Engaging the Public on Climate Change

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Matthew C. Nisbet

Associate Professor

Northeastern University

Telling Stories about a Super Wicked Problem

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Framing Judgments and Decisions:

Environmental and Regulatory Problem?

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Framing Judgments and Decisions:

Energy Innovation & Resilience Problem?

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Audience Segmentation and Public Perceptions

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In Depth Interviews w/ 70 subjects by Segment

@MCNisbetMaibach, E., Nisbet, M.C. et al. (2010). BMC Public Health 10: 299.

Segment 4-6:

Sentence Specific Reaction to Essay

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O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2

DISENGAGED DOUBTFUL

DISMISSIVE POPULATION

Maibach, E., Nisbet, M.C. et al. (2010). BMC Public Health 10: 299.

Provoking Anger Across Audience Segments:

Identifying Boomerang Effects

@MCNisbetMyers, T., Nisbet, M.C., Maibach, E.W., & Leiserowitz, A. (2012). Climatic Change.

Energy Resilience and Climate Disruption

Warmer, Wetter Future with More Extremes

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Engaging A Broader Public Via Energy Resilience

@MCNisbetSources: MA Dept of Energy Resources; Boston Globe

* Natural gas provides 70% of MA electricity and heats nearly half the

homes. Approximately 30% of homes heated with oil.

Will Oil Prices Triple in Next Five Years?

@MCNisbetNisbet, Maibach, & Leiserowitz (2011). American Journal of Public Health.

Oil Price Spikes and Risk to Economy?

@MCNisbetNisbet, Maibach, & Leiserowitz (2011). American Journal of Public Health.

Oil Price Spikes and Risk to Public Health?

@MCNisbetNisbet, Maibach, & Leiserowitz (2011). American Journal of Public Health.

Framing Drives Elite Decisions

The Design to Win Report (2007)

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o “A cap on carbon output—and an accompanying

market for emissions permits—will prompt a sea

change that washes over the entire global economy.”

o “The good news is that we already have the technology

and know-how to achieve these carbon reductions—

often at a cost savings.”

o “Climate change, unlike a lot of large-scale problems, is

actually one that is solvable. It is also one where we

know what we need to do. We have the best data in the

world on how to prevent climate change. Everything

was ranked by magnitude, location and sector. It’s a

systematic approach to problem solving.” – Hal Harvey,

NY Times profile

Who Is a Public Intellectual?

@MCNisbetNisbet 2014

o 1) Write for and engage a broader public on matters of

popular concern, rather than narrowly targeting an expert

audience and emphasizing the more technical details of a

debate.

o 2) Specialize in the synthesis of complex, interdisciplinary

areas of research, engaging in deductive analysis across

cases and events, “working from the top down,” drawing

connections, making inferences, and offering judgments.

o 3) Argue on behalf of causes and policies, serving in the

role of social critic, advocate, or activist.

Public Intellectuals and Wicked Problems:

Creating a Common Language and Outlook

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o Promote a common storyline about climate change, defining who or

what is to blame, what should be done, and what action would mean for

the future.

o Discourses informally guide the decisions of advocates, funders,

journalists, and governmental officials.

o Define which experts or views might be mainstream versus what

might be contrarian or out of bounds.

o Once assumptions and authorities established, “costly in terms of

human mental labor to re-examine what has finally come to be

taken for granted.”

o Other public intellectuals are needed to “disturb the canonical peace”

and “defamiliarize the obvious” by identifying the flaws in

conventional wisdom and by offering alternative renderings of a

problem.

Building a Climate Justice Movement

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“Our economic model is at war with life on

Earth. We can’t change the laws of nature,

but we can change our growth economy.

And that’s why climate change is not just a

disaster, it’s also our best chance to

demand and build a better world.”

A New Model for Climate Advocacy:

Diversifying Policy and Technology Options

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Kahan et al 2007

Pielke 2007

Investing in Disruptive Ideas & Coalitions

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Further Reading

www.climateshiftproject.org/studies

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