Environmental Engineering Reference
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assurances over the safety of the technology. In contrast, in Germany,
after the Fukushima disaster, the nation's liberal media tapped into already
prevalent social concern regarding nuclear power and catalyzed a complete
about face in regard to nuclear power policy, despite the technological lock
engendered by preestablished nuclear power facilities.
hese insights suggest that policymakers can more efectively catalyze a
transition away from conventional technologies by comprehensively com-
municating the risks inherent with incumbent technologies and the ben-
eits (and low-risk proile) of wind power as a substitute technology.
10.2.7 Social Factor 7: Vocational Influences
Evidence extracted from the case studies suggests that there are two voca-
tional elements that can inluence wind power development policy. he irst
element is the level of employment provided by each energy technology
sector in a given nation or community. here can be an elevated degree of
public opposition to wind power technology in nations (or communities)
where the extraction of fossil fuel resources has historically been a signii-
cant employer. Examples of this were documented in the case studies per-
taining to Canada, the United States, and China. he common conduits for
public opposition in this regard are labor unions, which can gain the ear of
policymakers and, in extreme cases, organize civic protest. his is because
the ascendance of an energy technology such as wind power tends to come
at the expense of the incumbent technologies, potentially resulting in tran-
sitional job losses.
he second vocational element that can inluence the efectiveness
of wind power development policy is the general level of vocational apti-
tude in a given society. As Chapter 1 outlined, on a per kilowatt hour basis
wind power employs far more people than conventional technologies do.
However, occupational competence is necessary in order to take advantage
of the job creation beneits attributed to wind power. In nations such as
Denmark and Germany, technological competence is embedded in small
workshops stafed by experienced craftspeople who are well-suited to carry-
ing out the types of activities necessary to support an emergent wind power
manufacturing sector.
he lessons that policymakers can draw from this are twofold. First, policy
designed to enhance wind power difusion policy in nations where conven-
tional energy has been a key employer must anticipate and manage transi-
tional losses to avoid fueling public opposition. Second, in order to optimize
the employment beneits associated with wind power development, policy
