281 research outputs found
Back and forward to the future: an explorative study of public responses to urban groundwater contamination
The objective of this case study is to explore responses by residents confronted with groundwater contamination in their community. Using a mail-survey design, self-administered questionnaires were collected (N = 170) that included questions about risk perceptions, site-specific concerns and perceived neighbourhood problems. The results show that concerns about chemical risks (i.e. chlorinated solvents) are rather limited in comparison to the potential impacts of site-redevelopment and other neighbourhood problems. Accordingly, the results of logistic regression analyses indicate that place detachment is not significantly related to risk perception but rather to site-specific concerns such as a perceived decrease in property values on the one hand, and wider environmental stressors such as traffic congestion on the other. In turn, the latter chronic environmental conditions are closely intertwined with residents' views on the redevelopment of the contaminated site
Co-producing sustainability indicators for the port of Antwerp: how sustainability reporting creates new discursive spaces for concern and mobilisation
In this article we discuss the port of Antwerpâs sustainability reporting initiative, reporting on the joint performance of the harbour community, as a process of co-production. By means of âstakeholder elicitationâ and in interaction with the portâs sustainability reporting initiative we investigated potentially meaningful indicators (mainly qualitative in nature) for environmental nuisance and citizen participation as aspects of responsible care. Reflecting on this work, we argue that such initiatives not only produce new sustainability indicators and standards, but also encourage dialogue through which identities are formed and a sense of (port) community is established
Civil anarchizing for the common good : culturally patterned politics of legitimacy in the climate justice movement
This article presents an ethnographic study of the case of Ende GelĂ€nde (EG), a German civil disobedience network undertaking action for climate justice. We reveal how a politics of legitimacy in civil society organizations such as EG are structured and constructed through different styles of civic action. Specifically, in our case study, a dominant pattern of âcivil anarchizingâ (CA) emerged, in which legitimacy was continuously negotiated in relation to both external and internal stakeholders. This CA style was also accompanied by a more individual-centered style that we call personalized politics (PP). We compare both styles and describe the tensions that result from their co-occurrence. In addition, we argue that the CA style might be more viable for politicization due to its emphasis on a collective strategy. Finally, we describe how this CA style shaped the participantsâ politics of legitimacy by functioning as a negotiated hybrid of civil and uncivil expectations
Business failure prediction: simple-intuitive models versus statistical models
We give an overview of the shortcomings of the most frequently used statistical techniques in failure prediction modelling. The statistical procedures that underpin the selection of variables and the determination of coefficients often lead to âoverfitting'. We also see that the âexpected signs' of variables are sometimes neglected and that an underlying theoretical framework mostly does not exist. Based on the current knowledge of failing firms, we construct a new type of failure prediction models, namely âsimple-intuitive models'. In these models, eight variables are first logit-transformed and then equally weighted. These models are tested on two broad validation samples (1 year prior to failure and 3 years prior to failure) of Belgian companies. The performance results of the best simple-intuitive model are comparable to those of less transparent and more complex statistical models
Co-producing sustainability indicators for the port of Antwerp: how sustainability reporting creates new discursive spaces for concern and mobilisation
In this article we discuss the port of Antwerpâs sustainability reporting initiative, reporting on the joint performance of the harbour community, as a process of co-production. By means of âstakeholder elicitationâ and in interaction with the portâs sustainability reporting initiative we investigated potentially meaningful indicators (mainly qualitative in nature) for environmental nuisance and citizen participation as aspects of responsible care. Reflecting on this work, we argue that such initiatives not only produce new sustainability indicators and standards, but also encourage dialogue through which identities are formed and a sense of (port) community is established
Crowding-in and crowding-out: studying the relationship between sustainable citizenship and political activism in Flanders
This study examines whether pro-environmental behavior crowds-in (associates positively with) or crowds-out (displaces) political activism. This research is part of a broader debate on the nature of individual pro-environmental behavior and whether it can be considered a political act. Studies generally show a positive association between pro-environmental behavior and political activism. However, few have differentiated between types of pro-environmental behavior. In contrast, our study uses Flemish survey data to examine the relationship between political activism and different modes of pro-environmental behavior: sustainable transport, shopping decisions, energy curtailment, and waste sorting. The results are generally consistent with previous studies. Political activism was positively related to sustainable transport, shopping decisions, and waste sorting. However, it was negatively associated with energy curtailment. Results thus suggest that energy curtailment may displace political action. In conclusion, by differentiating between various modes of pro-environmental behavior, our study confirms but also nuances the usefulness of concepts such as sustainable citizenship. These notions often frame individual pro-environmental behavior as part of broader political and collective strategies to address environmental issues. Our study shows that this may exclude some forms of ecologically significant behavior such as energy curtailment
Reducing phosphorus (P) losses from drained agricultural fields with iron coated sand (-glauconite) filters
The Effect of Information Choice and Discussion on Consumers' Willingness-to-Pay for Nanotechnologies in Food
We evaluate the impact of different information sequences on participantsâ hypothetical willingness to pay (WTP) for food produced using nanotechnology. In three treatment groups, information on the health, societal, or environmental impact linked to nanotechnology was revealed in different sequences: an imposed order, a chosen order, and a chosen order after a discussion among participants. Results show that information choice is important. While in the imposed order, the first information revealed has no effect on WTP, the information chosen first has a strong impact. Discussion has no further impact. Health information was a priority and significantly decreased WTP, while societal and environmental information did not significantly influence WTP.discussion, experimental economics, food nanotechnology, information choice, willingness to pay, Demand and Price Analysis,
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