‘NIMBYism’andSocialAcceptanceofEnergyInfrastructures

PatrickDevine-WrightRenewableEnergyandSocial

ConsensusForumTokyo, November2016

Socialacceptanceandenergytransitions

• Climatechangemitigation:Transitionfromfossil-fuelstolowcarbonenergy

• Butthisproducesimpactsforparticularplacesandcommunities.

• Impossibletoconsidersuccessfullowcarbontransitionwithoutpublicconsent.

• Lackofacceptancecanleadtoopposition,delaysandrejectionofprojects.

UnderstandingNIMBYism

• ‘NIMBYreferstotheprotectionistattitudesofandoppositionaltacticsadoptedbycommunitygroupsfacinganunwelcomedevelopmentintheirneighbourhood’(Dear,1992).

• Whatareitscauses?• Theconventionalview- NIMBYism arisesfromthecharacteristicsoflocalobjectors:deficits inknowledge,rationalityandobjectivity,legitimacy,public-mindedness(Burningham etal.,2015)

• Butstronglycritiquedbysocialscientists

Emotions,identitiesandplace

• ‘[NIMBYsare]residentswhowanttoprotecttheirturf…’(Dear,1992,288).

• Place hastwoaspects(Williams,2014):– symbolicmeanings– emotionalbonds

• Rethinking‘NIMBYism’asplaceprotectiveaction,undertakenbypeoplewithstrong,positivebondswithaplace,inresponsetoasenseofthreatfromdevelopmentproposalsseenas‘outofplace’(Devine-Wright,2009).

TwoempiricalstudiesfromUK

1. Theconceptofplace/technology‘fit’2. Understandingvarietiesofplaceattachment• SusGrid researchproject,fundedbyNorwegianResearchCouncil,investigatingpublicacceptanceofenergyinfrastructure(highvoltagepowerlines)

• StudiespresentedhereinvolveUKdatacollectionatlocalcasestudylevels,usingqualitativemethods(focusgroups,interviews)

UKcasestudyareas

2.HinkleyPointC–toconnectwith

nuclearpowerstation[Yatton,Nailsea,

Portbury]

1.Midwales – toconnectwithwindfarms

[Llanymynech,Welshpool]

Lackof‘fit’?

• Objectionstowindenergyoftenbasedupondualistclaims:• ‘Twomillionpeople…visitthistowneveryyear …theycome

fromlargelyindustrialtownstogetawayfrom industriallandscapes,andinthiscase,toseeabeautiful,open,naturalseascape’(quotefromresident,Devine-Wright& Howes,2010)

• “Thewind-farmingindustry’smechanizationofgreattractsofopencountrysideisaprofoundtragedy …Thisisasuddenencroachmentofthemachine-worldonthenaturalworld’(Robinson,2006).

Residentsspeakinginfocusgroups

• ‘Extremelytallkindofliketowerswhichbearnoresemblance tothecountrysidethey’repassingthroughandareimposedonthelandscaperatherthangrowingoutofit…’[Llanymynech].

• ‘Imeanpeoplecomeheretogetawayfromcitylife,townlifeandwhatever.Ifthere’slike,stufflikepylons,whattheyseearoundwheretheylive,wellthey’renotreallygoingtocomehere,theycomeheretheycometogetawayfromthatyouknow,[tocometothe] countrysideandfreshair’[Shrewsbury].

Negativeemotions- energyprojects

• M[oderator]:Sowhatwereyourfirstreactionsthenwhenyoufirstfoundoutaboutit?

• P5:Disgust.• P1:Absolutehorror– horror…[Llanymynech1,31:65-68 ]

• P5:Evil [Llanymynech1,31:162 ]• P1:andyouseeSouthWalesDocksandyouthink‘OhmyGodthat’shorrible’,goovertheotherside,lookfromSouthWalesbacktoBristolandyouthink‘Yuck,that’sevenworse’[Nailsea2,30:63]

• P1:Itlooksrevoltingitdoeslookhorrendous[Portbury,34:48 ]

Distinctivenessof‘ourlandscape’

• P5-Montgomeryshire isaveryruralcounty(…),verybeautifullandscapesrollingvalleysandhillsumverygreen

• P6- Ithinkit’slikethegreenestcountyinWales(…)therollinghillsandI’vehadtheexperienceoflivinginotherareas(…)wherearehillsandmountainsbuttheyarenot- youknownoneofthosecountiesareasgreenandasrollingasthiscounty[Welshpool]

• P5– (…)it’sjustprettyflatopencountryside• P6- Preciselyyeswhichisfineisn’tit• P5- lessum…obtrusiveinthatsortoflandscapethantheypotentiallywouldinourlandscape[Welshpool]

Butalso‘industrial’countryside• ‘Yeah,yeah,Imeansomepeoplehavethisromanticisedversionofthecountrysidewhichdoesn’thavetheindustryinitdoesit?…butevensothere’sstillquitealotofindustrygoingonbecauselifehaschanged…they’vegottheindustrialisation,they’vegotthelightsandthetractorsandsotheycankeepworking… soyouknow,thisnewpowerline,it’snotgoingtochangeanything,it’snotgoingtoaffecttheoutlyingareabecausethere’salreadyindustrythere’[Nailsea].

Summary• Landscapemeaningsstrategicallyemployedbylocalresidentstopresenttheirlocalplaceinawaythatmaximises contrastwithenergyproposals.

• Supportspreviouswindenergystudiesthathavehighlightedhownature/industryandrural/urbandualismspresentedasincompatibleorbad‘fit’.

• Peopledistinguish‘our’countrysidefromelsewheretosupporttheirobjectionstotheenergyproject.

• Countrysidenotalwaysseenas‘pristine’andnatural– sometimesalreadyindustrialised (agriculture)

Typesofplaceattachmentbonds(Lewicka,2011)

TYPE OFRELATIONWITHPLACE

DESCRIPTION

TraditionalAttachment

Taken-for-granted bond withaplaceassociatedwithpreviousgenerationsofyourfamily

ActiveAttachment Aself-conscious bond+aninterestinthegoings-onoftheplace+activeinvolvementincommunity activities

PlaceRelativity Ambivalentattitudetowardstheplace

PlaceAlienation Adislikeoftheplacewhereyoulive

Placelessness Indifferencetowhereyoulive

Casestudy:Nailsea,SWEngland

• Nailsea townsurroundedbycountryside,18,000residents

• Alreadysmallerpowerlineinthelocalarea.

• Localprotestgroup.• In-depthinterviews(n=25)

withcross-sectionofresidents• Narrativeanalysisofcurrent

andpastplaceattachments

Findings– pastplaceattachments

• Fivelife-placetrajectoriesidentified:– Life-longresidence– Childhoodhome,moveawaythenreturn–Moveintotheplaceasadultfromsimilar(semi-rural)places

–Moveintotheplaceasadultfromdifferentplaces(e.g.largertowns,cities)

– Highresidentialmobility• Settlementidentities(Feldman,1996)

Patternsofresidencehistoryandresponse

Life-place trajectory RelationstoNailsea &surroundinglandscape

Stancetowardspowerlineproposal

1.Life-longresidenceinNailsea(strongautobiographicalinsideness)2.Grew upinNailsea,movedawaybriefly,thenreturnedto‘home’place

- Traditional attachment

- Accustomedtoexistingelectricity infrastructure(132kV)

- Powerlines representedas‘familiar’

Acceptance

3.MovedtoNailseaasadultsfromsimilar(semi-rural)typesofplace• Active bondstoprior

residenceplaces+valueproximitytonature

• ActivelysoughttomovetoNailsea

- ActiveAttachment

- Powerline seento‘industrialise’ thesurroundinglandscape,whichisseenas‘natural’and‘scenic’

Opposition

Patternsofresidencehistoryandresponse

Life-place trajectory RelationstoNailseaandsurroundinglandscape

Stancetowardspowerlineproposal

4.MovedtoNailseaasadultsfromdifferenttypesofplace(i.e.largetowns andcities)• Experienceddiscontinuityin

settlementtypemovingtoNailsea

- Place Relative/PlaceAlienated

- Representationsoflandscapeorpowerlinelessimportant

Opposition:

- ProceduralInjustice

- DistributiveInjustice5.MovedtoNailseaasadults• Veryhighresidentialmobility• Indifferencetoresidence

placesacrosslifecourse

- Placelessness

- Representationsoflandscapeorpowerlinelessimportant

Invisibleinfrastructure?

• Fortraditionallyattachedresidents,theexistingpowerlineissuchanormalfeatureofthelocalityastoberelativelyinvisible andtakenforgranted,henceacceptance.

• Foractivelyattachedresidents,existingpowerlinealsorelativelyinvisible,andthereforefearspoilingoftheplaceby‘industrial’characterofthenewpowerline,henceobjections.

• Contrastingfindingsindicatewhy‘strongplaceattachment’notsufficienttounderstandcommunityresponses.

Summary

• Findingslinkresidentialbiographies,placeattachmentsandresponsestoenergyinfrastructureproposals.

• Thosewhoviewedtheinfrastructureas‘industrialising’thelandscapehadmovedtoNailsea asadultsfromsimilarplacesandwere‘activelyattached’totheplace.

• Thosewhohadgrownupintheplacewerealreadyfamiliarwithlocalpowerlinesandacceptingofthenewpowerlineproposals.

• Objectionsalsoprevalentamongstnon-attachedresidents,butbasedonprocedural&distributionaljusticeconcerns.

Howtoengagethepublic?

• Avoid‘NIMBY’assumptionsaboutobjectors.• Considerwaystomakeenergyprojects‘fit’or

enhanceexistingplacesorlandscapes.• Don’tunderestimate‘non-rational’factors,

includingemotionalplacebonds.• Thereisno“one-size-fits-all”solution:every

technology,everycommunityisdifferent.• Tobenefitcommunities,considerownership

(fullorpart)ofenergyprojectsnotjustaskingcompaniestoprovidefunds.

ThankyouAcknowledgements:toDr.SusanaBatel andEtienneBailey,toSusGridproject colleaguesandparticipants,andtothefunding

agencies:NorwegianResearchCouncilandEPSRC

p.g.devine-wright@exeter.ac.uk

Publications

• Batel,S.andDevine-Wright,P.(2015).Theroleof(de-)essentialisation withinsitingconflicts:Aninterdisciplinaryapproach.JournalofEnvironmentalPsychology,44,149-159.

• Bailey,E.,Devine-Wright,P.andBatel,S.(inpress)Investigatingvarietiesofpeople-placerelationsacrossthelifecourse:therelationbetween‘life-placetrajectories’andresponsestoapowerlineproposal.JournalofEnvironmentalPsychology.