university of wisconsin-eau claire what do students & households think about global warming...

University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

What Do Students & Households Think About Global Warming Issues?

Student Researchers: Isaac Borofka-Webb, Drew Christensen, Joy Larson, Ben Ponkratz and Matthew Sackmann

Faculty Researcher: Eric Jamelske

Department of EconomicsUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Chippewa Valley Center for

Economic Research & Development


OverviewOverview

The Project The Survey The Sample The Results Public Awareness Future Work Q & A

Global WarmingGlobal Warming

OR

????

January 2010

February 2010, Washington DC

Late April 2010Eau Claire, WI

The Project & The SurveyThe Project & The Survey

How much do people really know about global warming?

Survey of households and students.

What do residents of the Chippewa Valley think?

What do UWEC Students think?

The Project & The SurveyThe Project & The Survey

Is global warming really happening?

Why is it happening?

Is it anthropogenic?

Should we be concerned?

What should we do?


The SampleThe Sample

292 households submitted a completed on-line survey.-Postcard mailing and news media

412 UW-Eau Claire students surveyed by paper and pencil in economics, geography, and chemistry classes.

704 total respondents.



Student sample was 54% female and 46% male

Household sample was 45% female and 55% male.

In terms of age 93% of students were 18-24 compared to only 13% of household respondents.

The remaining age distribution for households was 20% age 25-44, 50% age 45-64 and 17% over age 65.



Most households reported annual income between $40,000-$75,000.

12% earned less than $20,000.

17% earned over $100,000.

Students were not asked about their income (they are poor).


The First QuestionThe First Question


Global Warming Not RealGlobal Warming Not Real

The remaining questions are about the causes of global warming and what we should do to address it.

40 household respondents said GW is not happening. New N = 252

10 student respondents said GW is not happening. New N = 402

These respondents were not asked further questions.


Cause of Global WarmingCause of Global Warming


Re-CapRe-Cap

Nearly all had an opinion regarding global warming.

Public opinion somewhat divergent.

A majority felt mostly human caused.

Non-trivial amount of skepticism toward anthropogenic cause.

Majority blame manufacturing most.

Some uncertainty regarding most responsible sector.


What Should We DoWhat Should We Do


Re-CapRe-Cap

Of those that believe global warming is real, general consensus that action should be led by government.

Majority also support international agreement to reduce carbon emissions (even without China and India).

Economy is most important current issue.

-Environment is a distant 4th.

Vast majority of reported little/no familiarity with the current US legislative proposals (especially students).


Alternative Strategies/PoliciesAlternative Strategies/Policies


Re-CapRe-Cap

Wind and solar perceived to be most effective alternative sources of energy.

Nuclear and ethanol less so.

Carbon tax, and cap & trade policies also not thought to be very effective strategies.

Much uncertainty regarding effectiveness of alternatives/strategies, especially cap and trade, carbon capture, carbon tax and nuclear.


What Should We Do?What Should We Do? Divergent opinions regarding if global warming is real and how

concerned we should be.

Uncertainty & divergent opinions regarding global warming causes.

Consensus regarding need for government involvement, but uncertainty and divergent opinions regarding what alternatives and policy strategies would be most effective.

Little to no familiarity with current legislative proposals.

Need for increased public awareness!

What Should We Do?What Should We Do?


Public Awareness (Science)Public Awareness (Science) How much global warming science should people know?

Temperature is rising.

Climate models predicted this rise.

GHGs trap heat.

World Fossil Economy.

Warming will have consequences, some possibly severe.


Public Awareness (Science)Public Awareness (Science)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). http://www.ipcc.ch/

The United States Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration http://www.noaa.gov/

Goddard Institute for Space Studies http://www.giss.nasa.gov/


Public Awareness (Legislation)Public Awareness (Legislation) How much global warming politics should people know?

Alternative sources, cap and trade, taxes, subsidies

Waxman-Markey Bill, Kerry-Boxer Bill

Montreal Protocol

Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun

Wisconsin Policy


Public Awareness (Legislation)Public Awareness (Legislation)

International sources United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

-http://unfccc.int/ National sources

Henry Waxman House Webpage (Waxman-Markey)

- http://www.henrywaxman.house.gov/ John Kerry Senate Webpage (Boxer-Kerry)

-http://kerry.senate.gov/ State sources

Clean Energy Wisconsin

-http://cleanenergy.wi.gov/


Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives) Wind

US Department of Energy

- http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/ Wind Power in Wisconsin

-http://www.ecw.org/windpower/web/index.html

Solar US Department of Energy, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/

Nuclear Nuclear Energy Institute, http://www.nei.org/


Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)

Ethanol American Coalition for Ethanol

- http://www.ethanol.org/

Hybrid vehicles Electric Drive Transportation Association

-http://www.electricdrive.org/

Commuter/high-speed rail Midwest High Speed Rail Association

-http://www.midwesthsr.org/

http://www.ethanol.org/


Public Awareness (Policy Strategies)Public Awareness (Policy Strategies)

Carbon Capture Carbon Capture Project, http://www.co2captureproject.org/

Carbon Tax Carbon Tax Center

-http://www.carbontax.org/

Cap & Trade Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, http://www.rggi.org/home Environmental Protection Agency

-http://www.epa.gov/captrade/basic-info.html


The Economic Way of Thinking Can HelpThe Economic Way of Thinking Can Help

People respond to incentives How did we get here?

People respond to incentives How can we change course?

Politics and Ignorance Will we change course?

Taking the pulse of the world regarding GLOBAL WARMING!

Yale 360 Survey: http://e360.yale.edu/content/digest.msp?id=2303


The Economic Way of Thinking Can HelpThe Economic Way of Thinking Can Help

What is YOUR solution?

“There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs.”

Questions & DiscussionQuestions & Discussion

university of wisconsin-eau claire what do students & households think about global warming...

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