Community attachment and municipal economy: Public attitudes towards wind power in a local context

This study examines public attitudes towards wind power through two hypotheses. The community attachment hypothesis states that people living in small municipalities are more likely to display NIMBYism (Not-In-My-BackYard) or have a more negative attitude. According to the economic trouble hypothesis people living in municipalities with weak economy are less likely to display NIMBYism or have a more positive attitude. Using a combination of survey data from Finland (n = 3459) and municipality-level statistics we find some support for both hypotheses. Compared to females, males display less NIMBYism and have more negative general attitude towards wind power. While older respondents also display less NIMBYism, they have a more positive general attitude towards wind power. Our results suggest two things. First, it seems that the average attitude and NIMBYism are both valuable aspects of public opinion, providing separate information, and potentially supporting different hypotheses. Whenever possible, they should be investigated in parallel. Secondly, future research should place more emphasis on community-level indicators in order to capture the impact of local context on attitudes towards environmental issues.