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1. Attitudes and Perceptions of Wood Energy Technologies in the Great Lakes Region, USA

   Huff, E; Mittlefehldt, S; Bunting, E; Welsh, J; Goodwin, R (July 2023, Biomass & Bioenergy)

   This paper explores social acceptance of different wood-based energy applications in the Great Lakes region in the Upper Midwest, USA. Specifically, the paper examines attitudes and perceptions towards residential wood burning, commercial-scale wood boilers for heat, combined heat and power (CHP) facilities, and industrial power generation in Michigan. In 2021, we conducted a state-wide survey (n = 207) and 30 semi-structured interviews with individuals representing different stakeholder perspectives, including regulatory agencies, biomass industry leaders, non-governmental organizations and scientists who have shaped biomass debates, forest products workers, and Michigan residents. Results suggest that the depth of an individual's knowledge about different types of wood energy applications generally led to more positive attitudes, particularly for smaller-scale uses of wood for heat. Despite perceived environmental, economic, and human health risks of using wood for different energy applications, across all stakeholder groups, 70% of respondents perceived environmental benefits, 61% perceived economic benefits, and 57% perceived health benefits. Changing economic and environmental conditions in different parts of the state contributed to people's attitudes toward different forms of wood energy and their perceptions of associated risks and benefits. A key recommendation of this study is that policy-makers and energy developers seek to understand the complex factors that influence social acceptance when planning for the adoption of new types of wood-based bioenergy technologies. 

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2. New Methods for Assessing Sustainability of Wood-Burning Energy Facilities: Combining Historical and Spatial Approaches

   https://doi.org/10.3390/en14237841  

   Sarah Mittlefehldt, Erin Bunting (November 2021, Energies)

   Methods to assess wood-based bioenergy projects have tended to focus on technological and physical constraints. Less is known about how longer-term environmental, economic, and social systems—the three pillars of sustainable development—have influenced technological development in the context of woody biomass energy. This research offers new methods for assessing the sustain- ability of wood-based energy projects by combining spatial analysis, semi-structured interviews, and archival data analysis. By integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, this project offers ways to understand how social and environmental dynamics from the past shape technological development in the future. A propensity analysis of biomass energy plants in Michigan, USA was performed using US Census data grouped by social, economic, and environmental categories. This quantitative analysis helped to characterize community and landscape types in which woody biomass plants were developed in Michigan in the late-twentieth century. To help illustrate some of the often-hidden social and political dimensions of energy development, such as access to decision-making and attitudes toward bioenergy projects, transcripts of public hearings, media coverage, and other archival sources were examined, and 30 stakeholder interviews were conducted. By integrating these qualitative and quantitative approaches, this paper aims to provide a more comprehensive approach to assessing the sustainability of wood-based biofuel technologies. 

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3. Drivers of social acceptance of natural-resource management: A comparison of the public and professionals in California

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118605  

   Eriksson, Max; Safeeq, Mohammad; Padilla, Lace; Pathak, Tapan; O'Geen, Toby; Egoh, Benis; Lugg, Jaquelyn; Bales, Roger (November 2023, Journal of Environmental Management)

   The social impacts of natural resource management are challenging to evaluate because their perceived benefits and costs vary across stakeholder groups. Nevertheless, ensuring social acceptance is essential to building public support for adaptive measures required for the sustainable management of ecosystems in a warming climate. Based on surveys with both members of the public and natural-resource professionals in California, we applied structural-equation modeling to examine how psychological factors impact individuals' attitudes toward management's capacity to reduce the impacts of disturbance events, including wildfires, smoke from wildfires, drought, water shortages, tree mortality, and utility failure. We found the members of the public more optimistic than natural-resource professionals, perceiving management capacity to be on average 3.04 points higher (of 10) and displaying higher levels of trust of the government on both the state (Δ = 11%) and federal levels (Δ = 19%). Personal experience with natural-resource events had a positive effect on perceived management in both the public (1.26) and the professional samples (5.05), whereas perceived future risk had a negative effect within both samples (professional = −0.91, public = −0.45). In addition, higher trust and perceived management effectiveness were also linked with higher perceptions of management capacity in the public sample (1.81 versus 1.24), which could affect the acceptance of management actions. Continued social acceptance in a period of increasing risk may depend on managers sharing personal experiences and risk perception when communicating with the public. The contemporary shift toward multibenefit aims is an important part of that message. 

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4. Mapping and Measuring Environmental Justice: A Case Study of Bioenergy Development in Michigan, USA

   https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2023.0069  

   Mittlefehldt, Sarah; Bunting, Erin; Welsh, Joseph; Huff, Emily (June 2024, Environmental Justice)

   The Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative states that 40% of federal investment in clean energy needs to benefit historically disadvantaged communities. This unprecedented policy has contributed to greater interest in how to measure environmental justice (EJ) and account for the disparate impacts that renewable energy development may have on different communities. This research uses spatial data to map and mea- sure EJ in the context of bioenergy development. A geographic information system (GIS) database was developed to compare data from Michigan’s MiEJScreen tool to the location of different types of wood energy technologies, including residential wood heating, commercial boilers, pellet manufacturing facili- ties, and biomass power stations. The results of statistical analyses using ArcGIS Pro found that as MiEJScreen values increased, the use of residential wood heat decreased. A hotspot analysis found that, in general, commercial boilers, pellet plants, and power stations were not clustered in areas with high MiEJScreen scores, although there were important exceptions. For all scales of wood energy technologies, rurality seemed to drive associations. Tools such as MiEJScreen can help to illuminate broader environ- mental and socioeconomic landscapes in which bioenergy technologies have been developed, but they may miss important nuances, particularly in rural communities. Implementing federal policies that aim at EJ requires accurate ways of mapping and measuring community dynamics and regional differences. This study uses the context of bioenergy development in Michigan to show how different analyses can be used, and some of the strengths and limitations of the existing tools and approaches. 

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5. Construction Students' Safety Perception of the Presence of Drones on Job Sites

   https://doi.org/10.29007/hvk7  

   Zhu, Zixian; Cheng, Jiun-Yao; Jeelani, Idris; Gheisari, Masoud (May 2024, Associated Schools of Construction (ASC))

   Drones are increasingly being utilized in the construction industry, offering a wide range of applications. As these drones have to work with or alongside construction professionals, this integration could pose new safety risks and psychological impacts on construction professionals. Hence, it is important to understand their perceptions and attitudes towards drones and evaluate the cognitive demand of working with or near drones. Limited research has explored individuals' perceptions of drones, particularly when engaged in construction activities at job sites. This study specifically targets construction students, the future professionals in the field, to understand their responses to drone interactions on job sites. An immersive virtual reality construction site was developed using a VR game engine, allowing construction students to interact with drones while engaging in typical construction activities. Through a user-centered experiment, the influence of drone presence on construction students' attitude, cognitive workload, and perceived safety risk was evaluated. The results suggest that presence of drones did not significantly elevate cognitive load or foster significantly negative attitudes among construction students. Instead, they perceived only mild safety risks, suggesting a general acceptance and adaptability towards drone technology in construction settings. 

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