How people value nature in the face of wind power development
Solveig Jespersen Haga is a MSc student in sustainability science at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, and is collaborating with the ACTIONABLE project for her MSc thesis on how people value nature when it comes to wind power development.
Main content
Background
The green transition calls for a change in all sectors, including the energy industry. The process of phasing out of fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources is highly prioritized in order to meet international and national climate goals. During the last decade, Norway has allowed for increasing development of wind power plants. Although wind is a renewable energy source, wind farms require large amounts of land for turbines and related infrastructure. We are currently in a situation where I we are forced to make sustainable and green choices, while simultaneously taking care of nature's values and limits. Preserving and restoring nature is also key to coping with the current nature crisis. The development of renewable energy and the preservation of nature are both important parts of sustainable development, but also require difficult trade-offs – like in the case of wind farm development.
About the project
In her MSc thesis, Solveig will examine how nature is assessed by different societal groups when it comes to wind farm development. Her thesis is part of research project ACTIONABLE, and she is using Modalen municipality as her study area. Here, she wants to compare how different groups assess nature in relation to each other. There is currently a large debate in Modalen regarding a proposal for a wind farm with 97 wind turbines in the protected landscape area Stølsheimen, and the municipality’s position to this proposal. Solveig wishes to get in touch contact with people in Modalen who represent different perspectives and positions in this matter, in order to form a holistic picture of how nature is assessed and valued.
This MSc project runs from June 2024 to June 2025, which makes it possible to follow the development of the energy and nature debate nationally, as well as locally in Modalen and the surrounding area. The data collection will mainly take during November 2024 to January 2025.
Supervisors and contact
Solveig is a student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, but is conducting her project within the ACTIONABLE project, which is a project within the UNESCO Chair Group at the Department of Biological Sciences.
This MSc project is supervised by
Anne Blanchard
Researcher at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities at UiB
Alícia Barrclough
Researcher in the UNESCO Chair Group (Department of Biological Sciences)
PI of the ACTIONABLE project.
Any inquiries or interest in the project can be directed to Solveig Jespersen Haga via email.
