Transcript Q-Methodology

Scepticism,
Pragmatism,
Evangelism …
Public attitudes to
wind farms
Geraint Ellis, John Barry and Clive Robinson
Queen’s University, Belfast
Overview:
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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
The importance of understanding
public attitudes
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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.
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.
Weaknesses of current research into
public attitudes
 The
over-reliance on the opinion poll
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
Institutional context for wind farm
planning:
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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?
The wider political and ethical
context for wind farms
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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.
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
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 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”.
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.
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
The Tunes Plateau Case Study
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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.
Some of the companies behind the project are big polluters and involved in nuclear industry
Climate change will destroy the area more permanently than a few wind turbines
Climate change is a fact exasperated by human activity that needs urgently to be addressed
This process is being driven by Kyoto which lacks credibility since the US has not signed up
Wind farms are part of a combined strategy to combat climate change
More should be done to stop existing emissions
Conventional power generation and fuel use drives climate change and should be changed
May provide nursery reefs for fish and protected area
The benefits to climate change of this project will be negated by the environmental damage it causes
This is more about reaching EC quotas on carbon than a properly thought out process
Climate
Change
Disrupt bird migration paths (Whooper Swans)
There is no trustworthy process to assess impacts that is not
influenced by the developer
Planning service does not have the legislation to cover this development
There is no application because this process is a feasibility study – it is about finding
out the whole story
Land use planning procedures do not apply at sea and siting offshore is a way to
circumnavigate due process
Affect fish migration (Salmon & Eels)
Blades may kill birds
All the impacts will be assessed and mitigated for
Planning
Decision should delayed until C Z Management Strategy is implemented
Effects are unknown
BioDiversity
Dispute over ownership of the seabed
Affect the movement of the sands and the formation of
the Tunns
People have no choice but to object loudly as silence is seen as acceptance
Concerns over the procurement process and how B9 awarded contract
The Irish citizens will receive no benefits and are not included in
the decision making process
May destroy blue flag beaches
CZM
Governance
Cause sands to move away from the spit
Undemocratic that Gov Dept can press ahead without Assembly debate
Negatively affect shipping routes
May cause turbulence and wind damage
Tunes Plateau – an invention
May affect future development associated with Derry Airport by
restricting flight paths
Can affect radar, mobile phones, radio communications,
sonar, television signals
Tunnes
The generating technology chooses the location, there are
limits to what can be achieved
Mythological importance of the Tunns
Infrastructure
Location
Culture
Restrict the size of vessels using the Foyle estuary and affect
ferry services
Turbines are temporary structures for 25 years which will be removed
Windmills 60 – 80m high, 600m apart 5km off shore
Uncertainty over number of turbines
Large exclusion zone around turbines for small vessels on traditional
fishing grounds
Will need landfall station somewhere
There are other sites which have less intrinsic value
B9 did not have alternative sites to consider
FootPrint
Tourists will not be put off
Be visible from Shrove, Greencastle to Castlerock, Portrush
and Giants Causeway
Amenity
Offshore windfarms still need pylons and infrastructure once
they come ashore
Conventional power supplies will run out and we need new
technologies to deliver power
Will not be able to adjust to peak demand times
Navigation lights at night
We all live in a capitalist economy
Wind industry is heavily subsidised which distorts the real costs
Economics
Wave and tidal power would be less intrusive and more reliable
No power stations will close
Conventional power stations are very inefficient
If the turbines are going to be made at H&W it should be clearly stated
how much benefit it will bring
Local people will not benefit from cheaper
electricity
Jobs will be created
Visual pollution
Noise pollution
Modern turbines are less intrusive
Supply
Supply is intermittent and unpredictable
The technology does not exist to store the power effectively
Red sails in the Sunset
Local
Benefits
Money invested in the wind industry is used to develop more effective technologies
Prohibit trawling and net fishing industries
Will cause drop in tourist numbers
People are taxed to pay for wind
If the developers provide some form of local
benefits that may be seen as a bride
Drift net fishing for salmon has been banned by the EU and turbines may provide
habitats suitable for rod and line fishing
Local people will pay for this through their taxes, high electricity costs and loss of
natural resources
This is about making money for corporations not saving the environment
Conventional power stations are also subsidised by taxes
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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