The effect of perceived and assessed knowledge of climate change on public policy concerns: An empirical comparison

Stoutenborough, James W.; Vedlitz, Arnold

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2013.08.002

Cited by 116 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Public understanding of climate change is influenced by a range of factors including source of information on ocean health, issue immediacy, preexisting environmental beliefs, and issue salience [68,29,66,73]. Knowledge alone does not drive behavioral change [30].…”

Section: Public Understanding Of Oceans and Ocean Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Gauging perceptions of ocean acidification in Alaska

et al. 2015

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a b s t r a c tWhile ocean acidification (OA) poses a significant threat to ocean-related ecosystems and communities reliant on marine fisheries, aquaculture, and coral reef systems, limited public understanding and awareness can prevent coastal regions from being able to adequately assess the need for OA adaptation or mitigation. This study assessed public understanding of OA and how social and demographic factors influence the public's concern for OA. The analysis was based on 311 questionnaires from full-time Alaska residents. The results showed that most Alaskans self-reported to have a basic awareness of OA, and subsequently were able to recognize that CO 2 emissions related to human activity are the dominant driver of changing ocean conditions. However, there was a low recognition of how natural variability in the marine environment affects OA, and most respondents were not very confident in their understanding of OA-related science. Moreover, even though many communities in Alaska are reliant on commercial and subsistence fishing activities, the respondents had a low awareness of fisheries-related OA risk. Given the ongoing debate associated with climate change research, evaluating CO 2 mitigation efforts through the perspective of OA could give individuals an unbiased way to assess the pros and cons of more intensive efforts to curb CO 2 emissions. Furthermore, using OA communication to enhance the understanding of how natural variability influences OA around the state and the potential economic implications for Alaska fisheries would help residents and stakeholders make informed decisions when considering fisheries management plans, food security, and job diversity as OA intensifies. Solidifying the understanding that any reduction in pH and intensification of OA can have implications for marine species that are irreversible on human timescales will reinforce not only that OA is an immediate concern, but also the importance of taking action now.

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Section: Public Understanding Of Oceans and Ocean Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Gauging perceptions of ocean acidification in Alaska

et al. 2015

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“…It has been pointed out that it is necessary to distinguish between a person's self-reported and objectively assessed knowledge about climate change (Stoutenborough & Vedlitz, 2013). Many studies (e.g.…”

Section: Climate Change Perceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What explains public support for climate policies? A review of empirical and experimental studies

2015

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The lack of broad public support prevents the implementation of effective climate policies. This article aims to examine why citizens support or reject climate policies. For this purpose, we provide a cross-disciplinary overview of empirical and experimental research on public attitudes and preferences that has emerged in the last few years. The various factors influencing policy support are divided into three general categories: (1) social-psychological factors and climate change perception, such as the positive influences of left-wing political orientation, egalitarian worldviews, environmental and self-transcendent values, climate change knowledge, risk perception, or emotions like interest and hope; (2) the perception of climate policy and its design, which includes, among others, the preference of pull over push measures, the positive role of perceived policy effectiveness, the level of policy costs, as well as the positive effect of perceived policy fairness and the recycling of potential policy revenues; (3) contextual factors, such as the positive influence of social trust, norms and participation, wider economic, political and geographical aspects, or the different effects of specific media events and communications. Finally, we discuss the findings and provide suggestions for future research. Policy relevancePublic opinion is a significant determinant of policy change in democratic countries. Policy makers may be reluctant to implement climate policies if they expect public opposition. This article seeks to provide a better understanding of the various factors influencing public responses to climate policy proposals. Most of the studied factors include perceptions about climate change, policy and its attributes, all of which are amenable to intervention. The acquired insights can thus assist in improving policy design and communication with the overarching objective to garner more public support for effective climate policy.

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“…Second, we find support for the arguments of KDM, which has not been particularly successful in explaining risk perceptions for climate change within the public [9]. Clearly, KDM is still useful for explaining the relationship between knowledge and risk assessments on climate change.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…Although these results are far from definitive, they offer a first look at what may be significant predictors of stakeholder climate acceptance. Importantly, the influence of knowledge is frequently found [9] even if it is in an unexpected direction [8] or difficult to interpret [29], in studies of climate risk perceptions. This influence in found even with controls for basic demographics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Knowledge, Information, and Views of Climate Change: An Examination of Coastal Stakeholders along the Gulf of Mexico

Stoutenborough

Vedlitz

2015

Climate

Self Cite

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Abstract:The ability to understand complex issues is essential to adequately evaluate risk and policy alternatives. Stakeholders are more likely to understand and influence these issues. While stakeholders that specialize in coastal regions have many issues that demand their attention, there are a few that potentially affect everyone within this community. We utilize in-depth interviews to examine climate change attitudes, and the influence of knowledge, information, and institutions within a sample of stakeholders along the Gulf Coast in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. Our analysis is the first to reveal that institutional forces may influence climate change attitudes for members of that institution. Furthermore, we learn that different sources of information directly influence these attitudes.

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The effect of perceived and assessed knowledge of climate change on public policy concerns: An empirical comparison

Cited by 116 publications

References 42 publications

Gauging perceptions of ocean acidification in Alaska

Gauging perceptions of ocean acidification in Alaska

What explains public support for climate policies? A review of empirical and experimental studies

Knowledge, Information, and Views of Climate Change: An Examination of Coastal Stakeholders along the Gulf of Mexico

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