scholarly journals Geoengineering, climate change scepticism and the ‘moral hazard’ argument: an experimental study of UK public perceptions

2014 ◽  
Vol 372 (2031) ◽  
pp. 20140063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Corner ◽  
Nick Pidgeon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
Moral Hazard ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
It Impacts ◽  
The Uk

Many commentators have expressed concerns that researching and/or developing geoengineering technologies may undermine support for existing climate policies—the so-called moral hazard argument. This argument plays a central role in policy debates about geoengineering. However, there has not yet been a systematic investigation of how members of the public view the moral hazard argument, or whether it impacts on people's beliefs about geoengineering and climate change. In this paper, we describe an online experiment with a representative sample of the UK public, in which participants read one of two arguments (either endorsing or rejecting the idea that geoengineering poses a moral hazard). The argument endorsing the idea of geoengineering as a moral hazard was perceived as more convincing overall. However, people with more sceptical views and those who endorsed ‘self-enhancing’ values were more likely to agree that the prospect of geoengineering would reduce their motivation to make changes in their own behaviour in response to climate change. The findings suggest that geoengineering is likely to pose a moral hazard for some people more than others, and the implications for engaging the public are discussed.

A Mixed-Method analysis of the #SugarTax debate on Twitter

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Gemma Bridge ◽  
Stuart W. Flint ◽  
Ralph Tench
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽  
The Public ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Method Analysis

Abstract Objective: To explore the #SugarTax debate on Twitter to assess actors involved, their connections and the topics being discussed during the implementation and first anniversary of the UK Soft Drink Industry Levy. Design: The structure of the #SugarTax debate on Twitter was assessed using social network analysis. The actors involved, their connections and the topics of discussion taking place were also explored using content, sentiment and thematic analysis. Setting: Twitter between 2017 and 2019. Participants: Twitter users engaging in discussions relating to the hashtag ‘SugarTax’. Results: Tweets (n= 5366) posted between 5th August 2017 and 7th May 2019 containing #SugarTax were downloaded from Twitter using NodeXL. The network included 1883 users, with 686 unique edges and 4679 edges with duplicates. The majority of tweets were negative in sentiment, when assessed by both automatic (64%, n=141) and manual sentiment analysis (52%, n=115) methods. Nine key themes were identified and grouped into two groups according to ‘support for a sugar or SSB tax’ or ‘opposition for a sugar or SSB tax’. Conclusions: Twitter was used as a platform for debating the benefits and limitations of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes. The findings indicate that numerous actors are involved in the debates on Twitter, with advocates and lobbyists using the platform to raise support for their campaigns and reshape public perceptions. The findings and the methods used may be of interest to policy makers as well as to academics and members of the public looking to explore and engage in policy debates.

Public perceptions of who counts as a scientist for controversial science

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 797-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne Suldovsky ◽  
Asheley Landrum ◽  
Natalie Jomini Stroud
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
Science Media

In an era where expertise is increasingly critiqued, this study draws from the research on expertise and scientist stereotyping to explore who the public considers to be a scientist in the context of media coverage about climate change and genetically modified organisms. Using survey data from the United States, we find that political ideology and science knowledge affect who the US public believes is a scientist in these domains. Our results suggest important differences in the role of science media attention and science media selection in the publics “scientist” labeling. In addition, we replicate previous work and find that compared to other people who work in science, those with PhDs in Biology and Chemistry are most commonly seen as scientists.

scholarly journals Media frames and public perceptions of global poverty in the UK: Is there a link?

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Vossen ◽  
Lau Schulpen
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Global Poverty ◽  
Media Frames ◽  
The Public ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between media frames and public perceptions of global poverty. Building on a frame analysis, the paper reconstructs prevailing poverty narratives in British news articles and non-governmental organizations’ (NGO’s) advertisements between 2011 and 2013. Following this, these narratives are compared with the narratives that emerge from public opinion studies. The findings suggest that there is a strong connection between media frames and public knowledge and perceptions of global poverty. Both the media and the public define poverty in developing countries’ terms of destitute victims, lack of development and bad governance. Both suggest that the causes of poverty are internal to developing countries and imply that there has been little progress in reducing global poverty.

The public consultation to the UK Climate Change Act 2008: a critical analysis

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
ADELA MACIEJEWSKI SCHEER ◽  
CORINA HÖPPNER
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Climate Change – Is It Worse Than Expected?

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz ◽  
Valérie Masson-Delmotte ◽  
Ulrich Cubasch ◽  
Jim Skea ◽  
Michał Kleiber
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Polish Academy ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Synthesis Report ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Academy Of Sciences

Abstract A review of findings contained in the IPCC AR5 Synthesis Report, of particular relevance to the Polish audience, is offered. Polish perspectives on coal-climate nexus are discussed in a broader, universal, context. Positive examples of climate policies in other countries are provided. The title of this paper refers to a public conference organized in Warsaw by the Embassies of France, Germany, and the UK and the Polish Academy of Sciences.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Public Perceptions of Climate Change Risk in Three Western U.S. Cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Sullivan ◽  
Dave D. White
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Climate Change Risk ◽  
The Public

Abstract Risk perceptions influence individual and collective action related to climate change, and there is an important gap between public and expert perceptions of climate change risk, especially in the United States. Past studies have found that on average 40% of the American public believe climate change will affect them personally. We contribute a study of climate change risk perceptions in the metropolitan areas of three western U.S. cities (Denver, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona), assessing overall patterns and drivers. A representative mail survey (N = 786) of the general public in these cities revealed that 60% of respondents identified climate change as personally risky, with the perception that it will impact either their family or their city in the next 30 years. Our results indicate that the gap in risk perceptions between the public and experts may be decreasing, although we discuss several limitations and reasons why this result requires further investigation. Using regression models, we analyze factors that are hypothesized to drive risk perceptions and discover that pro-environmental worldview and perceived personal responsibility are the most influential predictors. We discuss the implications of our results for fostering collective action to address climate change in dry, western U.S. metropolitan areas.

scholarly journals Public Perceptions on the Procedural Values and Proposed Outcomes of the Finnish Climate Change Act Amendment

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eerika Albrecht ◽  
Iikka Pietilä ◽  
Sanna-Riikka Saarela
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sustainability Transition ◽  
International Climate ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
Procedural Values ◽  
Climate Neutrality

This article examines the public perceptions on the drafting process of Finnish Climate Act amendment, which is a legislation on the climate policy that aims to mitigate climate change and secure adaptive capacity. In this paper we present results of a thematic analysis, which reveals citizens' perceptions of the procedural values, with respect to transparency, participation, and acceptance, and the objectives of the amendment, such as the climate neutrality target for 2035. The research data consisted of 2,458 answers to a citizen survey on the Finnish Climate Change Act amendment. Our results reveal that the opinions of citizens ranged from highlighting the urgency of political action to climate denials, with varying perceptions on process and proposed outcomes. While over half of citizens felt positively about the 2035 climate neutrality target created in the Climate Change Amendment Act, only a third believed that there was appropriate opportunity for public participation in the amendment process. Based on these findings, we suggest that participatory and transparent processes in legislative drafting are prerequisites for the sustainability transition and the implementation of international climate mitigation targets.

Should You Be a Public Scientist?

2021 ◽  
pp. 375-380
Author(s):  
Dennis Meredith
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Public Understanding Of Science ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
The Public ◽  
It Impacts ◽  
Global Problems ◽  
The Media ◽  
Understanding Of Science

Deciding whether to be a “public scientist”—using the media spotlight to highlight important issues—means deciding whether one is a natural explainer. Also, it must be decided how much time and effort can be committed to such outreach and how it impacts research and other activities. Explaining research does offer satisfactions, in that the researcher is contributing to public understanding of science. One problem is that the coverage of science and technology is small and shrinking. That said, opportunities to reach the public directly through websites and social media are considerable. The role of public scientists and the importance of explaining research in general are becoming ever more critical because failure to bridge the information gulf between researchers and the public will hamper, perhaps tragically, our ability to solve the massive global problems we face—climate change, resource depletion, ecological damage, food security, and disease.

scholarly journals Different Countries, Common Support for Climate Change Mitigation: The Case of Germany and Poland

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Bohdanowicz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
The Public ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Common Support ◽  
Climate Crisis ◽  
Change Mitigation

There are numerous studies assessing the influence of individual sociological, political, and demographic factors on attitudes towards climate change. However, there is still a need for a deeper understanding of the reasons behind these attitudes and for research based on results from more than one country. This study empirically examines a range of psychosocial and demographic determinants of support for climate policy (renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon tax) in Germany and Poland (n = 1969). The results show that the societies of both countries, despite significant differences in income, culture and political stance on climate change, similarly support implementation of climate policies. For both countries valid predictors of support are: awareness, emotional response to climate crisis, sense of control, and belief in effectiveness of solutions; the study also shows predictors relevant in only one country. Factor analysis identified similar dimensions of attitudes toward climate change in both countries. The main findings show that support for climate policy is high in both countries and that the public is ready to accept more ambitious climate goals. Despite the differences between the countries, a coherent climate policy seems justified. The study also shows differences between the countries and provides recommendations for policymakers.

Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Support for Climate Policies in Asia: Evidence from Recent Polls

2011 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
So Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Change Policy ◽  
Global Coordination ◽  
Change Mitigation ◽  
Cross National

Climate change has become a focal point in recent environmental debates and policymaking. Latest polls show rising consensus among the global public on the urgency of the problem. Home to the fastest growing economies as well as to four of the ten largest greenhouse gas emitters, Asia holds key to successful global coordination on climate change policy. This essay draws a contour of Asian public opinion on climate change issues based on multiple cross-national polls. While generally aware of climate change and seriously concerned about its effects, Asians turn out to be the least willing to bear the costs of climate change mitigation as compared to the residents of other regions of the world. This portends a great hurdle to devising and implementing proactive policies to address the challenges of climate change in the region.

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