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Scepticism, Pragmatism, Evangelism …

Scepticism, Pragmatism, Evangelism …. Geraint Ellis, John Barry and Clive Robinson Queen’s University, Belfast. Public attitudes to wind farms. Overview:. The importance of public attitudes Conventional understanding of public attitudes Developing a better understanding

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Scepticism, Pragmatism, Evangelism …

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  1. Scepticism, Pragmatism, Evangelism … Geraint Ellis, John Barry and Clive Robinson Queen’s University, Belfast Public attitudes to wind farms

  2. Overview: • The importance of public attitudes • Conventional understanding of public attitudes • Developing a better understanding • Key values informing opposition and support • Case study: The Tunnes Plateau

  3. The importance of understanding public attitudes • The key barrier to expanding wind energy is not technological, but institutional. • Many institutional factors are influenced by public attitudes. • The most important influence on individual applications appears to be the attitude of the local population. • Claims over public attitudes is one of the key points of debate between regulators, developers and objector interests. • Understanding of public attitudes is poor, badly framed and under developed.

  4. Research on public attitudes • Establishes some understanding and identifies key issues. • Describes but does not explain perceptions of windfarms. • Most research in this area based on a number of key weaknesses. • This has had a negative and misguided impact on policy towards objectors.

  5. Weaknesses of current research into public attitudes • The over-reliance on the opinion poll

  6. Weaknesses of current research into public attitudes • The concept of NIMBYs and implied ‘deviancy’ • The attitude-behaviour gap • Lack of understanding of public attitudes have real effects and can misguide policy: • Implied ignorance and the need for more information • Monolithic notions of opposition • Lack understanding of the dynamic of the dispute • Entrench conflict • Not in long tem interests of the sector • The need for an alternative approach

  7. Institutional context for wind farm planning: • National Government objectives for: • Climate change • Energy security • Economy • Local authority aims to: • Satisfy majority of constituents • Strengthen local economy • Protect the environment • Secure “good” planning • Community concerns with: • Landscape • Property values • Stability • The future • Private sector issues: • Investment opportunities • Minimising costs • Certainty • Address wider community and environmental concerns?

  8. The wider political and ethical context for wind farms • Energy and Climate Change • Technology and Progress • Place, Change and Landscape • Opposition and Participation • Knowledge, Problem Framing and Understanding … all of which challenge some form of conventional wisdom.

  9. The clash of values • Wind farm conflicts are not a clash of “facts”, but of values related to: • Governance • Participation • Technology • Power distribution • Landscape aesthetics • These are not measured effectively through opinion polls • To respond to this, one must thoroughly understand the values that inform both opposition and support, not just establish more “facts”.

  10. Key values informing opposition • Sacrifice and disempowerment • Lack of trust • Language of war, conflict and defence • Industrialisation and commercialisation • Foreignness and alien nature of wind farms • Denial of NIMBY label. • Sceptical of ‘non-local forces’ • Questioning viability of wind farms.

  11. Key values informing support • Problems of aesthetics and objectivity • Support = Virtue • Opposition = Conservativism and Ignorance • Wind as a business opportunity • Rationality, Rigour, Science • Partnership • Emissaries of support • Urgency and Threat

  12. The Tunes Plateau Case Study • Major offshore wind farm proposal, off North coast of NI. • Study supported by ESRC conducted in 2005-06. • Identified range of issues seen as relevant. • Identified key themes of support and opposition.

  13. Idealised Supporter Discourses • Rationalising Globally - Sacrificing Locally: Deeply concerned about climate change and energy security, suggests that addressing these challenges should override any local impacts. • Local Pastoralist – Developer Sceptic A more traditional, pastoral view of the environment, unhappy about potential impacts on the North Coast. Offers reluctant support in the recognition of the need for more sustainable energy. • Embrace Wind Very strong belief in wind power, future-orientated and uncritical of the proposal and wind farms developers. • Site Specific Supporter – Energy Pragmatist High level of concern with energy issues, a more pragmatic outlook, resulting in site-specific support for the Tunes Plateau scheme.

  14. Idealised Objector Discourses • Anti-Wind Power - Local Resister Deeply sceptical of the concept of wind power, shows confidence that the project can be resisted through local activism. • Wind Power-Supporter - Siting Sheriff Offers support to the concept of wind power but expresses major site-specific concerns related to the Tunes Plateau proposal. • Anti-Developer – Local Pragmatist Deep suspicion of wind farm developers, less concerned about “big” issues like climate change, most motivated by the potential of tangible local impacts, such as the loss of jobs. • Economic Sceptic- Siting Compromiser Most concerned with shorter term, impacts of the proposed scheme, willing to consider other siting option as and applies a more reasoned, economic rationale to evaluating wind power.

  15. Supporter-Objector Comparisons • Consensus: • Concern and awareness over climate change. • All value seascape –differences in how turbines impact on this. • Scale of proposal is an important consideration. • Lack of recognition that both sides of the argument engaged in propaganda. • Agreement that some issues are not that important to debate – veracity of impact studies, democratic credentials of authorisation process. • Disagreement: • Visual quality vs. action on climate change. • Value of wind power and place in energy mix. • Use of ratepayers money to fund campaign. • Disagreement on sincerity of developers.

  16. Final thoughts… • A need for a change in perception: • Not a conflict, but a debate. • Ignorance is not generally a cause of objection, or support. • The manner of how the debate is conducted is critical – the need for trust. • A need for a change in approach: • The need for more collaborative approach, based on better mutual understanding. • Not to aim for consensus, but search for a settlement of differences • Recognising the virtues of objection and using it as a positive attribute. • The lack of trusted umpires

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