Re: Public opinion and climate change
Hi Henrik - The literature is vast! For long-term surveys of views check the regular Gallup Polls. At least that way you keep getting the same standard methodology and hence a more comparable perspective. MANY others have done studies, and you can easily search for them with key words like attitude, public understanding, public opinion AND climate change or global warming -- they are obviously slightly different but get at the same thing. Below I just list a small selection. Brewer, T. L. 2003. Seeds of change in the US: Public opinion ahead of politicians on climate change. New Economy 10: 150-154. Bord, R. J., R. E. O'Connor, and A. Fisher. 2000. In what sense does the public need to understand global climate change? Public Understanding of Science 9: 205-218. (search for more by these authors on mental models and the challenges the American public has in understanding climate change) Immerwahr, J. 1999. Waiting for a signal: Public attitudes toward global warming, the environment and geophysical research. Pages 18pp. AGU. (it's on their website) Kempton, W. 1991. Public understanding of global warming. Society and Natural Resources 4: 331-345. —. 1997. How the public views climate change. Environment 39: 12-21, 41. Krosnick, J. A., A. L. Holbrook, and P. S. Visser. 2000. The impact of the fall 1997 debate about global warming on American public opinion. Public Understanding of Science 9: 239-260. Leiserowitz, A. 2003. American opinions on global warming: Project results. Pages 14 pp. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. (check for additional publications by Tony; a recent one done after The Day After Tomorrow appeared in Environment) Shanahan, J., and J. Good. 2000. Heat and hot air: Influence of local temperature on journalists' coverage of global warming. Public Understanding of Science 9: 285-295. (he has similar ones looking at TV meteorologists; should be on his personal webpage) Stamm, K. R., F. Clark, and P. R. Eblascas. 2000. Mass communication and public understanding of environmental problems: The case of global warming. Public Understanding of Science 9: 219-237. Sterman, J. D. 2002. Cloudy skies: Assessing public understanding of global warming. System Dynamics Review 18. (They have published elsewhere, too.) Trumbo, C. W., and J. Shanahan. 2000. Social research on climate change: Where we have been, where we are, and where we might go. Public Understanding of Science 9: 199-204. Ungar, S. 2000. Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: Climate change versus ozone hole. Public Understanding of Science 9: 297-312. Weingart, P., A. Engels, and P. Pansegrau. 2000. Risks of communication: Discourses on climate change in science, politics, and the mass media. Public Understanding of Science 9: 261-283. There also was a recent new survey study done at MIT - bit problamatic in the methodology department, but several MIT researchers have done studies in the past (search for Sterman et al). I guess, I'll be a bit self-promoting and add the recent article I published with my colleague Lisa Dilling in Environment: Moser, S. and L. Dilling. 2004. Making climate hot: Communicating the urgency and challenge of global climate change. Environment 46(10): 32–46. hope this helps for starters... Susi Henrik Selin wrote: Hello, I have a student who wants to write a paper on US public opinion on climate change but has a hard time finding material on this. There is a fair bit of material on public opinion and environmental issues in general, but these seem to be less material specifically on climate change. Does anyone know about any books, articles, reports etc on public opinion and climate change? Is there an easy way to get access to different opinion polls on climate change to see how opinions have (or have not) changed over time? Thanks, Henrik -- * Susanne C. Moser, Ph.D. Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE) National Center for Atmospheric Research P.O.Box 3000 Boulder, CO 80307-3000 Tel.: 303.497.8132 Fax.: 303.497.8125 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.isse.ucar.edu/moser/index.html "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." Greek Proverb **
RE: Public opinion and climate change
I knew that Susi would have the mother lode of information in this context. I would just add a couple more: A report by Thomas Brewer from Georgetown, encompassing the period of 1989-2002: http://msb.georgetown.edu/faculty/brewert/Brewer%20-%20US%20Public%20Opinion%20for%20Climate%20Policy.pdf; A brief discussion in Dana Fisher’s new book, National Governance and the Global Climate Change Regime, U.S. chapter. Cheers, wil From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Susi Moser Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 11:00 AM To: Henrik Selin; gep-ed Subject: Re: Public opinion and climate change Hi Henrik - The literature is vast! For long-term surveys of views check the regular Gallup Polls. At least that way you keep getting the same standard methodology and hence a more comparable perspective. MANY others have done studies, and you can easily search for them with key words like attitude, public understanding, public opinion AND climate change or global warming -- they are obviously slightly different but get at the same thing. Below I just list a small selection. Brewer, T. L. 2003. Seeds of change in the US: Public opinion ahead of politicians on climate change. New Economy 10: 150-154. Bord, R. J., R. E. O'Connor, and A. Fisher. 2000. In what sense does the public need to understand global climate change? Public Understanding of Science 9: 205-218. (search for more by these authors on mental models and the challenges the American public has in understanding climate change) Immerwahr, J. 1999. Waiting for a signal: Public attitudes toward global warming, the environment and geophysical research. Pages 18pp. AGU. (it's on their website) Kempton, W. 1991. Public understanding of global warming. Society and Natural Resources 4: 331-345. —. 1997. How the public views climate change. Environment 39: 12-21, 41. Krosnick, J. A., A. L. Holbrook, and P. S. Visser. 2000. The impact of the fall 1997 debate about global warming on American public opinion. Public Understanding of Science 9: 239-260. Leiserowitz, A. 2003. American opinions on global warming: Project results. Pages 14 pp. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. (check for additional publications by Tony; a recent one done after The Day After Tomorrow appeared in Environment) Shanahan, J., and J. Good. 2000. Heat and hot air: Influence of local temperature on journalists' coverage of global warming. Public Understanding of Science 9: 285-295. (he has similar ones looking at TV meteorologists; should be on his personal webpage) Stamm, K. R., F. Clark, and P. R. Eblascas. 2000. Mass communication and public understanding of environmental problems: The case of global warming. Public Understanding of Science 9: 219-237. Sterman, J. D. 2002. Cloudy skies: Assessing public understanding of global warming. System Dynamics Review 18. (They have published elsewhere, too.) Trumbo, C. W., and J. Shanahan. 2000. Social research on climate change: Where we have been, where we are, and where we might go. Public Understanding of Science 9: 199-204. Ungar, S. 2000. Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: Climate change versus ozone hole. Public Understanding of Science 9: 297-312. Weingart, P., A. Engels, and P. Pansegrau. 2000. Risks of communication: Discourses on climate change in science, politics, and the mass media. Public Understanding of Science 9: 261-283. There also was a recent new survey study done at MIT - bit problamatic in the methodology department, but several MIT researchers have done studies in the past (search for Sterman et al). I guess, I'll be a bit self-promoting and add the recent article I published with my colleague Lisa Dilling in Environment: Moser, S. and L. Dilling. 2004. Making climate hot: Communicating the urgency and challenge of global climate change. Environment 46(10): 32–46. hope this helps for starters... Susi Henrik Selin wrote: Hello, I have a student who wants to write a paper on US public opinion on climate change but has a hard time finding material on this. There is a fair bit of material on public opinion and environmental issues in general, but these seem to be less material specifically on climate change. Does anyone know about any books, articles, reports etc on public opinion and climate change? Is there an easy way to get access to different opinion polls on climate change to see how opinions have (or have not) changed over time? Thanks, Henrik -- * Susanne C. Moser, Ph.D.Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE)National Center for Atmospheric ResearchP.O.Box 3000Boulder, CO 80307-3000Tel.: 303.497.8132Fax.: 303.497.8125Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Web: http://www.isse.ucar.edu/moser/index.html "A society grows great when old men plant treeswhose shade they know they shall never sit in." Greek Proverb**
Re: Public opinion and climate change
Hi Henrik, I'd recommend Environmental Values in American Culture by Willett Kempton, James Boster and Jennifer Hartley, MIT Press 1997. Best regards, SymaHenrik Selin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hello,I have a student who wants to write a paper on US public opinion on climate change but has a hard time finding material on this. There is a fair bit of material on public opinion and environmental issues in general, but these seem to be less material specifically on climate change.Does anyone know about any books, articles, reports etc on public opinion and climate change?Is there an easy way to get access to different opinion polls on climate change to see how opinions have (or have not) changed over time?Thanks,Henrik
RE: Public opinion and climate change
I would also add that the CEO of Duke Energy called for a carbon tax a few days ago and criticized Bush for not doing enough about climate change. Couple this with the call by folks e.g. Frank Gaffney and Bud McFarlane to consider energy dependence a paramount security issue (though this may resulting plumping for more coal and nuclear use domestically, so not necessarily a positive development on the climate change front) and we do indeed have a potential sea change of public opinion on this matter ahead. Whether it will attain sufficient issue saliency to influence politicos remains to be seen. Jim Ball is still on the fringes of the evangelical movement for me, but if folks like the National Association of Evangelicals really devote some political capital to this, wow! wil From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Steinberg Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:28 PM To: GEP-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Public opinion and climate change In a related vein, there has been an unexpected development in U.S. environmental politics that could potentially have a significant impact on American public opinion and U.S. policy regarding the global environment. The country's major Christian evangelical organizations are launching a campaign to force the Republican Party to pay more attention to environmental issues such as global warming. These organizations, whose membership counts in the millions, are a major source of support for the party and have extensive grassroots mobilization capabilities. I have copied a Washington Post article below. Paul The Greening of Evangelicals Christian Right Turns, Sometimes Warily, to Environmentalism By Blaine Harden Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, February 6, 2005; Page A01 SEATTLE -- Thanks to the Rev. Leroy Hedman, the parishioners at Georgetown Gospel Chapel take their baptismal waters cold. The preacher has unplugged the electricity-guzzling heater in the immersion baptism tank behind his pulpit. He has also installed energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs throughout the church and has placed water barrels beneath its gutter pipes -- using runoff to irrigate the congregation's all-organic gardens. Such "creation care" should be at the heart of evangelical life, Hedman says, along with condemning abortion, protecting family and loving Jesus. He uses the term "creation care" because, he says, it does not annoy conservative Christians for whom the word "environmentalism" connotes liberals, secularists and Democrats. Richard Cizik, left, and the Rev. Jim Ball march at last month's antiabortion rally in Washington. They handed out papers that cited federal government studies showing that 1 in 6 babies is born with harmful levels of mercury. "It's amazing to me that evangelicals haven't gone quicker for the green," Hedman said. "But as creation care spreads, evangelicals will demand different behavior from politicians. The Republicans should not take us for granted." There is growing evidence -- in polling and in public statements of church leaders -- that evangelicals are beginning to go for the green. Despite wariness toward mainstream environmental groups, a growing number of evangelicals view stewardship of the environment as a responsibility mandated by God in the Bible. "The environment is a values issue," said the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals. "There are significant and compelling theological reasons why it should be a banner issue for the Christian right." In October, the association's leaders adopted an "Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" that, for the first time, emphasized every Christian's duty to care for the planet and the role of government in safeguarding a sustainable environment. "We affirm that God-given dominion is a sacred responsibility to steward the earth and not a license to abuse the creation of which we are a part," said the statement, which has been distributed to 50,000 member churches. "Because clean air, pure water, and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation." Signatories included highly visible, opinion-swaying evangelical leaders such as Haggard, James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Some of the signatories are to meet in March in Washington to develop a position on global warming, which could place them at odds with the policies of the Bush administration, according to Richard Cizik, the association's vice president for governmental affairs. Also last fall, Christianity Today, an influential evangelical magazine, weighed in for the first time on global warming. It said that "Christians should make it clear to governments and businesses that we are willing to adapt our lifestyles and support steps towards changes that p
Re: Public opinion and climate change
hi again - There is actually quite a shift going on in certain portions of the public -- the religious side, the financial/business side, even in the environmental community, broadly writ. It's an interesting change to observe. In any case, I forgot one earlier: Williams, J. L. 2001. The Rise and Decline of Public Interest in Global Warming: Toward a Pragmatic Conception of Environmental Problems. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York. Susi Wil Burns wrote: I would also add that the CEO of Duke Energy called for a carbon tax a few days ago and criticized Bush for not doing enough about climate change. Couple this with the call by folks e.g. Frank Gaffney and Bud McFarlane to consider energy dependence a paramount security issue (though this may resulting plumping for more coal and nuclear use domestically, so not necessarily a positive development on the climate change front) and we do indeed have a potential sea change of public opinion on this matter ahead. Whether it will attain sufficient issue saliency to influence politicos remains to be seen. Jim Ball is still on the fringes of the evangelical movement for me, but if folks like the National Association of Evangelicals really devote some political capital to this, wow! wil From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Paul Steinberg Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:28 PM To: GEP-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Public opinion and climate change In a related vein, there has been an unexpected development in U.S. environmental politics that could potentially have a significant impact on American public opinion and U.S. policy regarding the global environment. The country's major Christian evangelical organizations are launching a campaign to force the Republican Party to pay more attention to environmental issues such as global warming. These organizations, whose membership counts in the millions, are a major source of support for the party and have extensive grassroots mobilization capabilities. I have copied a Washington Post article below. Paul The Greening of Evangelicals Christian Right Turns, Sometimes Warily, to Environmentalism By Blaine Harden Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, February 6, 2005; Page A01 SEATTLE -- Thanks to the Rev. Leroy Hedman, the parishioners at Georgetown Gospel Chapel take their baptismal waters cold. The preacher has unplugged the electricity-guzzling heater in the immersion baptism tank behind his pulpit. He has also installed energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs throughout the church and has placed water barrels beneath its gutter pipes -- using runoff to irrigate the congregation's all-organic gardens. Such "creation care" should be at the heart of evangelical life, Hedman says, along with condemning abortion, protecting family and loving Jesus. He uses the term "creation care" because, he says, it does not annoy conservative Christians for whom the word "environmentalism" connotes liberals, secularists and Democrats. Richard Cizik, left, and the Rev. Jim Ball march at last month's antiabortion rally in Washington. They handed out papers that cited federal government studies showing that 1 in 6 babies is born with harmful levels of mercury. "It's amazing to me that evangelicals haven't gone quicker for the green," Hedman said. "But as creation care spreads, evangelicals will demand different behavior from politicians. The Republicans should not take us for granted." There is growing evidence -- in polling and in public statements of church leaders -- that evangelicals are beginning to go for the green. Despite wariness toward mainstream environmental groups, a growing number of evangelicals view stewardship of the environment as a responsibility mandated by God in the Bible. "The environment is a values issue," said the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals. "There are significant and compelling theological reasons why it should be a banner issue for the Christian right." In October, the association's leaders adopted an "Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" that, for the first time, emphasized every Christian's duty to care for the planet and the role of government in safeguarding a sustainable environment. "We affirm that God-given dominion is a sacred responsibility to steward the earth and not a license to abuse the creation of which we are a part," said the statement, which has been distributed to 50,000 member churches. "Because clean air, pure water, and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation." Signatories included highly visible, opinion-swaying evangelical leaders such as Haggard, James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship M
Re: Public opinion and climate change
Hi all, I have been hearing various claims about religious Americans and climate change. I am wondering what evidence there is for this. That is, are there really any empirics? Any evidence of CHANGE in such views? --Stacy At 04:24 PM 4/13/2005 -0600, Susi Moser wrote: hi again - There is actually quite a shift going on in certain portions of the public -- the religious side, the financial/business side, even in the environmental community, broadly writ. It's an interesting change to observe. In any case, I forgot one earlier: Williams, J. L. 2001. The Rise and Decline of Public Interest in Global Warming: Toward a Pragmatic Conception of Environmental Problems. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York. Susi Wil Burns wrote: I would also add that the CEO of Duke Energy called for a carbon tax a few days ago and criticized Bush for not doing enough about climate change. Couple this with the call by folks e.g. Frank Gaffney and Bud McFarlane to consider energy dependence a paramount security issue (though this may resulting plumping for more coal and nuclear use domestically, so not necessarily a positive development on the climate change front) and we do indeed have a potential sea change of public opinion on this matter ahead. Whether it will attain sufficient issue saliency to influence politicos remains to be seen. Jim Ball is still on the fringes of the evangelical movement for me, but if folks like the National Association of Evangelicals really devote some political capital to this, wow! wil From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Paul Steinberg Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:28 PM To: GEP-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Public opinion and climate change In a related vein, there has been an unexpected development in U.S. environmental politics that could potentially have a significant impact on American public opinion and U.S. policy regarding the global environment. The country's major Christian evangelical organizations are launching a campaign to force the Republican Party to pay more attention to environmental issues such as global warming. These organizations, whose membership counts in the millions, are a major source of support for the party and have extensive grassroots mobilization capabilities. I have copied a Washington Post article below. Paul The Greening of Evangelicals Christian Right Turns, Sometimes Warily, to Environmentalism By Blaine Harden Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, February 6, 2005; Page A01 SEATTLE -- Thanks to the Rev. Leroy Hedman, the parishioners at Georgetown Gospel Chapel take their baptismal waters cold. The preacher has unplugged the electricity-guzzling heater in the immersion baptism tank behind his pulpit. He has also installed energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs throughout the church and has placed water barrels beneath its gutter pipes -- using runoff to irrigate the congregation's all-organic gardens. Such "creation care" should be at the heart of evangelical life, Hedman says, along with condemning abortion, protecting family and loving Jesus. He uses the term "creation care" because, he says, it does not annoy conservative Christians for whom the word "environmentalism" connotes liberals, secularists and Democrats. Richard Cizik, left, and the Rev. Jim Ball march at last month's antiabortion rally in Washington. They handed out papers that cited federal government studies showing that 1 in 6 babies is born with harmful levels of mercury. "It's amazing to me that evangelicals haven't gone quicker for the green," Hedman said. "But as creation care spreads, evangelicals will demand different behavior from politicians. The Republicans should not take us for granted." There is growing evidence -- in polling and in public statements of church leaders -- that evangelicals are beginning to go for the green. Despite wariness toward mainstream environmental groups, a growing number of evangelicals view stewardship of the environment as a responsibility mandated by God in the Bible. "The environment is a values issue," said the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals. "There are significant and compelling theological reasons why it should be a banner issue for the Christian right." In October, the association's leaders adopted an "Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" that, for the first time, emphasized every Christian's duty to care for the planet and the role of government in safeguarding a sustainable environment. "We affirm that God-given dominion is a sacred responsibility to steward the earth and not a license to abuse the creation of which we are a part," said the statement, which has been distributed to 50,000 member churches. "Because clean air, pure water, and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation."
RE: Public opinion and climate change
Hi all: For those of you who were at ISA, I raised this issue in one of the panels and a number of people questioned my comment. There is actually quite a bit of evidence that I have received from inside the evangelical environmental community. First, there was an article all about this in the New York Times on March 10th. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050310/ZNYT02/503100853 Here’s a link to a related Washington Post story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1491-2005Feb5.html Here is the text of an e-mail I received recently from a leading environmentalist (and president of a major US environmental group) as well as an evangelical: “A recent internal poll found that evangelical's concern for the environment jumped nearly 20 points in the last year. Climate change heads the list along with mercury pollution and its threat to the unborn. “I do not know of a single Evangelical Christian who believes that we should wreck the environment so God can return. The polls show that Christians understand their stewardship responsibility at about the same level as the rest of America. “After the Washington Post piece appeared, I got a call on Thursday from James Watt repudiating that statement attributed to him. He said that he is getting a lot of pressure from the evangelical community about his past positions. He was very upset. He contends that he never said what the papers say he said. Yet I have staff who heard him say that in a hearing. If he said it, he was wrong and way out of line. The book of Revelation promises that in the final hour God will act by "destroying those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:17) I think Watt needs to get on his knees. “The good news in this is if Watt is feeling the pressure, the lawmakers are getting it too. “Steve Johnson the new acting EPA administrator is an evangelical. Why did Bush appoint him? Was it because he's a scientist? Maybe but I don't think it stops there. Bush is hearing the evangelical voice and he wants someone who can talk with them. “I got an e-mail from David Saperstein. He is thrilled by what is happening. He understands the shift that is occurring.” Note: Rabbi David Saperstein is the director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism in Washington, DC. I have known him since I was in high school. He has been very active in interfaith environmental cooperation. At this point, many believe that the only way to get movement in Washington is not through traditional “environmentalists” but from evangelical and other “religious” environmentalists. There have been many who have always believed – but now they are actually mobilizing around it. We’ll see if it is effective. Pam Pamela Chasek, Ph.D. Editor, Earth Negotiations Bulletin 212 East 47th Street #21F New York, NY 10017 USA tel: +1-212-888-2737 fax: +1-646-219-0955 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.iisd.ca/linkages From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of stacy vandeveer Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 8:55 PM To: Susi Moser; Wil Burns Cc: 'Paul Steinberg'; GEP-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu Subject: Re: Public opinion and climate change Hi all, I have been hearing various claims about religious Americans and climate change. I am wondering what evidence there is for this. That is, are there really any empirics? Any evidence of CHANGE in such views? --Stacy At 04:24 PM 4/13/2005 -0600, Susi Moser wrote: hi again - There is actually quite a shift going on in certain portions of the public -- the religious side, the financial/business side, even in the environmental community, broadly writ. It's an interesting change to observe. In any case, I forgot one earlier: Williams, J. L. 2001. The Rise and Decline of Public Interest in Global Warming: Toward a Pragmatic Conception of Environmental Problems. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York. Susi Wil Burns wrote: I would also add that the CEO of Duke Energy called for a carbon tax a few days ago and criticized Bush for not doing enough about climate change. Couple this with the call by folks e.g. Frank Gaffney and Bud McFarlane to consider energy dependence a paramount security issue (though this may resulting plumping for more coal and nuclear use domestically, so not necessarily a positive development on the climate change front) and we do indeed have a potential sea change of public opinion on this matter ahead. Whether it will attain sufficient issue saliency to influence politicos remains to be seen. Jim Ball is still on the fringes of the evangelical movement for me, but if folks like the National Association of Evangelicals really devote some political capital to this, wow! wil From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Paul Steinberg Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:28 PM To:
