Nick Pidgeon

Nick Pidgeon (Ph.D. University of Bristol, Psychology) is professor of environmental psychology at Cardiff University, where he is director of the research group Understanding Risk. His field of research comprises risk, risk perception, and risk communication in the interdisciplinary interface of social psychology, environmental sciences, and science and technology studies.  He is coauthor of pioneering books on the communication and understanding of risk, such as, “Man-made disasters (Second edition)” (1997) and “The social amplification of risk” (2003). 

Dr. Pidgeon is a member of the advisory group for the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change, has led numerous policy oriented projects for UK government departments and research councils, and is awarded fellowship of the Society for Risk Analysis International. He is currently engaged in research on public responses to energy technologies such as nuclear power and renewable energy, climate change risks, and climate geoengineering.

The topic of Dr. Pidgeon’s key note talk is “Risk Perceptions and Future Energy System Changes”. This presentation is based on a major 30 month project using novel deliberative and survey methodologies to explore British public views on ‘whole system energy transformation’ that showed that the British public overwhelmingly supports a move away from fossil fuels towards a greater reliance on renewable energy production and a reduction in energy use.

The report can be downloaded here. For more information, contact any one of the report’s authors.

Last modified: 20 November 2012