Download America`s Attitudes, Actions and Beliefs regarding Climate Change

America’s Attitudes, Actions and
Beliefs regarding Climate Change:
Community Water Providers are
Trusted Sources
Presented by:
Karen Raucher
Stratus Consulting Inc.
[email protected]
Western Electric Coordinating Council
SPSG Workshop – Energy-WaterClimate Change Risk Assessment
October 14, 2014
Effective Climate Change
Communication Strategies for
Water Utility Stakeholders
The Water Research Foundation
Project Manager: Linda Reekie
Conducted by Stratus Consulting
Access the final report here:
http://www.waterrf.org/Pages/Projects.aspx?PID=4381
Project Goals
 Help utilities overcome climate change
communication barriers
Acknowledgements
 The Project Team:
 Anthony Leiserowitz, Yale Project on Climate Change
Communication
 Mark Millan, Data Instincts
 Rich Atwater, Southern California Water Committee
 Michael Dennis and Joseph Garrett, Knowledge
Networks (the GfK Corp.)
 Steve Conrad, Simon Fraser University, Institute for
Climate Solutions
 Joy Barrett, RCAP
 Numerous colleagues at Stratus Consulting
Participating Utilities
Organization
American Water
Austin Water
Denver Water
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
New York City Department of Environmental
Protection
City of Phoenix Water Services Department
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Southern Nevada Water Authority
United Utilities
Western Municipal Water District
City of Wilmington Department of Public Works
City/state/country
Voorhees, NJ
Austin, TX
Denver, CO
Chino, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Miami, FL
New York, NY
Phoenix, AZ
San Francisco, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Great Sankey, Warrington, UK
Riverside, CA
Wilmington, DE
The Project Process
 Research
 Why is climate change difficult to talk about
 What audiences really feel about climate change when
you add the concept of community water
 Products
 Engagement tools
 Survey tools
 Communication tools
Why is Climate Change Difficult
to Talk about?
 It is a wicked problem:
 Complex scientific components
 No solution that is positive across values
Why is Climate Change Difficult
to Talk about (cont.)?
 We are neurologically wired to make safe decisions
quickly
Why is Climate Change
Difficult to Talk about
(cont.)?
Trusted Sources
How much do you trust your water utility to do the following things:
Trusted Sources for Climate
Change Information
The National Survey
Survey methodology
 Three types of questions
 Attitudes
 Beliefs
 Actions
 Three subject areas
 Community water
 Climate change [Yale Project on climate change
communication (Leiserowitz)]
 Nexus of climate change and community water
A large majority of Americans support their water
provider planning for the future (10–40 years).
When planning for the future, how much attention do you think your water utility
should give to the following issues?
Assuming the money is needed, and would be spent
wisely and efficiently, would you be willing to pay extra
each month to ensure that your community has access
to abundant, safe water for the next 10–40 years?
My water utility has a plan, has taken the
necessary actions, and is adequately prepared
for extreme weather.
How large of a leadership role should your community
water utility play in helping your community prepare
for the impacts of climate change?
Global Warming’s “Six Americas”
Leiserowitz et al. (2011)
Five Americas for “Community
Water and Climate Change”
Advocates
Supporters
Skeptical
Supporters
Closed
Wallets
Pessimists
20%
44%
13%
15%
8%
Highest level of support
for community water
climate actions
Lowest level of support
for community water
climate actions
Pessimist (8%)
 41% are willing to pay up to $3 more per month to
ensure there is abundant, safe water in the future
 31% do not think there is much a water provider can do
to protect the local water supply from extreme weather
 Most likely to show up at a utility meeting
Message Testing
 Water cycle
 Extreme events
 Separation
Net Change in Support as a
Response to Climate Change by
Message Group
50
45
Percent change
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Water cycle: 19%
Extreme weather
events: 40%
Separation: 43%
Net Change in Support as a
Response to Climate Change by
Audience Segment and Message Test
70
60
50
Percent
40
Water cycle message
30
20
Extreme weather event
message
10
Separation message
0
-10
-20
Advocates Supporters Skeptical
Supporters
Closed
Wallets
Pessimists
Net Change in Willingness-to-pay
from No to Yes (water message)
14
Percent change
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Advocates
Supporters
Skeptical Closed Wallets Pessimists
Supporters
Things to think about…
 Are water utility leaders interested in being climate
change communication leaders? If so, how do we
support them?
 Can utilities develop long-term communication
strategies that change how their communities respond
to climate change? We can use the survey to actually
measure changes.
 How does this research apply to electric utilities?
Thank You for Your Time!
 Access the final report here:
http://www.waterrf.org/Pages/Projects.aspx?PID=4381
The single biggest problem in
communication is the illusion
that it has taken place.
George Bernard Shaw