Browsing by Author "Feetham PM"

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Public response to decarbonisation through alternative shipping fuels
(Springer Nature, 2023-06-24) Carlisle DP; Feetham PM; Wright M; Teagle D
Although shipping is the most energy efficient method of transporting trade goods it is held accountable for 2-3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The shipping industry is exploring pathways to carbon-neutral fuels to help eliminate GHG emissions by 2050. To date research on alternative fuels has not considered public opinion; it remains unclear whether the public will support alternative shipping fuels, or whether public opposition might prevent or defer their deployment. To fill this knowledge gap and help the industry and policy makers arrive at publicly acceptable decisions our research examines UK public perceptions of six shipping fuels using a mixed-method approach. Our findings reveal that biofuels and hydrogen are clearly favoured, owing to biofuel’s perceived low risk and hydrogen’s lack of negative by-products. Perceptions of liquid natural gas are somewhat positive, suggesting that it provides an acceptable near-term option while other fuels are developed. Despite lingering stigma, nuclear is preferred over the incumbent heavy fuel oil, though both are perceived negatively. However, the UK public strongly dislike ammonia, perceiving it as unproven, risky, and lacking availability. A third support use of alternative shipping fuels, with support greater from those living near ports - a “yes in my back yard” (YIMBY) effect. The results demonstrate that different alternative fuels are likely to elicit different public reactions as they become more widely known and show how the overall evaluations arise from specific positive or negative associations with each fuel.
UK public reaction to carbon dioxide transport and temporary storage at ports
(Springer Nature B.V., 2025-10-15) Feetham PM; Wright MJ; Carlisle D; Konopka R; Teagle DAH; Ren J
Achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions will require investment in large-scale logistical infrastructure to remove, transport, and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, exhaust gases, and waste streams from industrial plants. Successful implementation of carbon capture, storage (CCS) will depend on stakeholder investment and public agreement. Evidence of how the public perceive methods of CCS and their preferences among potentially viable options remains scarce. To gain knowledge of likely public reaction we elicited perceptions of CCS and transport, as well as preferences for different CCS capture, storage, transport, and regulation options, via a UK representative on-line survey (n = 1070). Compared to three other industrial substances (hydrogen, ammonia and LNG) perceptions of transport and storage of carbon dioxide were somewhat favourable, indicating public reaction towards carbon dioxide shipping and temporary storage at ports is moderate, reducing the likelihood of major controversy. When considering preferences for alternative CCS and transport options, the most important factors of those evaluated were Regulation and Transport. The most preferred approach involved international or government regulation and pipeline transport, with industry self-regulation receiving the least support. These findings suggest the use of pipelines or where necessary ships and either international or government regulation are promising pathways to increase the chances of public acceptance of CCS.