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Citizen investment into wind energy is conducive to public acceptance and can contribute to closing the renewable energy investment gap, while promoting corporate social responsibility. This study addresses this topic and conducts a novel choice experiment to determine the investment preferences of a representative sample of 1,009 Irish households. First, the paper investigates the attributes determining willingness to invest into wind farms. Second, it considers to what extent public attitudes and proximity to wind farms affect investment. Third, it assesses the suitability of five specific investment mechanisms. Through these activities the findings enhance current understanding of the opportunities and challenges concerning the design of citizen investments within a centralised system which is predominantly reliant on incumbent wind energy developers. The findings show that the risk of loss and the expected annual return on investment are the main attributes determining investment decisions, but secondary criteria, such as the project location and ownership characteristics, also affect willingness to invest. Respondents living within 10 km of a wind farm or expressing support for wind energy are significantly more likely to consider investing. Recommendations include interventions to encourage joint ventures between community organisations and specialised developers as a mechanism to promote investment in wind farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social acceptance is a key issue for the continued expansion of onshore wind energy. Wind energy development targets increasingly rely on the assumption that residents' concerns related to new wind farms dissipate over time. The persistence of resistance to new wind farms has motivated efforts to investigate this effect. The 'U-curve' hypothesis proposes that acceptance is likely to decrease when residents are confronted with the planning of a wind farm in their neighbourhood, but that acceptance may later recover during construction and operation. In this study, relevant research is reviewed, discussed, and applied using a largescale experimental survey focused on residents living within 10 km of an existing wind farm in Ireland (n = 1109). It uses two indicators of how people experience wind farms to investigate willingness to accept further developments. The indicators include the proximity of existing wind farms and their development phase (i.e., planning, construction or operation). The findings show that experience is an important determinant of acceptance, as are an awareness of low-carbon energy initiatives and sense of community spirit. The study examines residents' expectations for participatory fairness and local benefits. Expected adverse impacts on local tourism or potential for discord within the community influence the acceptance for further development. Acceptance is also determined by trust in sources of information, including a designated community liaison officer. The concerns of residents living within the nearest 2 km radius of a wind farm and at the earliest and most uncertain phases of project planning can be crucial issues for acceptance. • Experiences of existing wind farms affect residents' acceptance for new projects. • Acceptance is reinforced by perceived local socioeconomic/environmental benefits. • Support for new projects is strongest for operating wind farms between 2 and 10 km away. • Crucial points for concern are at the planning phase and for homes within 2 km. • Trust in information from liaison officers has lasting ramifications for support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we empirically analyse the innovation returns to firms which engage in nanotechnology research. Using propensity score matching we match firms which engage in nanotechnology research with statistically similar firms which do not. This allows us to assess whether there is a difference in their respective innovative output. We note that firms which engage in nanotechnology research have higher levels of turnover derived from newly innovative goods and services than firms which do not engage in nanotechnology research after controlling for differences in R&D intensity, openness to external agents and other firm specific characteristics. This suggests that firms which engage in nanotechnology research may gain an innovation premium over similar firms which do not engage in this specific form of research. • This study analyses the returns to firms which engage in nanotechnology research. • Propensity score matching allows us match the nanotech researching firms with those who do not. • Nanotech researching firms derive higher innovation turnover from new goods and services. • Firms which engage in nanotechnology research may gain an innovation premium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila suzukii is a relatively new threat to the soft-skinned fruit industry in North America. The presence of this pest in North America is a concern and assessing the risk of potential infestation and damage can help guide regional management strategies. We have developed a continuous time stage structured population model parameterized with empirical data based on laboratory observations. The principle environmental driver of vital rates (mortality, fecundity and development) for the model is temperature though our results suggest that reproductive diapause and quality of fruit available to the population may also have significant effect on population size. The model was run with several generalized temperature profiles and various observed temperature data sets for locations known to be important for berry production. While southern regions appear to be most suitable for supporting high population densities due to warm temperatures throughout the year, northern regions with moderate temperatures may also be susceptible due to a lack of extreme cold or heat, both of which limit development and increase mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since late 2019, COVID-19 has devastated the global economy, with indirect implications for the environment. As governments' prioritized health and implemented measures such as the closure of non-essential businesses and social distancing, many workers have lost their jobs, been furloughed, or started working from home. Consequently, the world of work has drastically transformed and this period is likely to have major implications for mobility, transportation and the environment. This paper estimates the potential for people to engage in remote work and social distancing using O*NET data and Irish Census data and calculates the potential emission savings, by commuter type from a switch to remote working and occupational social distancing. The results show that while those who commute by car have a relatively high potential for remote work, they are less likely to be able to engage in social distancing in their workplace. While this may be negative for employment prospects in the short run, our analysis indicates that this pattern has the potential for positive environmental implications in the short and long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]