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Attitudes of Extension Educators Regarding Climate Change

Dr. Terrie A. Becerra Dr. Gerad Middendorf

Great Plains Grazing USDA-AFRI-CAP

Kansas State UniversityThe Noble Foundation

Oklahoma State UniversityUniversity of Oklahoma

Tarleton State UniversityThis project was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2012-02355 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Overview Rationale

Vulnerability and resiliency of beef cattle production systems in the Southern Great Plains

Social factors can be a source of vulnerability and resilience

Objectives To better understand the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions

of Extension educators regarding climate change Identify gaps in information and/or materials

Method Results

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MethodOnline surveyStudy Population: Extension Educators in Kansas and Oklahoma Response n %

Surveys e-mailed KS: 228 (36%) OK: 410 (64%)

638

100%

Surveys opened –Successfully delivered

370

370/638

58%Adjusted Response: Surveys Completed of Surveys Opened

226

226/37061%

By State ResponseKS: 90/228 (40%) OK: 112/410 (27%)

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DemographicsGender (n=127) Respon

se%

Female 40 31%Male 82 65%No Response 5 4%

Length of Service (n=127)

Response

%

5 years or fewer

44 35%

6 to 10 years 12 9%11 to 20 years 31 24

%21 years or more

40 31%

Race (n=202) Response

%

American Indian or Alaska Native

14 7%

White 172 87%

No Response 16 8%

*Hispanic/Latino 1 4

What we askedWhat are Extension educators’ views on climate change?

Is it happening? Role of human activitiesOther ‘6 Americas’ questions

What are Extension educators’ interactions with constituents?

Frequency & level of expressed concernTopics of concernChallenges you face in engaging your constituents

What are Extension educators’ information needs?

Information and resource gapsCapacityInformation sourcesTopics in need of infoAdditional tools needed

Gaps, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions

Attitudes, Beliefs, Perceptions

Gaps, information or material

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Attitudes about Climate ChangeQuestion Yes & Sure Yes/No

& Unsure

No & Sure

Do you think the climate is changing? 67% 19% 15%

Agree Disagree

I could easily change my mind about global warming and climate change.

45% 55%

A lot

Some A little Not at all

How much had you thought about climate change before today?

19%

46% 32% 3%None to

Low capacity

Moderate

capacity

High to very high

capacity

What is your capacity to adequately answer your constituents' questions about climate change?

64% 30% 5%

Attitudes about Climate Change

Which is the closest to your view . . . %

Climate change is not happening. 4%

Humans cannot reduce climate change even if it is happening. 29%

Humans could reduce climate change, but people are not willing to change their behavior so we are not going to.

24%

Humans could reduce climate change, but it is unclear at this point whether we will do what's needed.

42%

Humans can reduce climate change, and we are going to do so successfully.

1%

Human

causes

Unsure

Natural

changes

Human & natural causes

None, it’s not

occurring

Climate change is mostly caused by . . . (n=208)

29% 1% 61% 4%4%

QuestionNot

important

Not too import

ant

Somewhat

important

Very Import

ant

Extremely

Important

How important is climate change to you personally?

8% 27% 43% 20% 2%

None A few Some Most All

How many of your colleagues share your views?

2% 25% 47% 27% 1%

Low Medium High Very High

Do you think climate change should be a low, medium, high, or very high priority for the President and Congress? For Extension?

37%32%

44%44%

16%20%

2%4%

Attitudes about Climate Change

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How would you rate the level of concern about climate change you hear from your constituents?

How frequently do your constituents express concerns to you about climate change?

None Low Medium High Very High

Never Rarely Very Somewhat Frequently Frequently Frequently 9

Other range or forage management

Grazing management29%57%

Other

Weather variability (drought,

heat, excess water)

82%

Weather forecast

information

29%

Soil loss 15%

Regulations

28%

37%

Agronomic decisions (e.g., crop type, seed variety, tillage, planting dates, etc.)68%

Alternative management practices

45%

Crop insurance

34%

Disease

30%

Marketing

22%

Nutrient loss

19%

6%

Pests

What are the topics of concern your constituents raise?

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What are the greatest challenges you face in engaging your constituents with climate change

information?

Production-orientedKnowledge/informationAdaptation/management Information distributionGovernment

Mistrust, regulations, taxes

Subjective, socio-culturalLack of interest, bias, culture of the areaRelevance—not personally affectedSkepticismTrust, sources, lack ofHelplessness/Powerlessness of both

educator & producer

Interactions with constituents

135 Responses, Some of the themes identified:

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Information Sources

None 36Agronomic/professional/trade Journals/professional associations 12Universities, researchers of environmental change, scientific sources 11Mesonet 10Knowledgeable/trusted people; professionals; Jim Cantore 8Media, News outlets, newspapers 8Weather persons; meteorologists, state/climatologists; KU weather data personnel 8Internet or websites 5National Weather Service; Norman, OK 5Extension (in-service trainings, experts) 5

List the top 3information sources you rely on regarding climate change (n=100)

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USDA; USDA-ARS; NIFAGov't/EPA websitesHistorical weather dataNASA global climate

changeNOAA - National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publications

Animal Agriculture & Climate Change online course

BibleFamilyPersonal experienceThe Heritage

Foundation

Other information sources listed than 1 -3 times.

Information Sources

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Information Needs

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Topics requiring more information %Management practices for coping (with topics below) 75%Drought, uncharacteristic of historical norms 72%High temperatures (heat) uncharacteristic of historical norms 63%Unseasonable weather (for example: early warming in spring followed by hard freeze) 58%Extreme rainfall events 36%Other extreme weather events 34%

Additional Tools

Printed materials 64% Online resources including decision aids 61% Presentations at meeting and conferences 54% Webinars 50% On-farm demonstrations 45% Videos 34% Podcasts 17%

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Summary

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Views on climate change Majority feel sure the climate is changing and it is from natural

causes 94% do not believe they can adequately address the issue 65% rate importance to them personally as somewhat to extremely

important, and a moderate to high priority for Extension 27% believe their colleagues do not share their views

Constituent interactions 65% have heard no expressions of concern from constituents. Level

of concern when expressed is split--51% none to low; 49% medium to very high

Topics of concern are production oriented Challenges are both production-oriented and subjective, socio-

cultural Extension educators’ information needs?

Reliable sources to build a shared knowledge base for educators Resources to distribute information to clientele.