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The goal of this work was to explore ways, within an existing engineering curriculum, to address the culture of disengagement by challenging the dominant engineering mindset. We conducted Collaborative Action Research to explore the implementation of Transformative Learning pedagogies in a Human-Centered Design context to understand how students make meaning of engineering contexts that involve unique sociotechnical considerations. Findings suggest that introducing students to such contexts allows them to use other points of view which can challenge the dominant engineering mindset and promote openness to the social nature of engineering, resulting in a more informed understanding of the nature of engineering overall. Furthermore, adopting Transformative Learning Theory as a framework for understanding and interpreting how the points of view students utilize can address the culture of disengagement by challenging the dominant engineering mindset. A framework connecting students' points of view to their understanding of the nature of engineering is provided.

Globally, direct and indirect human impacts have led to the widespread degradation of marine ecosystems. The resulting loss of habitat and marine biodiversity has led to the increased impetus for marine ecosystem restoration at a policy level. The success of such programs relies on an understanding of the nature of public support for marine restoration. This article examines such support through a survey of the attitudes of the general public in Norway and Italy. The results show that among both populations, there is broad support for restoration despite a lack of awareness of marine restoration activity. Differences in responses to the attitudinal questions across countries were tested using standard statistical independence tests and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Results show significant differences between samples in attitudes toward the completion of restoration and attitudes toward how restoration should be funded. Examining within‐group variation, for both samples, regression analysis indicates that a mixture of socioeconomic and context‐specific variables are significant predictors of awareness and attitudes toward restoration, while environmental awareness is a positive and significant indicator of attitude toward restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Norwegian and Irish consumers' willingness-to-pay for salmon that is produced under more sustainable aquaculture practices is examined using the contingent valuation method. A bivariate probit model is estimated where the consideration of environmentally friendly fish farming at time of purchase is jointly estimated with willingness-to-pay. The predicted joint probabilities of the bivariate probit model are calculated in order to examine if concerns for the environmental credentials of salmon aquaculture translate into willingness-to-pay a price premium for sustainably farmed fish. The results suggest that environmental concerns and attitudes are not the sole motivating factors influencing consumption behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests the stability of environmental preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) values using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) across three countries pre and post the peak of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. A DCE examining the public's preferences for alternative environmental management plans on the high seas, in the area of the Flemish Cap, was carried out in Canada, Scotland and Norway in late 2019 and was rerun in early May 2020 shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic had officially peaked in the three countries. The same choice set sequence is tested across the two periods, using different but nationally representative samples in each case. Entropy balancing, a multivariate reweighting method, is used to achieve covariate balance between the pre and post Covid samples in the analysis. The results suggest that both preferences and WTP remain relatively stable in the face of a major public health crisis and economic upheaval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and degradation are recognised as the most important causes of species decline and extinction in marine ecosystems. It is also widely recognised that a range of restoration actions are now essential to halt further decline. From a policy perspective, demonstration that restoration activity is in the interest of society is an important goal. In this paper, the welfare impacts of restoring Norwegian kelp forests to areas where they once were dominant but which now lie barren are estimated using the discrete choice modelling approach. The paper also examines if more direct contact with the environmental good under investigation influences respondents' willingness to pay to restore ecosystem features. The results indicate a positive and significant marginal societal willingness to pay for the ecosystem services associated with kelp forest restoration. The enhanced biodiversity levels as a result of the restoration activity are the most highly valued by the Norwegian public although the size of the area restored is more highly valued by respondents who are active marine environment users. It is argued that without incorporating these non-market values into the decision making process marine policy decisions may be made that are not in fact in the best interest of society. • Positive societal WTP for ecosystem services from kelp forest restoration. • Greatest benefit value received from high level of restored biodiversity. • Water-users have preference for larger areas of kelp restoration. • Significant preference heterogeneity exists across the kelp ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry, factors such as environment, economy and public opinions need to be accounted for. In this paper, we explore and compare attitudes towards the aquaculture industry in a statistical representative sample of Norwegians with attitudes in a representative sample from a local area where the aquaculture is highly present, also in Norway. Analysis of the national and local samples allows for investigation of how opinions towards aquaculture vary according to both demographical variables and geographical setting. Our findings suggest that being from an area where the industry dominates does not give one a more negative view of the environmental threat of the industry, but does make one less likely to believe that aquaculture activity creates local employment. In addition, the results show that in a community where the aquaculture industry dominates, negative attitudes towards aquaculture are not primarily due to its perceived environmental impact, but rather due to conflicts of interest and to whether aquaculture activity is perceived to create jobs locally or not. • Aquaculture is not considered the most severe threat to the marine environment. • Living in close proximity to aquaculture does not seem to make people more critical. • Perceived environmental impact shape attitudes towards aquaculture in national sample. • Perceived job creation shape attitudes to aquaculture in local sample. • Perceived conflict shape attitudes in both local and national sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]