Faculty Office Hour: Communities and Wind Farms
Zoom Webinar
(Link provided upon registration)
Communities and Wind Farms
As new offshore wind farm projects commence along the New England coast, who gets to have a say in where, or if, they happen? Professor David Bidwell is studying how vulnerable groups and communities are reacting to their development, including residents’ and visitors’ attitudes toward the Block Island Wind Farm project and its impacts on tourism and recreation, as well as the role of the media in public perception of offshore wind farms.
Cost: Complimentary
Register by: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
About the Faculty Presenter
David Bidwell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Marine Affairs
College of the Environment and Life Sciences
David Bidwell applies the theories and methods of environmental sociology and social psychology to understand environmental decision making. His recent work has focused on public acceptance of the Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. Bidwell has conducted quantitative and qualitative studies of residents’ and visitors’ attitudes towards the project, impacts of the project to tourism and recreation, and perceptions of the wind farm among recreational saltwater anglers. His work on offshore wind and other renewable energy have been published in Nature Energy, Energy Policy, Energy Research & Social Science, and Ocean & Coastal Management. His other work has focused on issues related to wildlife management, human health risks, and climate change adaptation. Before coming to the University of Rhode Island in 2014, Bidwell worked as a public participation consultant and an environmental educator. Bidwell received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University and an M.S. in Natural Resources Policy from the University of Michigan.
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