The Ocean Project posts weekly roundups of the key strategic ocean and climate communication resources we’ve been tweeting. Each link will be posted with a short description of what you’ll find—please feel free to ask us any questions!
This week is going to be a larger post catching up on the biggest stories in the past month or so. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
News & Discussion
Check out these timely articles and essays which may be helpful for framing various environmental issues, connecting with specific audiences, or otherwise informing your storytelling and communications.
- New Yorkers Think Climate Change Caused Hurricane Sandy
A recent poll found most New York State voters, 69%, connected Hurricane Sandy with climate change, as well as 2011 storms Irene and Lee.
- Seeing is Believing
Could this be related? A new poll shows almost 4 out of 5 Americans believe global warming is occurring. The belief is growing especially quickly among those who doubt climate science but believe in their own personal experience of climate change. Good summary via ecoAffect.
- Severe weather can change minds — some minds, anyway
While we’re talking about severe weather and climate change, check out David Roberts’s piece on “motivated reasoning” — seeking out evidence that confirms existing beliefs; ignoring evidence that contradicts them.
- Mixed Signals: More Americans Take Action, Fewer Say Actions Can Slow Climate Change
A survey conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication has shown more Americans are taking personal eco-friendly actions, but fewer think they actually have an effect. Good summaries from SightlineDailyand ClimateProgress on what these results means and implications for communicators.
- See No Evil?
Are the views that people express in opinion polls what they REALLY believe? Adam Corner looks at a new study for information about why there is a such a huge gap between people’s attitudes about the environment and their behavior. Via Talkingclimate.
Resources
Some new studies, market research, toolkits, and strategies that may be helpful when communicating about conservation and climate change.
- Here’s how you can get conservatives to care about the environment
A new study from UC Berkeley emphasizes how important it is to tailor your communication strategy to your audience. Though self-identified conservatives tend to be less concerned about the environment, they react strongly to images that show negative environmental impacts. Link is to Grist summary, see more here.
- People Say They Want Sustainable Consumption, But Do They Mean It?
66% of survey respondents in Brazil, China, India, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. agree “we need to consume a lot less to improve the environment for future generations,” while 65% feel “a sense of responsibility to purchase products that are good for the environment and society.” FastCoExist asks: What gives? Why aren’t we seeing more sustainable consumption?
- Climate Coverage Falls Further in 2012
Media coverage of climate change dropped by 2.4% in 2012 despite some big stories, such as drought and hurricane Sandy. Happy new year? There’s an upside though: stories which link climate change to phenomena such as sea level rise and extreme weather increase by 27% in 2012, an all-time high! Read the article here for a more in-depth look at what’s happening.
