Ethical Considerations in Crowdfunding

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Applying behavioural theory to the challenge of sustainable development: using hairdressers as diffusers of more sustainable hair-care practices

The challenges presented by sustainable development are broadly accepted, yet resource use increases unabated. It is increasingly acknowledged that while technical solutions may play a part, a key issue is behaviour change. In response to this there has been a plethora of studies into how behaviour change can be enabled, predominantly from psychological and sociological perspectives. This has resulted in a substantial body of knowledge into the factors that drive behaviour change and how they can be manipulated to achieve desired social goals. In this paper we describe a study that draws on this body of knowledge to design an intervention to drive behaviour change across the hairdressing sector, and by the process of diffusion, across the vast social networks of this occupational group to influence domestic hair-care practices. The intervention was successful: hairdressers indicated positive intentions to adopt more sustainable practices within their salons and pass them onto their customers. The customer survey (N=776) confirms this: customers surveyed after their hairdresser attended the Green-Salon-Makeover intervention were significantly more likely to report that environmental issues had been considered in their salon visit and that they themselves would consider such issues in their hair-care practices at home than customers who were surveyed before the intervention

PM10 and elemental concentrations in a dismantling plant for waste of electrical and electronic equipment in Greece

Processing Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) causes serious environmental problems, especially when WEEE is processed in uncontrolled conditions. WEEE recycling under controlled conditions consists of the following major steps: disassembly, upgrading and refinement. Disassembly is usually done manually, and, at this stage, certain components (cases, external cables, cathode ray tubes [CRTs], printed circuit boards [PCBs], batteries etc.) are separated. This activity releases coarse and fine particles, which may also contain additional noxious substances, into the atmosphere. The current study determines the concentration of indoor PM10 in a Greek plant for the dismantling and temporary storage of WEEE, based on a short-term sampling campaign. Elemental concentrations in the PM10 have also been determined. Results show that the indoor PM10 concentration in the disassembly area did not exceed the time-weighted average (TWA) for total particles set by Greek legislation or the 8-h TWA for total particles set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Nevertheless, these concentrations were higher than those measured in the ambient air of Greek cities. Regarding the measured elements, Zn, As, Br, Pb and Cd were quite enriched in PM10, indicating significant indoor sources. Factor analysis of elements of possible anthropogenic origin showed a clear distinction between cathode ray tubes (CRT) and other possible sources. Finally, the risk assessment for metals of toxicological concern showed a non-negligible lifetime risk for 8-h workers. This is the first report of WEEE indoor air pollution in Greece and its associated origins and effects. © Taiwan Association for Aerosol Research

E-government and policy simulation in intelligent virtual environments

Recently, there has been an increase of interest in the social impact of virtual reality technologies, as virtual worlds experienced an increase of their popularity in various social groups (teenagers, businesses). The growing trend for people to spend more time in suchlike virtual spaces implies a demand for intelligent virtual environments, that could mimic the real world as a simulation and provide functionalities and tools for behaviour analysis and adaptation to user preferences. Within the context of e-government, this paper presents the ongoing project +Spaces, which is developing a range of virtual environment tools. The platform architecture is presented and technical challenges involved in creating intelligent virtual spaces for e-government as well as draft policies to be used in role-playing simulations are discussed

How Techniques of Neutralization Legitimize Norm- and Attitude-Inconsistent Consumer Behavior

In accordance with societal norms and values, consumers readily indicate their positive attitudes towards sustainability. However, they hardly take sustainability into account when engaging in exchange relationships with companies. To shed light on this paradox, this paper investigates whether defense mechanisms and the more specific concept of neutralization techniques can explain the discrepancy between societal norms and actual behavior. A multi-method qualitative research design provides rich insights into consumers' underlying cognitive processes and how they make sense of their attitude-behavior divergences. Drawing on the Ways Model of account-taking, which is advanced to a Cycle Model, the findings illustrate how neutralization strategies are used to legitimize inconsistencies between norm-conforming attitudes and actual behavior. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the repetitive reinforcement of neutralizing patterns and feedback loops between individuals and society are linked to the rise of anomic consumer behavior

Bags for life: The embedding of ethical consumerism

The aim of this paper is to understand why some ethical behaviours fail to embed, and importantly what can be done about it. We address this by looking at an example where ethical behaviour has not become the norm, i.e. the widespread, habitual, use of ‘bags for life’. This is an interesting case because whilst a consistent message of ‘saving the environment’ has been the basis of the promotion of ‘bags for life’ in the United Kingdom for many years, their uptake has only recently become more widespread and still remains at low levels. Through an exploratory study, we unpack some of the contextual barriers which may influence ethical consumerism. We do this by examining the attitudes which influenced people to start using ‘bags for life’, and how people persuade others to use ‘bags for life’. We use a case study analysis to try and understand why ethical behaviour change has stalled and not become sustained. We find that both individuals and institutions play a significant interaction role in encouraging a sustained behavioural change towards ethical consumerism