Internet-based public debate of CCS: Lessons from online focus groups in Poland and Spain

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

  • Hauke Riesch
  • Christian Oltra
  • Aleksandra Lis
  • Paul Upham
  • Mariette Pol

This paper makes three contributions to the developing literature on public opinion and understanding of CCS. The first is a discussion of online focus groups as a deliberative method in experimental and perhaps consultative contexts. The second is the role of anchoring and associative reasoning in the development of public opinion of CCS, illustrated through the coincidental timing of the investigation with the Fukushima nuclear accident. The third is a discussion of managing public-facing energy messaging in an age of public access to online information. Two multi-day, online focus groups or "dialogue boards" were held, one in Poland and one in Spain, with participants drawn from regions with active CCS development potential. The nature of the groups led to participants being subject to wider social influence through discussion of the topic off-line. They were also able to research and present evidence on the topic to the group, deepening debate and allowing the emergence of 'experts'. The study illustrates and affirms the importance of trust in message source, the difficulties of challenging pre-existing concerns and opinion and the challenge potentially posed by access to conflicting online information.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftEnergy Policy
Jahrgang56
Seiten (von - bis)693-702
Anzahl der Seiten10
ISSN0301-4215
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 05.2013
Extern publiziertJa

DOI