Search results

American voters are assigned to vote at a particular polling location (e.g., a church, school, etc.). We show these assigned polling locations can influence how people vote. Analysis of a recent general election demonstrates that people who were assigned to vote in schools were more likely to support a school funding initiative. This effect persisted even when controlling for voters' political views, demographics, and unobservable characteristics of individuals living near schools. A follow-up experiment using random assignment suggests that priming underlies these effects, and that they can occur outside of conscious awareness. These findings underscore the subtle power of situational context to shape important real-world decisions.

Water markets are increasingly proposed as a demand-management strategy to deal with water scarcity. Water trading arrangements, on their own, are not about setting bio-physical limits to water-use. Nevertheless, water trading that mitigates scarcity constraints can assist regulators of water resources to keep water-use within limits at the lowest possible cost, and may reduce the cost of restoring water system health. While theoretically attractive, many practitioners have, at best, only a limited understanding of the practical usefulness of markets and how they might be most appropriately deployed. Using lessons learned from jurisdictions around the world where water markets have been implemented, this study attempts to fill the existing water market development gap and provide an initial framework (the water market readiness assessment (WMRA)) to describe the policy and administrative conditions/ reforms necessary to enable governments/jurisdictions to develop water trading arrangements that are efficient, equitable and within sustainable limits. Our proposed framework consists of three key steps: 1) an assessment of hydrological and institutional needs; 2) a market evaluation, including assessment of development and implementation issues; and 3) the monitoring, continuous/review and assessment of future needs; with a variety of questions needing assessment at each stage. We apply the framework to three examples: regions in Australia, the United States and Spain. These applications indicate that WMRA can provide key information for water planners to consider on the usefulness of water trading processes to better manage water scarcity; but further practical applications and tests of the framework are required to fully evaluate its effectiveness. ; Sarah Ann Wheeler, Adam Loch, Lin Crase, Mike Young, R. Quentin Grafton

This study provides an overview of extension influence on the adoption of irrigation innovations in developed and developing countries, and finds that extension plays a more significant positive role in influencing soft technology adoption in developing countries. Case studies on the nature, use and availability of extension advice in six irrigation schemes in Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are presented. The use of government extension officers varied significantly, with extension use not linked to farm outcomes. The results suggest the need to support more diverse sources of advice and to promote institutional reform in south-eastern Africa. ; Sarah Ann Wheeler, Alec Zuo, Henning Bjornlund, Makarius Victor Mdemu, Andre van Rooyen and Paiva Munguambe

Study region: Water stress and over-allocation are at the forefront of water management and policy challenges in Australia, especially in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB). Because irrigated agriculture is a major social and economic component of the MDB, farmer decision-making plays a major role in water sustainability in the region. Study focus: This study used a fuzzy cognitive mapping methodology, 'mental modeling', to understand the perceived constraints of irrigator water-use decisions in the MDB, for two different types of irrigation: permanent and annual crops. The approach elicits and documents irrigator insights into the complex and networked nature of irrigation water use decisions in relation to farm-based dynamics. New hydrological insights for the region: Results suggest support for greater local and irrigator involvement in water management decisions. Many, if not most, of the irrigators understood the need for, or at least the inevitability of, governmental policies and regulations. However, a lack of accountability, predictability, and transparency has added to the uncertainty in farm-based water decision-making. Irrigators supported the concept of environmental sustainability, although they might not always agree with how the concept is implemented. The mental modelling approach facilitated knowledge sharing among stakeholders and can be used to identify common goals. Future research utilizing the mental modelling approach may encourage co-management and knowledge partnerships between irrigators, water managers and government officials. ; Ellen M. Douglas, Sarah Ann Wheeler, David J. Smith, Ian C. Overton, Steven A. Gray, Tanya M. Doody, Neville D. Crossman

Climate mitigation is a global problem whose solution involves local delivery. The need for coordinated interventions at multiple scales is widely acknowledged, but is hard to achieve in practice. Political commitment through declarations of 'climate emergencies' needs to be reflected in action on the ground. Local governments are well placed to convene partnerships, but resources are scarce and the task of scaling up is often hindered by national policy. This paper records the research commissioned by the six relevant local authorities to map pathways to a zero-carbon economy for the county of Oxfordshire (UK). Building on an earlier report (presented at the eceee Summer Study 2015), we summarise recent progress on reducing carbon emissions, showing that Oxfordshire is on track to achieve a 50 % reduction by 2030. However, decarbonisation achievements have been uneven and we highlight the need for urgent action on transport and heat decarbonisation if this trend is to continue. We present three distinct pathways for eliminating carbon emissions in Oxfordshire, with varying levels of individual behaviour change, community leadership, and reliance on technological solutions, and contrast these with a business-as-usual scenario. Finally, we reflect on the ongoing process of engagement with representatives of local government and other stakeholders in trying to steer a path towards zero carbon.