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The energy efficiency in the building sector, a widely accepted point inside world energy sustainability, can be pursued in a variety of complementary ways, being energy consumption reduction one of them. Specifically, the residential buildings are responsible for more than 40% of the total energy consumption of the European Union. Therefore, this residential sector is an important target for optimizing the use of energy. This paper examines the energy saving measures for multi-family residential building thermal systems in the city of Granada. The state and usage patterns of such systems in a middle-size city are surveyed and analysed in order to propose sounded saving measures. The proposed measures were quantified according to two parameters: energy saved and CO2 emissions reduction. This quantification enables the identification of best measures either cost or energy effective, concluding that the biggest benefits are obtained adopting solar/biomass energy, while other zero-cost measures like the information campaign have more impact than, for instance, boiler replacement. Finally, it is concluded that an extension of mandatory installation of solar systems to existing buildings should be considered.

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a public information campaign, which was conducted on a major Greek Island (Syros), aimed at reducing plastic waste - and specifically plastic bags - in the local coastal/marine environment. A choice experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects on individual preferences for reducing plastic waste pollution under different status of environmental awareness, after the information campaign. The evaluation process was quite independent of the information campaign. Two samples of respondents were taken; one consisting of participants in the environmental campaign and the other consisting of non-participants. The results show: (a) significant differences between the preferences of the two samples; (b) variations in the willingness to pay values between the two samples for protection of the coastal/marine environment, but; (c) not significant differences in their commitment to take action (i.e. in their willingness to alter their current plastic bag use behavior).

We study the role of beliefs about experts' honesty in a market for credence goods with second opinions and overtreatment. Experts are honest or dishonest. The population shares a common belief about the share of honest experts, which may be incorrect. We characterize the belief that maximizes consumer's expected utility and show that it is generically different from the true share of honest experts and larger than the one that maximizes the equilibrium level of honesty. We then analyze the decision of an authority that has learned the actual share of honest experts whether to publicly reveal it through a costless information campaign, thus correcting people's beliefs, and show that it does not depend on how wrong beliefs are. We further show how increasing market transparency (making experts more aware of the number of opinions collected) affects the optimal belief and may have a positive as well as a negative effect on overtreament. Finally, we briefly see how a successful campaign run in Switzerland in the mid '80s to reduce excessive hysterectomy rates can be read through the lenses of our model and how accounting for beliefs about honesty might allow theoretical predictions to better fit experimental evidence.

Romanian abstract: Raportul de fața analizeaza rezultatele unui sondaj realizat in doua valuri. 341 respectiv 346 persoane au fost anchetate in cursul anului 2019 și 2020 inainte respectiv dupa campania de informare a factorilor interesați in cadrul proiectului „Elaborarea planului de management integrat al siturilor Natura 2000 Munții Ciucului - ROSCI0323 și Depresiunea și Munții Ciucului - ROSPA0034”. Inaintea prezentarii informațiilor despre rețeaua Natura 2000 și particularitațile locale ale siturilor vizate in proiect a avut loc sondajul ex ante, respectiv dupa susținerea evenimentelor de catre echipa de proiect am masurat efectul acestora prin sondajul ex post in cadrul populației ținta. Am folosit metoda anchetei, participanții fiind rugați sa completeze un chestionar scurt despre tema ariilor protejate Natura 2000. Chestionarele au conținut in total nouasprezece intrebari, dintre care primele cinci s-au referit la datele socio-demografice ale respondenților, patru intrebari s-au concentrat asupra activitații agricole potențiale ale persoanelor prezente la intâlnirile de informare, opt intrebari au incercat sa masoare competențele teoretice respectiv practice ale populației ținta legate de siturile Natura 2000, iar ultimele doua au oferit posibilitatea aprecierii subiective a existenței siturilor Natura 2000 in imprejurimea lor respectiv formularea unor sugestii care pot fi incluse in planul de management al sitului. English abstract: The present report analyzes the results of a survey realized in two waves. 341 respectively 346 persons from 29 settlements were surveyed in 2019 and 2020 before and after an information campaign related to the Natura 2000 areas. The ex ante study was taken before the presentation of information about Natura 2000 network and local particularities of the areas, and after the events their effect was polled among the target group by the ex post analysis. The participants of the surveys were asked to fill a short questionnaire about the protected areas belonging to the Natura 2000 network. The questionnaire contained nineteen questions, the first part referred to the socio-demographical background of the participants, the second part focused on potential agricultural activities of the respondents, the third part measured the theoretical and practical competences of the target group related to Natura 2000 areas, while the last part offered place to the subjective perceptions of the existence of Natura 2000 areas in their surroundings respectively the subjects could formulate suggestions in order to be included in the management plan.

We examine the impact of a randomized Girls' Education Challenge project implemented in rural Zimbabwe. The multifaceted project initially provided information about girls' rights and education barriers to girls, caregivers, teachers, and other community members. Later, the project introduced a learn-to-read program and provided resources such as bicycles and books. The information campaign significantly improved mathematics performance and school enrolment in a short time frame. The subsequent provision of resources and curriculum changes corresponded to improvements in literacy but did not correspond to any additional improvements in mathematics and enrolment beyond what was observed following the information provision alone.

How should we support marginalized individuals? By providing nutritional support for their body or by supporting their mind and allowing them to see their potential? This paper explores ways to improve the welfare of women living with HIV, by addressing two obstacles that they face: the body and the mind. We use a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of three information-focused treatments: a standard nutritional information campaign, cookery demonstrations and role models. We find that providing information on nutrition leads to an improvement in nutritional intake and overall health. Participatory information interventions, such as the cookery demonstrations and exposure to role models, are found to empower and inspire participants to become more ambitious and invest in income-generating activities. As such, these types of interventions have the potential to have longer-term effects on welfare than passive information campaigns.

Information operations are considered a central element of modern warfare, yet there remains little, if any, systematic evidence of their effectiveness. Using a geographic quasi-experiment conducted during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, we demonstrate that civilians exposed to the government’s information campaign resulted in more civilian security cooperation, which in turn increased bomb neutralizations. These results are robust to a number of alternative model specifications that account for troop presence and operations and other confounding factors. The core findings are also corroborated with evidence from a nationwide survey and large-scale analysis of intelligence reports and counterinsurgent operations. This note demonstrates that information campaigns can lead to welfare-enhancing attitudinal and behavioral changes in an adversarial environment and can substantially improve battlefield outcomes.

This paper estimates the effect of an information campaign urging individuals to plan ahead for their long-term care needs on the purchase of long-term care insurance. Long-term care expenses represent a large, mostly uninsured risk for the elderly, and Medicaid payments for long-term care expenses total more than $150 billion annually. In an effort to curtail these expenses, the federal government partnered with 25 states over the course of five years to run the "Own Your Future'' campaign. Using a difference-in-differences strategy that takes advantage of the staggered timing of the rollout and restricted data from the Health and Retirement Study, I find that the campaign increased long-term care insurance coverage by one percentage point, an increase of about ten percent. Although the increase is concentrated among high-asset individuals, a back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates modest Medicaid savings of $400 million in present value. This estimate represents a lower bound for the total savings from the program as individuals may have made adjustments on other unmeasured margins.

As a response to overall negative attitudes on nature conservation, Latvian scientists and artists launched a new initiative to communicate biodiversity. Unlike previous efforts, this initiative also included arts (poetry, music, dance and photo/video) as part of the information campaign. This project, named Nature Concert Hall, has been very successful between 2006 and 2012 in terms of receiving national and international recognition; this paper aimed to evaluate its efficiency in increasing the public’s knowledge and awareness of nature conservation issues and pro-environmental behaviour. We used an electronic web-form survey to investigate the views of the Nature Concert Hall’s audience. The collaboration between artists and scientists clearly led to larger audiences: 53% of enquiry respondents would not have attended if there was only the ‘scientific component’ and another 34% were uncertain about their choice. Overall, 80.8% of respondents noted an increase in knowledge on biodiversity issues after attending Nature Concert Hall and 43.4% of respondents reported an increase in their pro-environmental activities. Significant predictors of increased knowledge were gender, profession and the main living location (men, people with creative professions such as artists and scientists, as well as people residing in the countryside, were less likely to learn something new). Significant predictors of increased pro-environmental behaviour were age, the number of events participants attended and the increase of knowledge (older people and those who attended more Nature Concert Hall events were more likely to improve their pro-environmental behaviour, as well as those people who also reported increase of knowledge).

This study evaluates the effects of two policy instruments on the adoption of native tree planting in oil palm plantations. The first instrument is an information campaign on tree planting in oil palm. The second instrument combines the information campaign with a structural intervention that provides native tree seedlings for free. We implemented a randomized controlled trial in oil-palm growing villages in Jambi, Indonesia. Our study addresses the underlying mechanisms of behavioral change, by investigating how the policy instruments shape farmers’ perceptions, intentions and actual adoption decisions. The results show that information campaigns and structural interventions can motivate tree planting among smallholder oil palm farmers in Indonesia. While both treatments have a positive and significant effect, the intervention combining information with seedling provision leads to significantly higher adoption rates, indicating that overcoming structural barriers is critical. While changes in perceptions and intentions fully mediate the effect of the information campaign on adoption, they can only partially explain the effect of the combined intervention. Facilitating easy access to high-quality inputs is critical to motivate wider adoption among large numbers of potential users.

A wide-scale information campaign, using a memorable slogan, reminded health professionals and users that the prescribing of antibiotics is not 'automatic' in the case of a viral infection. The fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria requires the consumption of these medications to be limited in order to preserve their effectiveness.

Firms informality is pervasive in Bangladesh. We implemented an information campaign on registration and find that the treatment made firms more aware, but had no impact on registration. Low benefits and high indirect costs appear to be barriers to formality.

Background Septic shock remains a major cause of death in intensive care units (ICU) and an inappropriate antibiotic regimen worsens the prognosis. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of an information campaign on modalities of prescription of aminoglycosides in septic shock. Study design A prospective observational study. Methods Consecutive septic shock patients admitted to the surgical ICU over a 2-year period were included. An information campaign allowed to differentiate between a pre- (P1) and a post- (P2) interventional period. The campaign clarified the rules and requirements for pharmacological monitoring of aminoglycosides. The main objective was to increase the rate of prescription of peak serum aminoglycoside following the first intravenous injection. Results One hundred and forty-eight patients (P1 = 76 and P2 = 72) were finally included into the study. Similar clinical characteristics were observed during both periods. The rate of prescription of peak serum aminoglycoside following the first injection was performed in 49% (P1) versus 65% (P2), P = 0.09. The length of stay in ICU was 16 days [extremes: 1–74] (P1) versus 17 days [extremes: 1–133] (P2) ( P = 0.84). Inhospital mortality was 28% (P1) versus 26% (P2), P = 0.86. Conclusions An information campaign describing the modalities of prescription of aminoglycosides in septic shock failed to improve medical practices and patient outcomes. A mobile team of antibiotics could be useful in daily practice.

The use of information campaigns in order to influence peoples’ behaviour and attitude is often referred to as social marketing. In spite of their popularity, social marketing campaigns have rarely been evaluated using quantitative methods. In this study, an information campaign concerning the collection of batteries in Sweden is evaluated using data from the time period 1998–2005. The results of the econometric model suggest that increased expenditure on information campaigns has a positive and statistical significant impact on the collection of batteries. The findings of this study may be used in future cost-efficiency evaluations where social marketing is compared with other measures aiming to increase battery collection.

We study how effectively information induces Bangladeshi households to avoid a health risk. The response to information is large and rapid; knowing that the household's well water has an unsafe concentration of arsenic raises the probability that the household changes to another well within one year by 0.37. Households who change wells increase the time spent obtaining water fifteen-fold. We identify a causal effect of information, since incidence of arsenic is uncorrelated with household characteristics. Our door-to-door information campaign provides well-specific arsenic levels without which behavior does not change. Media communicate general information about arsenic less expensively and no less effectively.

The objective of this paper is, first, to determine which information cues on beef labels really attract consumer interest, specified as the level of perceived importance attached to and attention paid to label cues. The focus is (1) on indications of quality through a quality label and quality guarantee, (2) on indications referring to the mandatory European beef labelling regulation and traceability system, and (3) on indications reflecting country-of-origin. The second objective is to assess the impact of a campaign aiming at informing consumers about beef traceability, and at raising consumer interest in beef quality, traceability and origin. Data were collected from a sample of 278 beef consumers in Belgium. Ordered probit models were specified and estimated to assess the impact of individual characteristics and the beef labelling information campaign. Findings reveal that consumer interest is generally low for traceability, moderate for origin and high for direct indications of quality like a quality guarantee seal or expiration date. Interest in label cues is specifically low among younger males. Further, the information campaign had a measurable positive impact on consumer attention paid to direct indications of quality and country-of-origin. Strategies including traceability for backing up on-label indications of quality and origin, rather than providing consumers with detailed traceability information on-label, are recommended.

This paper examines influenza vaccine coverage using a population base of an average of 2300 persons in each of four European countries (Germany, Spain, Poland and Sweden). The reasons for non-vaccination of those in the high-risk groups were explored by questionnaire. The vaccine coverage rate (VCR) for elderly ranged from 18% in Poland to 67% in Spain. The VCR for high-risk population under 65 was 10% in Poland, 13% in Sweden, 27% in Germany and 30% in Spain. The most important reasons mentioned for not being vaccinated were: perceived sufficient resistance to flu (33–42%) in all countries; financial barriers in Poland (25%), and not to qualify for the vaccination (30%) and forgetfulness (20%) in Germany. Receiving a personal invitation for the vaccination, results in higher coverage rates in all four countries. We think that future interventions could be directed towards: an information campaign with special attention to the high-risk groups due to disease; promotion of personal invitations; and, for Poland, solving financial barriers to vaccination.

Summary Objectives A campaign designed to enhance screening for hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) by private practitioners was conducted in the Lyon area from April 2000 to March 2001. The target population for screening was composed of individuals with active/previous intravenous drug abuse habits or had received blood products before 1991 or who presented elevated serum transaminase levels. The objectives of the present study were to validate the campaign's organization and its impact on screening practices. Methods The impact of the campaign was estimated from the number of prescribed and performed HCV screening and confirmation tests, the number of physicians who prescribed HCV screening tests, and the number of HCV screening tests prescribed by each physician. Indicators/practices observed during the 12-month campaign were compared with the same indicators/practices observed during the 12-month period preceding the campaign. Results During the campaign, 15952 HCV serology tests were prescribed by 1798 of the 3052 physicians (58.9%) practising in the Lyon area. Among physicians who prescribed serology, 11.4% of the general practitioners and 10.9% of the specialists prescribed HCV serology tests for the first time during the campaign. Prescriptions for HCV serology increased significantly between the two calendar periods (+15.6%, ɛ = 17.7), similarly for general practitioners and specialists. The number of general practitioners who prescribed more than five serology tests per year increased 15.3% while the number of general practitioners who did not prescribe serology tests decreased 9.7% (P = 0.02). More HCV-positive patients were detected during the campaign (276 patients) than during the previous period (231 patients) [ɛ = 2.8]. Conclusion When provided with pertinent information and training adapted to their medical practice, private practitioners become actively involved in screening for HCV infection.

Switzerland has lagged behind other industrialized countries in increasing vaccination coverage against flu in the elderly population. The information campaign “United against Flu”, started in Geneva in 1993, gradually extended to other French and Italian speaking cantons in Switzerland and indirectly affected German-speaking cantons. Activities developed include the production of TV spots, press conferences, information forwarded to health professionals, an Internet site and information material such as leaflets and posters to risk groups. The campaign is evaluated by repeated surveys that measure vaccination coverage as well as network of informants, knowledge and perceptions in the geriatric population. Vaccination coverage of the geriatric population in Geneva canton has increased from 29% in 1991 to 59% in the year 2000.

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) can play an important role in reducing risks and increasing traffic safety. Discussion as to whether a technological approach or a behavioral approach is the right way to achieve a safer traffic environment forms a point of departure for this paper. On the one hand, there are the technicians who emphasize technology as the way towards safer traffic. Behaviorists, on the other hand, view the drivers’ behavior as fundamental and argue that education and incentive-oriented policies are essential in order to influence the driver and therefore increase traffic safety. Independent of the approach advocated a successful outcome of either a technological improvement, or an information campaign, has to be based on a high level of acceptance among potential users. In order to increase traffic safety, it is therefore essential to recognize driver motivation and attitudes. In this paper we focus on drivers’ attitudes towards risk, traffic safety and safety measures. A study of drivers’ attitudes and acceptance of an electronic device for speed checking (which the drivers tested for nine months) indicated a high acceptance level. The drivers perceived that they had both become more aware of traffic regulations and behaved in accordance with safety regulations.

This naturalistic pre-test/post-test field experiment studied a university public relations campaign, the “Great Cities Initiative,” for evidence of priming or framing effects on newspaper reporters and editors. The phrase “great cities” in the Chicago Tribune increased 433% during the 16-month post-test, but only 26% of stories identified the campaign source. Several measures of semantic network diversity increased, also supporting priming over framing effects.

University fees have recently trebled in England, prompting fears that young people may be put off from participating in higher education. We investigate students' knowledge and their receptiveness to information campaigns about the costs and benefits of staying on in education. We compare the effects of a specially designed information campaign to the effects of media exposure about the increase in tuition fees. The latter has a stronger effect on relevant outcomes. However, we find that an inexpensive information campaign can be effective in improving information and reducing perceived financial barriers to university participation, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

An educational campaign in the Netherlands on the risks of Toxocara spp. was performed by the Dutch Ministry of Public Health in 1993, consisting of sending information to veterinarians and physicians, publications in medical journals and popular magazines, brochures, and information on radio and television. Before and after the campaign, respectively, surveys were performed among 200 and 105 veterinarians, 135 and 105 physicians, 511 and 530 pet owners and 100 and 261 non-pet owners to investigate their knowledge and perception concerning Toxocara and toxocarosis. The knowledge of this condition before the campaign was inadequate in veterinarians and physicians and generally absent in the public. After the extensive information campaign, the knowledge of veterinarians was increased on several topics but still inadequate, and awareness had not changed in physicians and the public. For veterinarians and physicians, prolongation of education concerning these subjects is recommended; for physicians and pet owners better ways of providing information are needed.

This article presents results of the first utility-sponsored residential lighting rebate programs in Brazil. The costs of conserving electricity via this type of program as well as the impact on CFL sales resulting from different rebate levels are presented. The programs were held in three cities of the state of Sao Paulo and followed the same structure: the same information campaign, lamp products, number and type of vendors, and participation conditions. The results show that with higher rebate more lamps are sold per day, and the number of lamps sold per household and the total savings achieved increase. It was also noticed that the most affluent consumers have higher participation levels, and this applies to all rebate levels tested. In the present analysis rebate costs, administrative costs and all other program costs were included. The results show that the utility program was cost-effective at three rebate levels tested.

MARCUS WIEMANN outlines the mid-term findings of an information campaign in developing countries on the use of small and medium wind turbines for rural electrification.

Just as Smokey the Bear persuaded Americans of all ages to assume responsibility for fire prevention, a trench-coated detective from the canine corps has become a persuasive symbol for crime-fighting citizens. “McGruff” and the information campaign built around him are the result of cooperation among government agencies, forward-looking American corporations and the Crime Prevention Coalition. In this article, “Mac” Gray describes the behind-the-scenes effort that culminated in a successful “business outreach” information program about violence and its prevention. B. M. “Mac” Gray is currently director of the Community Crime Prevention Center and staff director for the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign. Prior to this, he was director of the National Crime Prevention Institute, School of Justice Administration, University of Louisville. He also served as police projects director with the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. Mr. Gray holds a M.S. in Criminal Justice Education from Eastern Kentucky University.

The Burns Unit in Copenhagen, which serves the whole of Denmark, presents a report of all patients treated for coffee scalds as in- or outpatients during three 12-month periods commencing on 1 January, 1971, 1 April, 1973, and 1 April, 1974, respectively. The circumstances in which the coffee scalds were sustained are described and attention is drawn to essential parts of the coffee-brewing process where an alteration in the procedure will bring about a decrease in the number of casualties. The course of a prevention campaign is also described—how it was carried out primarily and then followed up in order to evaluate the result. Furthermore, the possibilities of such ‘pursuant prophylaxis’ are evaluated. An intensive information campaign resulted in the reduction of the total public expenditure due to coffee scalds during 1973–1974 to 30 per cent of its 1971 level, whereas the expenditure in 1974–1975 increased to 85 per cent of the 1971 figure. The causes of the accidents were alike in the three series, showing that the information campaign in this respect had little effect. As a consequence of this study, the consumers' ombudsman has been approached and steps are now being taken to motivate manufacturers to cease production of dangerous coffee filter-funnels.

The concept of ‘fuel poverty’, the inability to afford adequate warmth at home has become a focus for social policies in recent years. Increasing numbers of households dependent on social security and the likelihood that fuel will become more expensive mean that the existing problem of fuel poverty may become even greater. The data on fuel expenditure and related variables from three national surveys are used to evaluate various policy options for relieving fuel poverty. Three policies for increasing incomes to pay for fuel costs are considered, increasing benefits, introducing a fuel allowance or extending the existing scheme of additional heating requirements. The policies for reducing fuel expenditure are also considered, restructuring tariffs, changing payment methods and conservation measures. The case is made for priority to be given to an advice and information campaign and a conservation programme aimed at poor households who are unable to respond to existing price signals and grants.

Three methodological techniques are used to explore the impact of DWI (driving while impaired) programming in the State of New Jersey. The programs consisted of a community-wide Task Force whose membership was drawn from local police agencies, alcohol treatment facilities, and public schools, an intensified public education and information campaign, and the use of roadside sobriety checkpoints. The first technique used cross-sectional data from 21 counties to examine fatalities and accidents. The second technique used pooled cross-sectional county data in a covariance model to examine program effects over time. The third technique relied upon intervention analysis, a form of time series, to ascertain the effects of the programs in one county.

Epidemiological data concerning 1391 patients hospitalized at the Burns Unit, Odense University Hospital during a 17-year period are presented. The annual incidence showed a steady downward trend of 3 per cent per year. Scald and fire were the most important causes of burn injuries. Among children a significant reduction in burns due to scalds and electrical or corrosive injuries was noted. The rate of injury among adults and the elderly was constant. These results might reflect an intensive information campaign in the media, revisions of laws and regulations and improvements in the safety of household products, especially directed towards thermal injuries among smaller children.