Carleton Students

1
Carleton Students Ethanol Awareness

• A Statistical and Sociological Approach
• Don Smith 09

2
Questionnaire StructureThe Two Systems Below
Demonstrate Two Possible Directions of the Survey

1. Are you aware that a company called Advanced
   BioEnergy is proposing to build a 700 acre corn
   ethanol production plant in the Rice County
   area?
2. Yes, I am.
3. Would you characterize your opinion of this
   proposal as generally positive, generally
   negative, or do you have no opinion, and/or feel
   unable to answer?
4. I would describe my feelings as negative.
5. Why do you have a negative opinion of this
   proposal?
6. I feel it will have negative effects on the local
   environment, and damage the look and feel of our
   rural area.

1. Are you aware that a company called Advanced
   BioEnergy is proposing to build a 700 acre corn
   ethanol production plant in the Rice County
   area?
2. No, I was not.
3. Information regarding the plant is provided Do
   you understand the information as it was supplied
   to you?
4. Yes, I do.
5. Would you characterize your opinion of this
   proposal as generally positive, generally
   negative, or do you have no opinion, and/or feel
   unable to answer?
6. I have a positive opinion.
7. Why is your opinion favorable?
8. I feel that we have an obligation to help produce
   alternative fuel, and this seems to be a good
   area to do so.

3
Statistical Analysis of ResponsesQuestion 1

• This graph shows the mathematical pattern of
  responses to the question Are you aware that a
  company called Advanced BioEnergy is proposing to
  build a 700 acre corn ethanol production plant
  in the Rice County area?

4
Statistical Analysis of ResponsesQuestion 2

• This graph shows the mathematical pattern of
  responses to the question Would you
  characterize your opinion of this proposal as
  generally positive, generally negative, or do you
  have no opinion, and/or feel unable to answer?

5
Mathematical Analysis

• The response pattern showed Carleton students to
  be highly uninformed regarding the proposed
  construction of the ethanol plant. Only 15 of
  the students interviewed had heard anything about
  the plant.
• When students were asked for their general
  opinion of the proposal, a large portion, roughly
  39, said they had no opinion or felt unable to
  reply. Of the remaining 61 of available
  responders, 86 had a negative opinion of the
  proposal, while 13 had a positive opinion of the
  proposal.
• (These contextual percentages constitute
• 53 and 8 of the total pool, respectively.)

6
Observations

• Students responding to the survey seemed
  incredulous that such a large plant was being
  proposed for local construction.
• The vast majority of students who responded yes
  on the Are you aware question immediately
  qualified that they had heard vague or general
  things about it but had no factual or specific
  knowledge.
• Despite being provided with information regarding
  the plant or claiming personal knowledge of the
  proceedings, a large number of students seemed
  uncomfortable passing judgment on the proposal,
  often citing their lack of knowledge regarding
  the viability of ethanol as a fuel, or the
  environmental effects the plant would have on the
  local area.
• Many students expressed their opinion that their
  issue was not with the plant itself, but with its
  location. When asked informally if the plant were
  being built several hours from Carleton, the
  majority of students with negative opinions
  expressed that they would have no stance against
  its construction.

7
Observations Cont.

• Those students who maintained their negative
  opinions when asked the location question usually
  cited environmental concerns that they thought
  would apply universally.
• Some students expressed that they doubted
  ethanols viability as an alternative fuel, or
  expressed that the taxpayers money should be
  going elsewhere, such as toward wind farms or
  fuel-cell vehicles.
• Those with positive opinions voiced that they
  felt a rural area such as Rice County would be a
  good location for such a plant, or cited their
  belief that a large new employer could have
  beneficial economic effects on the community.
• Another large group of students expressed that
  they had no opinion because the construction
  didnt affect them directly, either in terms of
  driving or their daily lives. This opinion
  accounted for most of the no opinion responses,
  while claims of ignorance of the issue accounted
  for the majority of the unable to respond
  responses.

8
Analysis

• N.I.M.B.Y., or Not In My Back Yard, seemed to
  hold true powerfully for those with negative
  opinions of the proposed construction. This
  principle, which states that people want things
  such as power plants, wind farms, etc. but dont
  want them close to where they live seemed to be
  very extant among the Carleton student body. It
  is possible that the students thought they would
  have to endure unpleasant smells, more traffic,
  a more industrialized community, or any other
  number of possible perceived negative effects.
  When asked if they would continue to oppose the
  plant were it constructed elsewhere, the vast
  majority of respondents with initially negative
  opinions reversed themselves.
• Conversely, many students also seemed to be
  elevating personal self-interest when they
  responded that they had no opinion regarding the
  proposal. The majority of people who responded
  that they specifically didnt care justified
  their answer by saying that as the construction
  of the plant didnt affect them directly, (i.e.
  they wouldnt have to look at it,) they didnt
  care whether it was built or not.
• Those students responding positively toward the
  proposal, (this was a significant minority,)
  justified their answers by saying they thought it
  would bring beneficial economic effects to the
  local area, or that it would help the fight
  against global warming.

9
Analysis Cont.

• The general ignorance of the facts regarding the
  proposal seemed to put the responding students in
  line with their personal priorities. Those who
  considered themselves environmentalists opposed
  it on principle as having possible negative
  ecological effects. Those who seemed
  business-oriented supported it on an economic
  level. Those who were disinterested in local
  events if they didnt directly affect them had no
  opinion to give, saying that they didnt care.
  Finally, those who expressed that they didnt
  like to give definite opinions on issues they
  didnt fully understand were unwilling to take a
  stance on the issue.
• It is concluded by the surveyor that
  informational efforts such as the Carleton
  Ethanol Project are likely very useful in that by
  providing concrete information regarding such a
  process as the proposed building of the ethanol
  plant, they can eliminate doubt on the issue and
  provide those who feel they lack information to
  form opinions to do so.
• It is further concluded by the surveyor that
  Carleton students, regardless of their age,
  tended to be highly uninformed regarding local
  events, even when considering such important
  projects as the one herein discussed. Only 15 of
  responding students had heard anything at all
  about the proposal. This further supports efforts
  such as the Carleton Ethanol Project in its
  attempt to bring concise and accurate information
  to all those the proposal might effect, and thus
  create a more involved and enlightened community.

10
Experimental Structure

• A total of 87 Carleton students responded
  voluntarily to a questionnaire designed to gauge
  their awareness of the proposed ethanol
  production plant and its effects on the local
  area.
• Freshmen accounted for 22 respondents, or about
  25 of the tested group.
• Sophomores accounted for 31 respondents, or about
  36 of the tested group.
• Juniors accounted for 19 respondents, or about
  22 of the tested group.
• Seniors accounted for 15 respondents, or about
  17 of the tested group.
• This spread of age, while not exact, does reflect
  a significant presence of all four Carleton
  classes.
• The respondents were interviewed informally,
  often in social areas and with friends. As such,
  some interviews were conducted concurrently.
• There was no need for control groups or blinding,
  as all the questions tested yes/no knowledge and
  opinions categorized as I agree, I disagree,
  or, I have no opinion/feel not qualified to
  answer. All supplementary responses given were
  of interest and are later discussed but are
  considered anecdotal and consequently not
  mathematically valid.