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AbstractWind power has become an increasingly important source of renewable energy in Norway. Current demand and production capacity have exceeded expectations stipulated in energy policies a few years back. Wind power affects landscape characteristics, and the rapid development has created considerable public conflict. However, knowledge to date about public attitudes toward wind power development in Norway is limited. We surveyed a representative sample of the Norwegian public to examine relationships between wind power development and place attachment, localization, and policies. We also examined if attitudes toward wind power are linked to broader environmental attitudes and meaning of place. Public attitudes range from strong support to strong opposition. We found limited support for NIMBY effects. Support versus opposition correlates with attitudes toward place attachment, localization of wind power plants and energy policies. We found evidence of a dichotomy between the more fundamental world views of eco-modernism versus de-growth influencing the more specific wind power attitudes. We argue that policy institutions have underestimated the power of attitude diversity in the wind power debate, and that social acceptability of future wind power development will depend on improved understanding of how social values of landscapes are impacted.

Everyday public denial of anthropogenically caused climate change (ACC) has complex antecedents and exists on both individual and institutional levels. Earlier research has linked ACC denial to opposition to formal science and elites, perceived threats to the industrialist capitalist order and existing system properties. Research also suggest that trust in public organizations is a key factor in determining support or opposition to climate change policies. In this paper, we explore the possibility that right wing populism and anti-elitist attitudes fuel both ACC denial and low trust in environmental institutions. We surveyed a representative sample of Norwegians (N = 3032) to measure ACC denial, how denial is linked to socio-demographic characteristics, trust in environmental institutions, attitudes toward elites and immigration, as well as environmental attitude orientations. Results show that lack of trust in environmental institutions is strongly associated with ACC denial, and furthermore that the degree of trust—or lack thereof—is partly a function of anti-elitist attitudes, opposition to migration and views of nature. ; publishedVersion

The backdrop for this study is the Norwegian national Svalbard policy, with long-term goals to transition Svalbard into a sustainable future without coal and to maintain Norwegian presence. Tourism, education and research are the three economic pillars. This transition affects the tourism industry, spatial planners, environmental officials, local politicians, port authorities and research community in Longyearbyen. We apply an adaptation framework and a community-based approach to analyse the multiple layers of change identified by key stakeholders: climate change, national policy and increasing tourism. Based on semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in Longyearbyen and document review we analysed the adaptation strategies and measures to address the challenges and opportunities from the economic transition sectors, climate change impacts, national Svalbard policies and increasing tourism activities. Adaptation dilemmas emerge for Longyearbyen: 1) increased tourism is a national goal while strict environmental management restricts its potential tourism operators, and 2) climate change creates hazardous conditions which require the local spatial planners to develop new safe housing areas, but the strict environmental protection limits the action space. A tension is therefore emerging between the national policy context (The Svalbard Treaty, The Svalbard Act, The Environmental Protection Act) which governs development and local adaptation options to address climate change impacts and increasing tourism. Longyearbyen; Svalbard; national policies; economic transition; climate change; adaptation ; publishedVersion ; Paid Open Access

The Lofoten Islands in northern Norway face challenges from increasing visitor numbers, congestion, environmental impacts, and growing host-visitor tensions. Benefits include increased local employment and growing revenues. Future tourism policy requires better documentation of the non-economic benefits and values associated with tourism in Lofoten; this information is important to the development of policy and management processes. We conducted 45 in-depth interviews with domestic and international visitors, using the cultural ecosystem services (ES) framework to ascertain the core elements of the tourism experience, as well as views on management needs and development. We probed reflections on place, aesthetics, recreational opportunities, inspiration, social relations, cultural heritage, knowledge, spirituality, and identity by offering a combination of statements and questions. All these categories of cultural ES were important to most visitors. However, the importance of the landscape was paramount. Policy implications include the need to include landscape in ES assessments, to map places of especially high scenic value, and to use the ES framework more extensively to identify and compare non-economic and economic tourism values and benefits. ; Dans le nord de la Norvège, il y a des défis à relever aux îles Lofoten en raison du nombre croissant de visiteurs, de la congestion, des incidences sur l'environnement et des tensions de plus en plus grandes entre les visiteurs et les gens de la région. Parmi les avantages, notons le nombre d'emplois et les revenus à la hausse. À l'avenir, il faudra une meilleure documentation au sujet des retombées et des valeurs non économiques liées au tourisme à Lofoten en vue de faciliter la formulation des politiques touristiques. Cette information jouera un rôle important dans l'élaboration des politiques et des processus de gestion. Nous avons réalisé 45 entrevues approfondies auprès de visiteurs du pays et d'ailleurs en nous appuyant sur le cadre de référence des services écosystémiques (SE) culturels afin de valider les éléments fondamentaux de l'expérience touristique et recueilli des points de vue en matière de développement et de besoins en gestion. Au moyen de déclarations et de questions, nous avons stimulé des réflexions au sujet des lieux, de l'esthétique, des possibilités de loisirs, de l'inspiration, des relations sociales, du patrimoine culturel, des connaissances, de la spiritualité et de l'identité. Toutes ces catégories des SE culturels revêtaient de l'importance aux yeux de la plupart des visiteurs. Cependant, c'est le paysage qui a pris le plus d'importance. Parmi les incidences sur les politiques, notons la nécessité de tenir compte du paysage dans les évaluations des SE, de mettre en évidence les lieux qui ont une valeur panoramique particulièrement grande et de se servir du cadre des SE à plus grande échelle afin de déterminer et de comparer les retombées et les valeurs économiques et non économiques sur le plan touristique.

We examined community perceptions of preferred objectives for wild reindeer management in Southern Norway as the former population-based model is being replaced with an area-based, multi-level regional management model spanning large mountain regions. Communally oriented objectives are favoured over economic benefits to landowners. Environmental attitudes discriminate on many of the issues and can be useful factors in sorting out levels of support for proposed management actions and compromises in land use decisions. The regional reindeer plans create a new political context for land use management across large mountain areas which will require better cooperation among municipalities. reindeer management; environmental planning; environmental orientation ; acceptedVersion