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AN INVESTIGATION INTO PUBLIC ATTITUDES, AWARENESS AND ACTIONS TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE. MALCOLM MCMILLAN Dissertation submitted (in part) for Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree in Sustainable Environmental Management. The Scottish Agricultural College and University of Edinburgh. Presentation Overview Rationale; Aims and Objectives; Methodology; Results; Conclusions. Rationale Reasons for the choice of study topic: • This researcher’s personal interest in people’s attitudes and awareness to environmental issues; • The importance of the public’s role in reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions identified in the Literature review; • The wish to discover current public attitudes, awareness and understanding of climate change; • The significance of attitudes in helping to make the necessary change in lifestyle highlighted by Government agencies. Aims and Objectives The aims of this dissertation project were: Aim A. To investigate awareness of, and attitudes towards, climate change and actions taken to mitigate it: Objective 1.1. Create and distribute a suitable questionnaire. Aim B. Produce original survey data upon which future comparisons can be made: Objective 2.1. Collect questionnaire survey responses and analyse the results. Aim C. To gain an understanding of how important attitudes and awareness are in determining environmentally friendly behaviour: Objective 3.1. Undertake a review of reputable literature on the subject. Methodology • The primary source of data came from a questionnaire survey distributed electronically to the staff of South Ayrshire Council; • The secondary source of information came from a literature review; • The sample size was 1,750; • 444 responses; • Response rate was 25.3%. Results Chi2 test: • No trend between age and levels of concern about climate change; • No trends between age and levels of action mitigating climate change; Literature Review: • Awareness is an important contributing factor in determining an individual’s action and attitudes; • In theory, raising awareness of climate change should help increase environmentally friendly behaviour; • In reality this theory is indirect and at best weak; • The more informed the individual is, the more pro-environmentally friendly attitudes they will have, and are therefore more likely to carry out environmentally friendly actions. Results continued. • These results strongly indicate that a large majority of employees of South Ayrshire Council believe they possess a basic or good knowledge of climate change. Results continued. Questions on the causes and effects, there is a gap between perceived knowledge and actual knowledge. Percent Response (n=442) Q. 3 Which of these factors do you think most contribute to climate change? 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 None Correct One Correct Two Correct 35.1 25.3 20.4 8.4 Three Correct 10.9 Four Correct Q.4. Please list below any effects that climate change is predicted to have on the global environment. (n=442) 6.8% 0.2% Correct Incorrect 34.6% 58.4% Correct but Inaccurate Inaccurate some correct Despite this knowledge gap there was evidence of very comprehensive knowledge amongst members of South Ayrshire Council (SAC) staff. Results continued. Responses from Q.4, “Please list below any effects that climate change is predicted to have on the global environment.”, • Common confusions were apparent; 8 02/12/2008 09:17:00 Destruction of Ozone layer - leading to "possible" global warming. 22 02/12/2008 09:20:00 holes in aerosol layer 148 02/12/2008 11:14:00 hole in ozone: weather messed up all over the world • Example of good knowledge; 237 02/12/2008 16:28:00 weather patterns, farming, habitat, medical, transport, spread of desert, rising sea levels, politicians trying to make capital from disaster, competition for scarce resources, hostility between populations, bitter devisions becoming more evident in the north / south divide, changes to ocean currents, loss of mass at the polar ice caps etc Results continued. When asked to display how concerned they were about climate change the majority responded with high levels of concern 42.7 39.8 12.6 2.0 2 Slightly Concerned 3 Quite Concerned 4 Very Concerned 5 Anxious 18.3 22.1 12.3 12.510.4 18.5 4.4 0.8 0.8 ha ve re 1 Don't Care 3.0 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 du ce d I th I ta cu ke e n t do no um w ac be n tio r o on f n m to flig y ht re co ns I u du s I ta um se ce ke pt ca m y . i r on I im bo I re pa n of cy cut c ga off cl d e se t . ow s m t or n o and tin g e n e th le . m c in y I w tric bu gs a ity th te y . I a r l o n ha us ca I ve ag lly th e. in ro s o su w I us ur la ce aw te e a d a d pr y. fu m o y e du ho l e ce ff m ic . e ie to nt sa c ve ar. en er gy . 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 Q.10. What measures do you take to reduce your environmental impact? (n= 357) I Percent Responses(n= 405) Q.5. On a scale of 1-5 please indicate how concerned you are about climate change. This concern should relate to high levels of action, yet from the results to question 10 it is clear that only a minority take action to alleviate their impact on the environment. This attitude-behaviour gap is documented in socio-psychological literature Results continued. The results from the attitude section allows assumptions to be made about the attitudes of the majority of SAC employees: • The majority of council employees believe climate change is happening; • The effects of climate change are not over exaggerated; • They think that the government should force people to reduce their emissions; • They believe climate change is too big an issue for individuals to tackle alone; • Not enough steps are in place to tackle climate change; • Unsure if technology can help deal with climate change; • Feel that climate change is everybody’s responsibility; • Believe not enough is being done about climate change. Results continued. This type of response has been dubbed psychological distancing. 14.3 17.3 1.3 6.2 Lo ca lC In te ou rn nc at ils io na lC om Th e m G un en it y er al Co m Bu m sin un ity es s an d In du st ry G ro up s re ss ur e en ta lP Th e G ov er nm en t id ua l 5.9 In di v Percent Responses (n=373) 32.1 22.9 En vir on m They also responded that local councils were the least responsible for combating climate change. 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Th e When asked who they felt was responsible for combating climate change, the majority of respondents answered that the International community, the UK government and the individual were most responsible. Q.6 Who do you think is responsible for combating climate change? Conclusions Age has no clear influence over levels of concern or levels of action, however a larger sample may have produced more conclusive results; • South Ayrshire Council (SAC) employees believe they have a good knowledge of climate change; A knowledge gap exists between perceived knowledge of climate change and actual knowledge of climate change amongst the staff of South Ayrshire Council; • A high level of concern exists amongst staff over climate change but this does not result in high levels of personal action; • Positive support for environmental improvement from the staff of SAC. Contact details: Malcolm McMillan E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 01586 55 42 17