Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
10.2.3 Social Factor 3: Civic Activism
Depending on the focus of public engagement, civic activism can be either a
positive or negative force for wind power development. herefore, it is use-
ful to try and understand the dynamics that inluence civic activism.
Generally speaking, there is evidence that civic activism tends to become
more institutionalized as a society becomes more aluent, and this engen-
ders higher levels of efectiveness.
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However, there are enough exceptions to
the rule (i.e., Japanese public acquiescence over nuclear power and Canadian
public acquiescence over the nation's high carbon footprint) to suggest that
forces other than aluence also inluence civic activism.
Insights from the case studies suggest that forces arising from social
norms, political structure, bureaucratic management of environmental
problems, national economic structure, and settlement patterns all con-
spire to shape the scale and scope of civic activism in a given nation. For
example, on one end of the spectrum there is a cultural norm that inspires
citizenry in Germany to embrace civic activism and proactively participate
in numerous special interest groups. On the other end of the spectrum,
citizenry in nations that exhibit a more autocratic approach to governance
(such as China) tend to be far less willing to engage in public activism, and
when they do engage, they tend to do so in a stealthy manner. In other
nations—such as Japan, Canada, and Denmark—citizens tend to cede gov-
ernance to bureaucrats and oversight to NGOs until there is evidence that
the bureaucrats have failed in their iduciary duties in a particular thematic
area. hen activism tends to heat up. his suggests that in most nations,
civic activism is not a static notion—it can be conspicuous in one area and
nonexistent in another.
he main lesson that policymakers should draw from these observa-
tions is that wind power development policy must be malleable enough
to respond to emergent social concerns. As is the case in Germany, where
citizens from states with high concentrations of wind power capacity
have begun to protest wind power development, policymakers must be
sensitive to the impact that wind power difusion is having on public
opinion.
Similarly, policymakers should also be on the lookout for emergent oppor-
tunities to enhance public support for wind power. For example, in all six of
the case study nations, public alarm over the environment threats posed by
climate change and widespread aversion to the risks associated with nuclear
power have opened a window of opportunity for wind power development
in these nations—a window of opportunity that can be exploited by tapping
into these emergent public sentiments.
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