scholarly journals Predictors of Willingness to Reduce Carbon Footprint and Effects of Survey Question Phrasing

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikol Miojevic ◽  
Simone Robson ◽  
Renata Ivanek Miojevic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Survey Question ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Change Perceptions ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Many

To minimize and prevent the many negative effects associated with climate change people must reduce their carbon footprints. Our objectives were to determine whether a person’s likelihood to take political action against climate change, perceptions about fracking, and education level affect their willingness to reduce carbon footprint, and whether phrasing of a survey question affects how people respond. To this end, participants’ responses were used from the publicly available nationally representative 2015 Cornell National Social Survey (CNSS) of 1,000 United States adults. Statistical analysis involved estimation and comparison of odds ratios (ORs) and the associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Findings indicated that willingness to reduce carbon footprint was positively associated with being likely to take political action against climate change (OR=6.53, 95% CI: 4.63-9.20) and with having gone to college (OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.06-1.94). Conversely, support for fracking had a negative association with willingness to reduce carbon footprint (OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.31-0.56). In CNSS, the question about carbon footprint was phrased in five different ways that either mentioned the danger from climate change or the benefit from reducing climate change, and linked the benefit or danger to humans or birds. It was discovered that how the question is asked matters. Participants appeared more affected by mention of humans than animals, though reactions to benefit and danger were not consistent. These findings will aid education efforts about climate change and carbon footprint and also help in the design of future surveys on the topic.

Framing of Climate Change in United States Science Education

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.C. Busch
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Next Generation Science Standards ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Science Standards ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Climate Change Education ◽  
Knowledge Deficit ◽  
Literature Base ◽  
The Many

Although future generations—starting with today’s youth—will bear the brunt of negative effects related to climate change, some research suggests that they have little concern about climate change nor much intention to take action to mitigate its impacts. One common explanation for this indifference and inaction is lack of scientific knowledge. It is often said that youth do not understand the science; therefore, they are not concerned. Indeed, in science educational research, numerous studies catalogue the many misunderstandings students have about climate science. However, this knowledge-deficit perspective is not particularly informative in charting a path forward for climate-change education. This path is important because climate science will be taught in more depth as states adopt the Next Generation Science Standards within the next few years. How do we go about creating the educational experiences that students need to be able to achieve climate-science literacy and feel as if they could take action? First, the literature base in communication, specifically about framing must be considered, to identify potentially more effective ways to craft personally relevant and empowering messages for students within their classrooms.

Geographies of Climate Change Belief

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Hopkins ◽  
Ezra M. Markowitz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Change Perceptions ◽  
Nationally Representative

Despite scientific consensus on the anthropogenic causation of climate change, and ever-growing knowledge on the biophysical impacts of climate change, there is large variability in public perceptions of and belief in climate change. Public support for national and international climate policy has a strong positive association with certainty that climate change is occurring, human caused, serious, and solvable. Thus to achieve greater acceptance of national climate policy and international agreements, it is important to raise public belief in climate change and understandings of personal climate risk. Public understandings of climate change and associated risk perceptions have received significant academic attention. This research has been conducted across a range of spatial scales, with particular attention on large-scale, nationally representative surveys to gain insights into country-scale perceptions of climate change. Generalizability of nationally representative surveys allows some degree of national comparison; however, the ability to conduct such comparisons has been limited by the availability of comparative data sets. Consequently, empirical insights have been geographically biased toward Europe and North America, with less understanding of public perceptions of climate change in other geographical settings including the Global South. Moreover, a focus on quantitative surveying techniques can overlook the more nuanced, culturally determined factors that contribute to the construction of climate change perceptions. The physical and human geographies of climate change are diverse. This is due to the complex spatial dimensions of climate change and includes both the observed and anticipated geographical differentiation in risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. While country location and national climate can impact upon how climate change is understood, so too will sociocultural factors such as national identity and culture(s). Studies have reported high variability in climate change perceptions, the result of a complex interplay between personal experiences of climate, social norms, and worldviews. Exploring the development of national-scale analyses and their findings over time, and the comparability of national data sets, may provide some insights into the factors that influence public perceptions of climate change and identify national-scale interventions and communications to raise risk perception and understanding of climate change.

scholarly journals How blameless are hospitals in climate change? An example of a province in Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Manar Aslan ◽  
Ayşe Yıldız
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Medical Waste ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
World Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Starting from the 1970s, the discussion about the negative effects of human activity on the world has accelerated and with a increasingly raised voice and it has been noted that the natural balance of our world was being altered. The World Health Organization has focused its policies and directives on strategies aimed on dealing with climate change (and its impact on human health), and diseases related to air pollution and implementing health-related sustainable development goals in climate friendly-hospitals. Hospitals exist to treat patients, but they also pollute the environment because hospitals consume a lot of energy and water and produce hazardous waste. These organizations need to work hard to improve their carbon footprints. The study investigated practices at 21 public hospitals in Konya, Turkey. Results show that domestic waste was on average 54.83 tons per year, medical waste was 33.59 tons per year and packing waste was 24.36 tons per year. It was determined that medical waste disposal costs on average of €26,800 per annum, and the amount of medical waste per bed was 1.15 kilograms per annum. According to 2014 medical waste data the average medical waste per bed of these hospitals in Konya province is less than the average in Turkish public hospitals, in which it is 1.18 kilograms per bed. The hospitals in our study were found to be especially inadequate at water management and did not pay much attention to green practices.

scholarly journals Introduction and early measurement of carbon footprint concepts to respond the challenge of SDGs-Goal 13

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Santhyami ◽  
Moh. Isna Al Mubarok ◽  
Vakha Yulia Nurzahra
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Early Measurement ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Central Java ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Change Mitigation

One of the efforts to prevent the effects of climate change was the introduction of the concept of carbon footprints from an early age to students. Science subjects in this school have included elements of environmental knowledge in their subject matter. However, mitigation and adaptation efforts to climate change were still lacking recognition. The purpose of this study was to introduce and measure the extent to which elementary students are able to recognize the concept of carbon footprints and can use a simple carbon footprint calculator application in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The study was conducted at MIM Kupang Karangdowo Klaten, Central Java. The activity was carried out on February 19, 2020 with the method of lectures, interviews, and simulations, followed by 11 teachers and 21 grade VI students. The flow of activities was divided into 3, namely: (1) counseling/explanation of the carbon cycle, global warming, carbon footprint and carbon footprint calculator, (2) interviews about the student's daily and weekly lifestyle or carbon footprint pattern, (3) socialization of the footprint calculator application carbon and usability observations. The activity ended with a simulation of a carbon footprint calculator for several students. From the study conducted, it can be seen that students are interested in this carbon footprint concept and were technically assessed as being able to use a carbon calculator without significant obstacles.

scholarly journals ‘An Inconvenient Truth’: A social representation of scientific expertise.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren Pearce ◽  
Brigitte Nerlich
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Scientific Content ◽  
An Inconvenient Truth ◽  
Forthcoming Book ◽  
Scientific Expertise ◽  
The Many

Chapter from forthcoming book *Science and the Politics of Openness: Here Be Monsters*. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Pre-review version]June 30, 2006 marked the release of An Inconvenient Truth (AIT), a climatechange documentary presented and written by leading US Democrat politicianAl Gore. The film has contributed to making climate change expertise publicthrough a heady combination of scientific data with personal stories andcalls for political action that offered a particular social representationof climate change. In this chapter we discuss AIT as an example of takingclimate change expertise out of the pages of science journals and into thepublic sphere. We draw on the ideas of John Dewey and their elucidation byMark Brown to show how the notion of expertise is key in understanding thefilm’s motivation, successes and critics. While the purpose of thedocumentary was to persuade its audience of the consensual truth impartedby climate science experts, its effect was to become a lightning rod fordissent, critique and debate of that expertise. Overall, AIT created adominant representation of climate change, based on expertise that became atouchstone for consent and dissent, action and reaction.In the following we shall first provide some background to the film’semergence, highlighting its echoes of Dewey’s argument that expertknowledge should be integrated in society. We then use the concept ofsocial representation to show how Gore combined scientific content withpersonal and political context in order to provide a meaningfulrepresentation of climate change expertise. We then highlight how AITsought to create its own public for scientific expertise, returning climatescience expertise to society as one of the many tools with which citizensmake sense of the world and solve problems. We then show how the veryelements that helped AIT towards establishing a dominant socialrepresentation of climate change also contributed to the creation of acounter-representation and counterpublic that questioned how AITrepresented climate science expertise. With AIT’s success in bringingsocial context to scientific content came inevitable contestation. Weconclude with some tentative lessons for science communicators from the AITstory.-- Dr Warren Pearce<http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/socstudies/staff/staff-profiles/warren-pearce>,

scholarly journals Trade implications of grid emission factors under climate change and the green economy: Comparative study of African and Asian continents

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chipo Mukonza ◽  
Godwell Nhamo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Global Citizens ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Trade Competitiveness

Trade, climate change, and the green economy are aspects that converge on the carbon footprint of organisations, products and countries. The carbon footprint is in turn linked directly to the grid emission factors (GEFs) of a country or sub-regions within that country. In an epoch where global citizens are increasingly aware of the adverse impacts of high greenhouse gas emissions leading to global warming, low carbon footprints are likely to attract greater trade opportunities. African and Asian countries have embraced the green economy to address economic development, environmental management and social equity challenges. The advent of the green economy means that trade is likely to result in the more efficient allocation of natural resources, as well as improved access to green goods, services and technologies. Through the examination and analysis of publicly available and accessible data and documents, this article seeks to compare the ‘green’ trade competitiveness of Asian and African economies as measured through carbon footprints. The results of the study show that Africa is relatively cleaner than Asia. Therefore, ceteris paribus, if GEFs are used to determine trading partners, Africa stands a better chance. The research findings can be used to make informed strategic trade decision in favour of environmental sustainability.

scholarly journals Eine CO2-Abgabe mit Rückerstattung hilft dem Klimaschutz und ist sozial gerecht

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Diekmann ◽  
Heidi Bruderer Enzler
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Distributional Effects ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Effective Instrument ◽  
The Right

Der Ruf nach einer CO2-Bepreisung wird international lauter, da CO2-Emissionen damit effektiv gesenkt werden können. Allerdings ist die klimapolitische Maßnahme auch umstritten, da sie angeblich Personen mit niedrigem Einkommen zu stark belastet. Das Schweizer Modell zeigt, dass Geringverdienende von einer CO2 -Abgabe profitieren ‐ dank Rückerstattung.A carbon tax is an effective instrument for reducing industrial and household carbon emissions. Some, however, put forward the objection that taxing CO2 is a greater burden for lower-class households than for affluent household. Revenue redistribution to taxpayers compensates for the negative distributional effects of a carbon tax. In 2008, Switzerland introduced a CO2 levy on heating-related fossil fuel use. The levy was raised to 96 Swiss francs (87 Euro) per ton CO2. Two thirds of the revenues are redistributed to residents while one third is spent on building renovations and technological innovations. In the current study, we investigated the distributional effects of a hypothetical CO2 levy with redistribution on all products and services. We calculated individual carbon footprints based on survey data from Swiss households. As expected, the carbon footprint distribution was strongly skewed to the right. We report correlations of carbon footprints with income and estimate the proportion of the population that stands to gain from a CO2 levy with redistribution. The results show that, in addition to mitigating climate change, this policy will prove beneficial for a large majority of the population.

Effects of Cigarette Smoking in Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lana Lan Chan
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
The Many ◽  
Physical Consequences ◽  
Health Canada

First-hand cigarette smoking is known to result in adverse health effects in adults, influencing wellbeing physically and mentally. The most prevalent physical consequences are cardiovascular diseases, cancer of the throat and oral cavities, diseases of the bowel, eye, respiratory system, and reproductive system. Arguably, direct effects of tobacco smoking have been said to affect mental aspects of wellbeing such as depression, mood, and anxiety disorders. Undoubtedly smoking comes with many negative effects, but with implementation of smoking cessation strategies, it is possible to strengthen the overall health and wellbeing of smokers. As such, Health Canada recognizes the many health benefits associated with smoking cessation, by delivering health-promoting campaigns that strongly urge, it is not too late to quit.  

scholarly journals The Effects of US State-Level Energy and Environmental Policies on Clean Tech Innovation and Employment

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Gittell ◽  
Josh Stillwagon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
State Level ◽  
Environmental Policies ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Level Energy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Employment Benefits ◽  
Technology Industry ◽  
Change Policy

<p>This paper explores the influence of US state-level policies meant to address climate change on clean technology industry development. The largest influence of climate change policies is identified as being on energy research employment. Only some policies seem to contribute positively to clean tech employment while other policies appear to discourage employment growth. The magnitudes of the short term effects, even when statistically significant, are modest. Negative impacts on employment are identified for several mandate-oriented, so called command and control, policies including vehicle greenhouse gas standards, energy efficiency resource standards, and renewable portfolio standards with the former two having increasing negative effects over time. The findings suggest that climate change policy advocates should be careful to not assume that there will be positive clean tech employment benefits from state-level energy and environmental policies. Instead, the benefits from these policies may derive primarily from other considerations beyond the scope of this paper, including health and environmental benefits and reduction of dependence on foreign energy sources.</p>

EXPRESS: Sustainable by Design: Choice Architecture and the Carbon Footprint of Grocery Shopping

2021 ◽  
pp. 074391562110088
Author(s):  
Luca Panzone ◽  
Alistair Ulph ◽  
Denis Hilton ◽  
Ilse Gortemaker ◽  
Ibrahim Tajudeen
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Grocery Shopping ◽  
Choice Architecture ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Policy Objective ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Design Choice ◽  
Goal Priming

The increase in global temperatures requires substantial reductions in the greenhouse emissions from consumer choices. We use an experimental incentive-compatible online supermarket to analyse the effect of a carbon-based choice architecture, which presents commodities to customers in high, medium and low carbon footprint groups, in reducing the carbon footprints of grocery baskets. We relate this choice architecture to two other policy interventions: a bonus-malus carbon tax on all grocery products; and moral goal priming, using an online banner noting the moral importance of reducing one’s carbon footprint. Participants shopped from their home in an online store containing 612 existing food products and 39 existing non-food products for which we had data on carbon footprint, over three successive weeks, with the interventions occurring in the second and third weeks. Choice architecture reduced carbon footprint significantly in the third week by reducing the proportion of choices made in the high-carbon aisle. The carbon tax reduced carbon footprint in both weeks, primarily by reducing overall spend. The goal priming banner led to a small reduction in carbon footprint in the second week only. Thus, the design of the marketplace plays an important role in achieving the policy objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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