at the intersection of history of science and technology on the one hand, and environmental history on the other. It will study various projects embraced by Russian leaders to transform nature in the effort to improve economic performance, military preparedness, agricultural production, and industrial growth. Such projects include the building of huge hydroelectric-power stations, irrigation systems, transport and water transfer canals, and the draining wetlands. Many of the projects had significant social and environmental costs, such as the loss of hundreds of thousands of prisoners who were forced into the Stalinist gulag laborers in large-scale public works projects; and many ecosystems in Russia continue to suffer degradation from the projects to this day. The project is relevant to contemporary issues; under Vladimir Putin, Russia has again embraced many large scale, and potentially environmentally unsound projects. By considering the way in which Russian officials responded to the public in areas of critical technological choices, the project will shed light on the keys to reaching proper decisions about whether and where to pursue major pubic works projects, and how to balance environmental risks with the public good.Technical Summary This study will contribute to understandings of human-nature interactions in comparative perspective, and of the influence of political, ideological, cultural, financial, and other factors on these interactions. Due to the closed nature of Soviet and Russian society, little is known of the motivations for Russian nature transformation projects, nor the extent of their short- and long-term costs. Nor have specialists considered at length the evolution of scientific ideas and concepts used in these projects. In addition, they have been little compared with other such efforts, for example, massive hydroelectricity projects in Brazil, China and India, or water basin transfer projects in the US, South Africa, and Australia. The study will enable more complete comprehension how the sciences and engineering connected with the projects developed over time. It will enable better comprehension of the way in which governments and citizens come together to carry out massive public works projects, how funding evolves, and the nature of the scientific and engineering organizations who undertake them. It will also reveal something of the interaction between scientists and the public, and not only in the former Soviet Union, but in such transitional regimes like Russia. Finally, it will provide awareness of the costs and benefits of various projects advanced to ensure material comfort, safety, and productivity of citizens.

总受众摘要该项目使用历史方法来评估从1900年到现在的俄罗斯自然转型活动的程度和相对成本。它一方面位于科学和技术史的交汇处，另一方面是环境历史。它将研究俄罗斯领导人所接受的各种项目，以改变自然，以改善经济表现，军事准备，农业生产和工业增长。这样的项目包括建造巨大的水力发电站，灌溉系统，运输和水转移运河以及排水湿地。许多项目都有巨大的社会和环境成本，例如在大型公共工程项目中被迫进入斯大林主义的古拉格劳动者的数十万名囚犯；到今天，俄罗斯的许多生态系统继续遭受降解。该项目与当代问题有关；在弗拉基米尔·普京（Vladimir Putin）的领导下，俄罗斯再次接受了许多大规模的大规模和潜在的环保项目。通过考虑俄罗斯官员在关键技术选择领域对公众做出回应的方式，该项目将揭示关键，以做出正确的决定，即是否以及在何处进行主要的耻骨工程项目，以及如何平衡环境风险与公共商品之间的环境风险。技术总结将对人类与人类的互动进行比较的互动，并在这些方面进行了互动，并在这些方面进行了这些互动的影响，并在这些方面进行了这些互动，以及这些界面的影响，以及这些界面的影响。由于苏联和俄罗斯社会的封闭性质，对俄罗斯自然转型项目的动机几乎不知所措，也不是其短期和长期成本的范围。这些项目中使用的科学思想和概念的演变也不是专家。此外，与其他这样的努力相比，它们几乎没有比较，例如，巴西，中国和印度的大规模水电项目或美国，南非和澳大利亚的水盆地转移项目。这项研究将使更完整的理解如何与项目随着时间的流逝而发展的科学和工程。它将更好地理解政府和公民共同开展大规模公共工程项目的方式，资金如何发展，以及从事他们的科学和工程组织的性质。它还将揭示科学家与公众之间的相互作用，不仅在前苏联，而且在俄罗斯等过渡性政权中。最后，它将对先进的各种项目的成本和收益提供认识，以确保公民的物质舒适，安全和生产力。