Creative_soja OP t1_j2n9nim wrote
The work was done in Germany.
Snippets from the article
>Existing research suggests that people are positive about wind energy in the abstract, but when it comes to actually establishing wind farms in local communities, there has been substantial resistance, to the point where many proposals have been killed off.
>
>It has long been understood that people’s attitudes towards science and emerging technologies are shaped by their cultural and ideological world views. One world view that has become a particular focus of attention is what we refer to here as ‘conspiracy mentality’, the notion that it is commonplace for groups of elites with bad intentions to conduct elaborate hoaxes on the public and to do so in near-perfect secrecy
>
>We find that conspiracy mentality explains a large portion of people’s resistance to vote in favour of a potential wind farm in their community. Believing in a specific conspiracy theory around the construction of the wind farm does so to an even larger degree. Informing people about the benefits of the wind farm has a considerable positive effect on their intentions to vote for the wind farms, particularly among those with a strong conspiracy mentality. These effects are smaller when people are also provided with counterarguments or when they believe in a specific conspiracy theory about the wind farm. Overall, our research suggests that conspiracy beliefs play a major role in understanding resistance to wind farms and sheds light on how to counteract this opposition.
Some general points mentioned in the paper regarding the attributes of conspiracy mentality:
- High conspiracy mentality predisposes people to believe misinformation
- Conspiracy mentality is characterized by distrust of elites
​
Edits: improved for clarity
[deleted] t1_j2nhc4p wrote
[removed]
notpaultx t1_j2nlyuc wrote
That's a gross simplification of those bullet points. Having a distrust of elites does not necessarily mean that you are stupid and/or the elites are smarter than you. Would you believe ExxonMobil executives were honest if they publicly told you that oil was good for the environment?
Redd_October t1_j2nvt1a wrote
That's quite a strawman you've got there.
You're assuming his statement is commutative, and then only addressing the inverse, which is not what he said.
He didn't say that only stupid people distrust elites, and he didn't say that they are stupid because they distrust elites. You're also assuming all "elites" are equal.
At no point did you actually address anything he actually said.
notpaultx t1_j2p3dif wrote
After rereading my post, I am unable to see where the strawman fallacy is in play but I can see where I may have not shown where the comment came from. The original comment was quoting from the comment above and his comment was written below in quotes.
>Conspiracy mentality is characterized by distrust of elites
"Stupid people think they know more than smart people."
Changing the original quote into their own words, I was pointing out that the statement "Conspiracy mentality is characterized by distrust of elites" does not mean the same thing as "stupid people think they know more than smart people". In the study, the elites mentioned were those directly involved with the question regarding wind turbine placement. This would include the local elected officials and the management of the corporation involved.
At what point in the persons involved in the study does the study define the education of the individuals compared to the local officials or corporate elites in a way where you can accurately state that "Stupid people think they know more than smart people"?
[deleted] t1_j2o80ph wrote
[removed]
OldManProgrammer t1_j2qq231 wrote
I think it’s lack of communication and a consistent message.
- On one hand, the weather is getting more chaotic and unpredictable due to climate change.
- On the other hand, we should use solar and wind as our main energy sources, even though climate change makes them even more unreliable.
I just wish the message wouldn’t be so contradictory.
FirmPrinciple2218 t1_j2tjjos wrote
Why do people think wind turbines are a good idea .. 1) they kill wild birds 2) they are ugly 3) they take up massive amount of prime space 4) their output is unpredictable 5) there is presently no recycling plan when at end of cycle 6) build is very expensive 7)maintenance lubrication schedule is high otherwise they overheat and cause fire Nuclear is only viable way forward with current technology
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments