Resumo

OLTRA, Christian  e  PRIOLO, Virginia. An exploratory analysis of public perceptions of biofuels. Rev. iberoam. cienc. tecnol. soc. [online]. 2012, vol.7, n.20, pp.11-28. ISSN 1850-0013.

The deployment of biofuels has generated a significant controversy in the energy, agricultural and environmental fields. Governments and promoters around the world have advocated for developing biofuels based on their potential contribution to emissions reduction and energy security. But opposition to biofuels has growth in the last years. Environmental NGO's and other stakeholders have called for a review of the environmental and social sustainability of energy crops. This controversy has characterized the public debate around biofuels. In this context, and given the need to improve public involvement in energy technologies, this article reports an investigation of Spanish citizens' perceptions about biofuels. The authors investigated the perceptions of informed citizens and the reasoning basis underlying beliefs and attitudes. The study finds an initial positive association of biofuels with a clean and natural fuel that is mitigated by participants' concerns on the practical usage of biofuels and its social and environmental impact. The participants' reactions show the need to differentiate among the diverse groups of publics holding differing views and a different reaction to information on the benefits and costs of biofuels.

Palavras-chave : Biofuels; Public Perception; Attitudes; Focus groups.

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