Research On The Influence Of Distance On Public Perception Of Waste To Energy Incineration Project From Physical/Psychological Perspective

With the continuous improvement of the economic structure and extensive urbanization,the contradiction between the dramatic increase of Municipal Solid Waste(MSW)production and the limited land resources has become the major obstacle to realizing the global regional circular economy and sustainable urban development.Therefore,the optimization of MSW disposal means has become extremely urgent to achieve green and low-carbon circular development of the city.Waste-to-energy(WTE)incineration has become the most desirable MSW disposal method currently due to its functional characteristics of “Minimization”,“Valorization” and “Environmentally Sound Management”.However,the strong collision between the negative externalities characteristics of WTE incineration facilities and the increased public awareness of ecology and rights has led to frequent anti-incineration movement.Public perception has become a bottleneck issue limiting the development of WTE incineration facilities,where the distance to the WTE incineration facilities is a critical factor affecting public perception.However,the academic community has yet to reach a consensus on the intrinsic link between public perception and “distance” of WTE incineration facilities,and the differences of distance effects among different public perceptions has not been effectively clarified as well.Based on this,the current study relied on the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC),and following the research approach of “identifying problems-analyzing problems-solving problems”,as well as focusing on the current research status of social acceptance related to WTE incineration projects in China.Accordingly,this study systematically investigated the influence of distance on the public perception of WTE incineration projects based on the main theoretical basis of ripple effect,psychological typhoon eye effect,marginal zone effect,and construal level theory(CLT),from both physical and psychological perspectives,and integrated various research methods such as literature review,bibliometric analysis,case study,questionnaire survey and behavior investigation experiment.Following the clarification of the formation logic of the Not-In-My-Backyard(NIMBY)movement of WTE incineration facilities and the systematic analysis of empirical research results,governance and improvement strategies for public perception of WTE incineration facilities were proposed from the perspectives of “growth alliances”,“community alliances”,and “third-party alliances”.The research results indicated that,firstly,the public’s risk perception level of WTE incineration projects in China was relatively high and the public acceptance level was relatively low.Second,the impact of physical distance on the local residents’ level of perceived risk corresponded with the marginal zone effect,and the perception of economic benefits,trust,fairness,and the public acceptance of WTE incineration facilities tended to have a ripple effect.In particular,the impact of physical distance could be effectively eliminated or alleviated by a range of community engagement approvals and various forms of economic compensation,playing a positive role in guiding public perception.Moreover,the closer the public’s psychological distance,the higher their level of risk perception and the lower the level of perceived economic benefits,fairness,and public acceptance,which conformed to the ripple effect.Additionally,consistent with the CLT,the further the public’s psychological distance,the more inclined they are to support facility construction and abstract,higher-level psychological representations.These findings enrich the knowledge system related to psychology and sociology research on WTE incineration facilities,as well as expand the applicability of distance effects and its application in the field of WTE incineration facilities.Meanwhile,the introduction of psychological distance enriches the connotation of “distance” in the research of public perception of WTE incineration facilities.The research results contribute to decision makers’ better understanding and analyzing of public psychology,and are of great theoretical significance and practical application value for promoting NIMBY governance of WTE incineration projects,creating a social governance pattern of co-construction,co-governance,and co-sharing,and achieving a modern China where people and nature coexist harmoniously.