Political Preferences, Personality Traits, and Environmentalism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair Soutter ◽  
René Mõttus
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Environmental Attitudes ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Political Preferences ◽  
Party Voting

Although the scientific evidence of anthropogenic climate change continues to grow, public discourse still reflects a high level of scepticism and political polarisation towards anthropogenic climate change. In this study (N = 499) we attempted to replicate and expand upon an earlier finding that environmental terminology (“climate change” versus “global warming”) could partly explain political polarisation in environmental scepticism (Schuldt, Konrath, & Schwarz, 2011). Participants completed a series of online questionnaires assessing personality traits, political preferences, belief in environmental phenomenon, and various pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. Those with a Conservative political orientation and/or party voting believed less in both climate change and global warming compared to those with a Liberal orientation and/or party voting. Furthermore, there was an interaction between continuously measured political orientation, but not party voting, and question wording on beliefs in environmental phenomena. Personality traits did not confound these effects. Furthermore, continuously measured political orientation was associated with pro-environmental attitudes, after controlling for personality traits, age, gender, area lived in, income, and education. The personality domains of Openness, and Conscientiousness, were consistently associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, whereas Agreeableness was associated with pro-environmental attitudes but not with behaviours. This study highlights the importance of examining personality traits and political preferences together and suggests ways in which policy interventions can best be optimised to account for these individual differences.

scholarly journals A RISK PERCEPTION MODEL OF CLIMATE CHANGE FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-350
Author(s):  
Shyang-Chyuan Fang ◽  
Tai-Yi Yu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
University Students ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Environmental Attitudes ◽  
Environmental Behavior ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Environmental Value

This study establishes a behavioral model for university students by utilizing the theories of planned behavior and value-belief-norm, and proposes key latent variables for risk perception toward climate change to establish a structural equation model. Partial least squares analyses and three indicators are utilized to test the reliability, validity, and goodness-of-fit of the model. This study establishes a mixed model with formative and reflective indicators, and assesses both environmental concern and personality traits as formative indicators. Using standardized path coefficients, eight out of 10 paths demonstrate statistical significance, indicating that environmental value and environmental attitudes influence environmental behavior. Three of the five included personality traits (e.g., agreeableness, extraversion, and openness) demonstrate a positive correlation with environmental behavior and environmental attributes. Individuals’ risk perception positively influences their environmental value, environmental attitudes, and environmental behavior with respect to climate change. Keywords: climate change, environmental behavior, partial least square, personality trait.

The Challenge of Anthropogenic Climate Change for the Social Sciences

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
The Social ◽  
Protective Strategy ◽  
Biophysical Indicators ◽  
Social Causes

Abstract: This paper argues that climate change throws down a challenge for the social sciences. They can no longer rely on exclusively social indicators and relative ones, but must include absolute biophysical indicators in their investigations. Accurate analyses of the social causes and consequences of anthropogenic climate change require that they capture the complexity of lay and scientific knowledge, and the nuances of uncertainty, of nature, and of language rather than relying on oversimplified notions. The paper examines whether resilience is a protective strategy under uncertainty and whether disasters are likely to impel mitigation of global warming. It assesses lofty post-carbon utopia discourse and suggests instead the comparative analysis of successful and unsuccessful societies in preventing anthropogenic global warming. To illustrate such an analysis, the paper sketches a study of the different developmental channels of Northern Europe and North America.

Making the Climate a Part of the Human World

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (10) ◽  
pp. 1297-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon D. Donner
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
The Public ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
Human World ◽  
City States

Doubts about the scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change persist among the general public, particularly in North America, despite overwhelming consensus in the scientific community about the human influence on the climate system. The public uncertainty may be rooted in the belief, held by many cultures across the planet, that the climate is not directly influenced by people. The belief in divine control of weather and climate can, in some cases, be traced back to the development of agriculture and the early city-states. Drawing upon evidence from anthropology, theology, and communication studies, this article suggests that in many regions this deeply ingrained belief may limit public acceptance of the evidence for anthropogenic climate change. Successful climate change education and outreach programs should be designed to help overcome perceived conflict between climate science and long-held cultural beliefs, drawing upon lessons from communication and education regarding other potentially divisive subjects, such as evolution.

scholarly journals Not all biodiversity rich spots are climate refugia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 6567-6578
Author(s):  
Ádám T. Kocsis ◽  
Qianshuo Zhao ◽  
Mark J. Costello ◽  
Wolfgang Kiessling
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Absolute Temperature ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Future Warming ◽  
Almost All

Abstract. Anthropogenic climate change is increasingly threatening biodiversity on a global scale. Rich spots of biodiversity, regions with exceptionally high endemism and/or number of species, are a top priority for nature conservation. Terrestrial studies have hypothesized that rich spots occur in places where long-term climate change was dampened relative to other regions. Here we tested whether biodiversity rich spots are likely to provide refugia for organisms during anthropogenic climate change. We assessed the spatial distribution of both historic (absolute temperature change and climate change velocities) and projected climate change in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine rich spots. Our analyses confirm the general consensus that global warming will impact almost all rich spots of all three realms and suggest that their characteristic biota is expected to witness similar forcing to other areas, including range shifts and elevated risk of extinction. Marine rich spots seem to be particularly sensitive to global warming: they have warmed more, have higher climate velocities, and are projected to experience higher future warming than non-rich-spot areas. However, our results also suggest that terrestrial and freshwater rich spots will be somewhat less affected than other areas. These findings emphasize the urgency of protecting a comprehensive and representative network of biodiversity-rich areas that accommodate species range shifts under climate change.

Cities Demanding the Earth

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Taylor ◽  
Geoff O'Brien ◽  
Phil O'Keefe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable City ◽  
Jane Jacobs ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Change Policy ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
The City

Current climate change policy is necessary but insufficient. This is because the basic modus operandi – presenting scientific evidence to states for them to take action - misrepresents the complex process of anthropogenic climate change. The ‘anthropo’ bit is neglected in a misconceived supply-side (carbon) interpretation. The key question is, why is there so much demand for this carbon in the first place? This book introduces a demand-side interpretation bringing cities to the fore as central players in both generating climate changes and for finding solutions. Jane Jacobs’ urban analysis is combined with William F. Ruddiman’s historical tracing of greenhouse gases to provide a new understanding and narrative of anthropogenic climate change. The conclusion is that we are locked into a path to terminal consumption, which is accelerating as a consequence of Chinese urban growth, historically unprecedented in its sheer scale. To counter this we need to harness the power of cities in new ways, to steer urban demand away from its current destructive path. This is nothing less than re-inventing the city: not mitigation (the resilient city, necessary but not sufficient), not adaptation (sustainable city, also necessary but not sufficient) but stewardship, a process of dynamic stability creating the posterity city in sync with nature.

scholarly journals Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Health to Better Manage Adaptation Action

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Clare Heaviside
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Climate Research ◽  
Research Communities ◽  
Adaptation Action ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

The atmospheric and climate research communities have made significant advances in recent decades in gathering and understanding the scientific evidence supporting the concept of anthropogenic climate change [...]

Egyptian public’s concern for global warming

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Mostafa
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Locus Of Control ◽  
Modeling Techniques ◽  
Bayesian Logistic Regression

Purpose – Despite the growing scientific evidence regarding risks caused by global warming and climate change, virtually no studies have been conducted to investigate general public’s attitudes toward this phenomenon in a non-Western context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors influencing concern for global warming in a representative sample of 2,551 respondents in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses logistic and Bayesian logistic regression modeling techniques to test the influence of post-materialistic tendencies, religiosity, political orientation and locus of control on concern for global warming in Egypt. Findings – Results contradict the post-materialist hypothesis and show that concern for global warming is driven by religiosity, political orientation and internal locus of control. Originality/value – The findings highlight the importance of investigating the specificity of global warming and environmental concern in a non-Western context.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Whether a Carbon Neutral  Initiative Can Successfully Be implemented at  Victoria University of Wellington

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tushara Kodikara
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Carbon Neutral ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Responsibility Model ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The University

<p>The scientific evidence is now in no doubt - anthropogenic climate change has created a severe global problem and demands an urgent global response. The origin of anthropogenic climate change lies in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Avoiding serious climate change will require reductions in GHG emissions from all sources. Universities can demonstrate leadership in this area by not only conducting research and teaching about climate change, but also by going further and starting to manage and mitigate their own impact on the climate. This thesis assesses whether Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) can become carbon neutral and therefore have no net impact on climate change. Applying a  corporate social responsibility model, the interface between the universities as teaching and research institutes and agents of change is investigated. This way, the opportunities, benefits and barriers in place for the university to become carbon neutral are identified and a framework to implement this initiative is developed. The research found several potential short-term and enlightened self-interest benefits available to VUW in becoming carbon neutral. Despite this, many barriers will need to be overcome to achieve neutrality. The main obstacle is gaining a firm commitment from the University Council and senior management. If this commitment is achieved, then VUW is in a strong position to demonstrate leadership both at the level of the local Wellington community and nationally.</p>

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