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Morality, Emotion, And Policy Making: Environmental Decision Making About Recycled Water, Julia Nicole Wester

Open Access Dissertations

Water scarcity and distribution of global water supplies are central to sustainable development, and are likely to be exacerbated by climate change and increasing urbanization. Water reuse has been proposed as a potential solution in some areas, as it is relatively cheaper than, and environmentally preferable to, alternatives such as desalination. In the industrialized world, a psychological aversion to recycled water has been well documented, characterized by reactions of disgust. In several cases, public opposition alone – often driven by messages framed in terms of disgust – has overturned plans to reuse water (i.e., California’s ‘toilet to tap’ campaign and …