climate change attitudes in oregon

Climate Change Beliefs of Oregonians

July, 2011

A Call for Better Communications and Smarter Incentives

The purpose of conducting a statewide climate change survey was threefold:

1. Deeply understand attitudes about climate change

2. Test recommendations of the Oregon Global Warming Commission Roadmap to 2020

3. Identify levels of support for climate change initiatives

OGWC reached out to over 2,000 Oregonians with help from various groups

Respondents were from urban & rural parts of Oregon

Overall, there exists strong support for climate change initiatives …

We looked at support of initiatives based on political view

We found two fundamentally different views of climate change

Most conservatives don’t see evidence of climate change, yet when they do…

Evidence for climate change attributed to different causes based on political views

As a result, only about 20% of conservatives see a need for action

This reality caused us to ponder the future of carbon reduction incentives

Simple majority of the environmentally

“aware”

Identifying the “others” is not difficult

Based on the Climate Leadership Initiative and the Social Capital Project’s study, “Climate Communications and Behavior Change” report, we know that, when discussing attitudes about climate change, people can be grouped into 3 major groups & 10 subgroups:

Green-hued:• The Greenest Americans (9%) Everything is connected, and our daily actions have an impact on the

environment.• Idealists (3%) Green lifestyles are part of a new way of being• Traditionalists (24%) Healthy families need a healthy environment. Undecided:• Traditionalists (20%) Religion and morality dictate actions in a world where humans are superior to nature.• Driven Independents (7%) Protecting the earth is fine as long as it doesn’t get in the way of success.• Murky Middles (17%) Indifferent to most everything, including the environment. Uninterested:• Fatalists (5%) Getting material and status needs met on a daily basis trumps worries about the planet.• Materialists (7%) Little can be done to protect the environment, so why not get a piece of the pie.• Cruel Worlders (6%) Resentment and isolation leave no room for environmental concerns.• UnGreens (3%) Environmental degradation and pollution are inevitable parts of America’s prosperity.Simple majority of

the the base + others

To identify this “other/undecided” group, we first identified skeptics

Simple majority of the the base + others

Over one quarter of respondents are “skeptical witnesses” of climate change

Simple majority of the the base + others

About 15% of skeptics approve of some form of carbon mitigation

Simple majority of the the base + others

Over 20% of skeptics believe in incentives to reduce emissions

Simple majority of the the base + others

Over 20% of skeptics interested in more expensive alternative transport

Simple majority of the the base + others

Over 30% interested in installing renewables with a feed-in tariff

Simple majority of the the base + others

Larger base of support focused on popular incentives

There are shared objectives that hold the promise of significant support

Supermajority based on shared objectives

Within energy roadmap, agreement on renewables & conservation goals

Supermajority based on shared objectives

Domestically-produced energy supported by all political views

Supermajority based on shared objectives

Preferred energy sources differ by view, but renewable nonetheless

Supermajority based on shared objectives

More utility bill cost control desired by a majority of political points of view

Supermajority based on shared objectives

Costs associated with transportation are also a significant unifying issue

Supermajority based on shared objectives

Energy efficiency projects that lower bills appreciated by everyone

Supermajority based on shared objectives

Interest in:• Limiting utility emissions• Increasing renewables• More efficiency• Domestic energy (not coal or

bio-based)• Personal energy cost controls

• Home utilities• Transportation

Interest in:• Emission reduction• Incentives to reduce GHGs• Alternative vehicles• Feed-in tariffs• Plus, everything in the

Supermajority list (to the right)

SummarySupermajority of the political spectrum focused on shared

goals

Simple majority of the progressive base plus those

movable “others”