global warming’s six americas: a climate communication for and … · 2009-11-18 · global...
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Greening Virginia Universities and Colleges ConferenceThursday, October 22, 2009
Global Warming’s Six Americas: A Climate CommunicationTool for Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Karen Akerlof, M.S.Doctoral student, Communication Department
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, Virginia
“Leading society to reverse human‐induced global warming is a task that fits squarely into the educational, research, and public service missions of higher education. There is no other institution in society that has the influence, the critical mass and the diversity of skills needed to successfully make this transformation.”
A Call for Climate Leadership, March 2007American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment
Minor in Sustainability Studies
Minor in Renewable Energy
B.S., Global and Environmental Change
Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and the Environment
April 2009
Overview
1.What do the “Six Americas” tell us about climate change audiences that can be used on campuses in Virginia?
2.What a “People and Places” approach tells us about maximizing behavioral change by addressing individual, social andenvironmental factors
To understand human behavior, we must understand people.
But people are not all alike.
Alice Claudia Carl Diane David Dan
Alarmed Alice Alice is completely sure global warming is happening, she believes it is human caused, and she feels personally threatened by it. She also believes that people around the world are already being harmed by it, or will soon be.
Alice is only modestly more likely than average to be taking steps to reduce her energy use, but she is far more likely than average to use her purchasing power ‐ and her voice as a citizen ‐ to advocate for change.
Alice supports a wide range of policy responses to address global warming.
Concerned ClaudiaClaudia is very sure global warming is happening, and she believes it is human causes, but she feels less personally threatened by it than Alice. She believes that global warming will begin to harm people around the world 10+ years from now.
Claudia is average in terms of taking measures to reduce her energy consumption, but well above average in terms of using her purchasing power to advocate for change.
Claudia supports aggressive government policies, but is unlikely to contact her elected officials to say so.
Cautious Carl Carl is only somewhat sure that global warming is happening, and he is equally likely to see it as human caused or not. He sees global warming as a more distant threat – primarily a threat to other people – that won’t begin to hurt people around the world for another 25 ‐ 50 years.
Carl is taking average steps to reduce his energy consumption, but isn’t involved in addressing global warming in other ways.
He is, however, modestly supportive of a range of proposed policies.
Disengaged DianeDiane thinks global warming may be happening, but she’s not at all sure. She’s given it very little thought, doesn’t consider it personally important, and doesn’t feel she knows anything about it.
Diane has done relatively little to reduce her use of energy at home, but because she has lower than average income she is more likely than average not to rely on her own car.
Despite her low level of personal concern, Diane is more supportive than Carl of mounting a national response to global warming.
Doubtful David
David says he doesn’t know if real or not, but if it is, he’s pretty sure it isn’t human‐caused. David certainly isn’t worried about it; he sees global warming as a very distant threat that won’t harm people for at least another 100 years.
David isn’t in favor of a national response to global warming per se, but he is modestly in favor of a range of energy‐saving policy measures, and is active in improving energy‐efficiency in his home.
Dismissive Dan
Dan simply does not believe that global warming is happening – or that it’s in God’s hands ‐ and he believes that many scientists share his views. Needless to say, Dan doesn’t support any form of government action against global warming.
Although vigorously opposed to government action on global warming, he himself is quite active in making energy‐efficient improvements to his home.
1. Reality of climate change: It’s real.2. Certainty: I’m certain it’s real.3. Evaluation: It will be bad for people.4. Belief in human causation: Humans caused it.5. Response efficacy: Humans can fix it.
Krosnick, Holbrook, Lowe & Visser, 2006
Five Key Beliefs differentiate those who support strong climate change policies from those who don’t in the United States
1. Reality of climate change: It’s real.2. Certainty: I’m certain it’s real.
Do you think that global warming is happening? How sure are you?
Extremely sure global warming
is happening
Don’t know
Extremely sureglobal warming
is not happening
3. Evaluation: It will be bad for people.
When do you think global warming willstart to harm people in the United States?
Never
100 yrs
50 yrs
25 yrs
10 yrs
Now
4. Belief in human causation: Humans caused it.
If global warming is happening, do you think it is …
Caused mostly by human activities
5. Response efficacy: Humans can fix it.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your view?
Humans can reduce global warming, and we will
Humans could reduce global warming, but unclear if we will
More commonalities in actions than beliefs
Number of energy efficient improvements made to home
Number of habitual conservation actions
Summary
1.U.S. public opinion is divided, but the majority are concerned about climate change and support action
2.The groups most strongly against policy change are small – 7% and 11%
3.Energy efficiency and conservation bypass the politicization and appeal across all segments
Attributes of people
Population behavior is strongly influenced by:
Attributes of place
The People and Places Framework
Individuals
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
Social Networks
Population orCommunity
Attributes of peopleSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level Distal‐Level
Individuals
Cognitions: knowledge, beliefs, self‐efficacyAffectSkillsMotivation IntentionsBiological predispositionsDemographics
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
The attributes of people
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
The attributes of people
Social Networks
Size and connectedness of personal networkSocial support and modeling by:‐family‐peers‐mentors
Opinion leaders
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
The attributes of people
Population or Community
Social normsCultureSocial cohesionCollective efficacySocial capitalIncome disparitiesRacism
Individuals
Social Networks
Population or Community
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
Attributes of peopleSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
The People and Places Framework
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level Distal‐Level
Availability and cost of products and services
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level & Distal‐Level
Highly available and very inexpensive
Less available and much more expensive
Availability and cost of products and services
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level & Distal‐Level
Aggressively marketedAvailable but not promoted
Physical structures
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level & Distal‐Level
or
Social structures: laws and policies; enforcement
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level & Distal‐Level
Cultural and media messages
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level & Distal‐Level
vs.
The People and Places Framework
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level Distal‐Level
The People and Places Framework
Individuals
Behaviors of the people in the population
Societal outcomes
Social Networks
Population orCommunity
Attributes of peopleSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
The attributes of placeSmallest ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Largest
Level of Aggregation
Local‐Level Distal‐Level
Summary
Targeting aspects of both people and place is most effective in shifting the behavior of populations
Universities and colleges are uniquely capable of implementing both people‐ and place‐based change
“By creating and implementing coordinated plans to reduce their global warming impact down to zero within a generation, our campuses can drive the scientific innovation and public education necessary to catalyze rapid change.”
A Call for Climate Leadership, March 2007American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment
Reports available at both:climatechange.gmu.edu
research.yale.edu/environment/climate
Thank you to our funders:
The Yale Center for Environmental Law and PolicyThe Betsy and Jesse Fink FoundationThe 11th Hour ProjectThe Pacific FoundationInvestigator Award, Health Policy Research,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation