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Journal ArticleDOI

Tilting at windmills

01 Aug 1977-Nature (Nature Publishing Group)-Vol. 268, Iss: 5621, pp 674-674
TL;DR: In this paper, Claus and Bolander present a book called "Ecological Sanity: A Guide to Environmental Sanity" by George Claus and Karen Bolander. Pp. xv + 592.
Abstract: Ecological Sanity. By George Claus and Karen Bolander. Pp. xv + 592. (David McKay: New York, 1977.) $16.95.

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors distinguish between two kinds of gap that might be confused, namely the social gap and the individual gap, which exists when an individual person has a positive attitude to wind power in general but actively opposes a particular wind power development.
Abstract: If approximately 80% of the public in the UK support wind energy, why is only a quarter of contracted wind power capacity actually commissioned? One common answer is that this is an example of the ‘not in my backyard’ (Nimby) syndrome: yes, wind power is a good idea as long as it is not in my backyard. However, the Nimby claim that there is an attitude–behaviour gap has been rightly criticised. This article distinguishes between two kinds of gap that might be confused, namely the ‘social gap’ – between the high public support for wind energy expressed in opinion surveys and the low success rate achieved in planning applications for wind power developments – and the ‘individual gap’, which exists when an individual person has a positive attitude to wind power in general but actively opposes a particular wind power development. Three different explanations of the social gap are distinguished, only one of which depends upon the individual gap. In the second section of the article the relevance of our three e...

706 citations


Cites background from "Tilting at windmills"

  • ...Indeed, our own experience (and, in particular, our involvement in a preliminary multi-disciplinary discussion of methods for examining the social gap) suggests to us that a very demanding research programme would be required (Haggett, 2004)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Truffer et al. as mentioned in this paper reviewed salient lines of sustainability-related research in regional studies, and specified promising researc... and pointed out a field of future research that might be beneficially laboured by both traditions.
Abstract: Truffer B. and Coenen L. Environmental innovation and sustainability transitions in regional studies, Regional Studies. Sustainable development and environmental innovations have received increasing attention in regional studies and the related literature. In how far sustainability concerns might also lead to fundamental transformations in technologies, industries and lifestyles (so-called sustainability transitions) has, however, found much less resonance. Sustainability transitions have been in the focus of scholars from the field of innovation studies. However, until recently, these approaches mostly disregarded spatial aspects. This paper therefore maps out a field of future research – the geography of sustainability transitions – that might be beneficially laboured by both traditions. The paper introduces the core concepts, but also the limitations of the transitions literature. After reviewing salient lines of sustainability-related research in regional studies, the paper specifies promising researc...

482 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argued that many of the same problems are experienced by both onshore and offshore wind farms, albeit in slightly different ways; and that these need to be addressed if the promised expansion in offshore wind is to be delivered.
Abstract: This paper is about the politics, planning, and public perceptions associated with offshore wind farms. Although only half the applications for onshore wind farms are successful in England and Wales, the latest round of offshore applications have had far higher rates of consent. But is it simply the case that siting wind farms offshore solves the problems that onshore applications encounter? This paper argues that many of the same problems are experienced by both onshore and offshore wind farms, albeit in slightly different ways; and that these need to be addressed if the promised expansion in offshore wind is to be delivered. This paper draws together the research and evidence relating to onshore and offshore wind developments, exploring this with the emerging research on public perceptions of offshore wind farms, and initial empirical evidence from a proposed wind farm off the coast of North Wales. It concludes with some remarks about the potential for offshore wind around the UK, considers the role of ...

190 citations


Cites background from "Tilting at windmills"

  • ...However, as Haggett & Vigar (2004) point out, negotiations among many stakeholders with widely differing views through the different arenas and fora (that it typically takes to get a proposal through the planning system) take genuine skill; and as with all major planning decisions, there is a…...

    [...]

  • ...Haggett & Vigar (2004) argue that if people feel distanced or excluded from decisions that effect them, this encourages suspicion and hostility towards those decisions (see also Gross, 2007; Jobert et al., 2007)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compare three cases of successful grassroots innovations for sustainability: wind technology in Denmark, the solar collector do-it-yourself movement in Austria, and the development of car sharing in Switzerland, focusing on the structural conditions and resources of origin, motivations of social actors involved, learning processes and outcomes, competences and activities of those actors, processes of institution-building and the relationships to mainstream market actors.
Abstract: Grassroots activities so far have not been sufficiently appreciated as sources of innovation. Transition processes towards more sustainable socio-technical energy, transport or production systems, however, are hardly imaginable without a broader participation of engaged citizens. This paper presents and compares three cases of successful grassroots innovations for sustainability. In particular we compare the development of wind technology in Denmark, the solar collector do-it-yourself movement in Austria, and the development of car sharing in Switzerland. The paper aims at a better understanding of the preconditions, patterns of growth and change and factors of success of grassroots innovations for more sustainable socio-technical regimes such as energy and transport. In the analysis we focus on dimensions such as the structural conditions and resources of origin, motivations of social actors involved, learning processes and outcomes, competences and activities of those actors, processes of institution-building, and the relationships to mainstream market actors. Based on the empirical background the paper discusses implications for the theorisation of grassroots innovations for greater sustainability and draws implications for further research.

181 citations


Cites background from "Tilting at windmills"

  • ...As Sine and Lee (2009) point out in a study on the role of social movements for the development of the U.S. wind energy industry, how social movements and civil society organisations such as Friends of the Earth also shape institutional contexts and social expectations which make it more attractive…...

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argue that when firms are chronically targeted by social activists, they respond defensively by adopting strategic management devices that help them better manage social issues and demonstrate their normative appropriateness, which in turn increases a firm's receptivity to future activist challenges.
Abstract: This project explores whether and how corporations become more receptive to social activist challenges over time. Drawing from social movement theory, we suggest a dynamic process through which contentious interactions lead to increased receptivity. We argue that when firms are chronically targeted by social activists, they respond defensively by adopting strategic management devices that help them better manage social issues and demonstrate their normative appropriateness. These defensive devices have the incidental effect of empowering independent monitors and increasing corporate accountability, which in turn increases a firm's receptivity to future activist challenges. We test our theory using a unique longitudinal dataset that tracks contentious attacks and the adoption of social management devices among a population of 300 large firms from 1993-2009.

168 citations

References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors distinguish between two kinds of gap that might be confused, namely the social gap and the individual gap, which exists when an individual person has a positive attitude to wind power in general but actively opposes a particular wind power development.
Abstract: If approximately 80% of the public in the UK support wind energy, why is only a quarter of contracted wind power capacity actually commissioned? One common answer is that this is an example of the ‘not in my backyard’ (Nimby) syndrome: yes, wind power is a good idea as long as it is not in my backyard. However, the Nimby claim that there is an attitude–behaviour gap has been rightly criticised. This article distinguishes between two kinds of gap that might be confused, namely the ‘social gap’ – between the high public support for wind energy expressed in opinion surveys and the low success rate achieved in planning applications for wind power developments – and the ‘individual gap’, which exists when an individual person has a positive attitude to wind power in general but actively opposes a particular wind power development. Three different explanations of the social gap are distinguished, only one of which depends upon the individual gap. In the second section of the article the relevance of our three e...

706 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Truffer et al. as mentioned in this paper reviewed salient lines of sustainability-related research in regional studies, and specified promising researc... and pointed out a field of future research that might be beneficially laboured by both traditions.
Abstract: Truffer B. and Coenen L. Environmental innovation and sustainability transitions in regional studies, Regional Studies. Sustainable development and environmental innovations have received increasing attention in regional studies and the related literature. In how far sustainability concerns might also lead to fundamental transformations in technologies, industries and lifestyles (so-called sustainability transitions) has, however, found much less resonance. Sustainability transitions have been in the focus of scholars from the field of innovation studies. However, until recently, these approaches mostly disregarded spatial aspects. This paper therefore maps out a field of future research – the geography of sustainability transitions – that might be beneficially laboured by both traditions. The paper introduces the core concepts, but also the limitations of the transitions literature. After reviewing salient lines of sustainability-related research in regional studies, the paper specifies promising researc...

482 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argued that many of the same problems are experienced by both onshore and offshore wind farms, albeit in slightly different ways; and that these need to be addressed if the promised expansion in offshore wind is to be delivered.
Abstract: This paper is about the politics, planning, and public perceptions associated with offshore wind farms. Although only half the applications for onshore wind farms are successful in England and Wales, the latest round of offshore applications have had far higher rates of consent. But is it simply the case that siting wind farms offshore solves the problems that onshore applications encounter? This paper argues that many of the same problems are experienced by both onshore and offshore wind farms, albeit in slightly different ways; and that these need to be addressed if the promised expansion in offshore wind is to be delivered. This paper draws together the research and evidence relating to onshore and offshore wind developments, exploring this with the emerging research on public perceptions of offshore wind farms, and initial empirical evidence from a proposed wind farm off the coast of North Wales. It concludes with some remarks about the potential for offshore wind around the UK, considers the role of ...

190 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compare three cases of successful grassroots innovations for sustainability: wind technology in Denmark, the solar collector do-it-yourself movement in Austria, and the development of car sharing in Switzerland, focusing on the structural conditions and resources of origin, motivations of social actors involved, learning processes and outcomes, competences and activities of those actors, processes of institution-building and the relationships to mainstream market actors.
Abstract: Grassroots activities so far have not been sufficiently appreciated as sources of innovation. Transition processes towards more sustainable socio-technical energy, transport or production systems, however, are hardly imaginable without a broader participation of engaged citizens. This paper presents and compares three cases of successful grassroots innovations for sustainability. In particular we compare the development of wind technology in Denmark, the solar collector do-it-yourself movement in Austria, and the development of car sharing in Switzerland. The paper aims at a better understanding of the preconditions, patterns of growth and change and factors of success of grassroots innovations for more sustainable socio-technical regimes such as energy and transport. In the analysis we focus on dimensions such as the structural conditions and resources of origin, motivations of social actors involved, learning processes and outcomes, competences and activities of those actors, processes of institution-building, and the relationships to mainstream market actors. Based on the empirical background the paper discusses implications for the theorisation of grassroots innovations for greater sustainability and draws implications for further research.

181 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argue that when firms are chronically targeted by social activists, they respond defensively by adopting strategic management devices that help them better manage social issues and demonstrate their normative appropriateness, which in turn increases a firm's receptivity to future activist challenges.
Abstract: This project explores whether and how corporations become more receptive to social activist challenges over time. Drawing from social movement theory, we suggest a dynamic process through which contentious interactions lead to increased receptivity. We argue that when firms are chronically targeted by social activists, they respond defensively by adopting strategic management devices that help them better manage social issues and demonstrate their normative appropriateness. These defensive devices have the incidental effect of empowering independent monitors and increasing corporate accountability, which in turn increases a firm's receptivity to future activist challenges. We test our theory using a unique longitudinal dataset that tracks contentious attacks and the adoption of social management devices among a population of 300 large firms from 1993-2009.

168 citations