IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:

1
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Results from a Survey Examining Adult and
College Student Public Opinion on Climate Change
in China and the United States
Students Brittany Flaherty, David Hahn, Shawn
Peterson, Greg Sikowski and Helue Vazquez
Valverde
Faculty Mentor Eric Jamelske, Ph.D. University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
2
Outline

• Introduction
• Background
• Climate Change Science, Public Opinion,
  International Policy
• Survey/Sample
• Results
• Conclusion
• Discussion/QA

3
US Senate Hearings - 1988

• Dr. James Hansen - three points
• Earth is warmer in 1988 than any time in history
  of instrumental measurements
• Global warming now large enough to ascribe with
  high degree of confidence a cause and effect
  relationship to greenhouse effect
• Computer simulations indicate greenhouse effect
  is already large enough to affect probability of
  extreme events such as heat waves
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
  formed

4
IPCC 4th Assessment - 2007

• Warming of the climate system is unequivocal
• Increases in global average air and ocean
  temperatures
• Widespread melting of snow and ice
• Rising global average sea level
• Droughts, heavy precipitation, heat waves and
  intensity of tropical cyclones

5
IPCC 4th Assessment - 2007

• Very high confidence that the global average net
  effect of human activities since 1750 has been
  one of warming.
• Continued greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionswould
  cause further warming and induce many changes in
  the global climate system during the 21st century
  that would very likely be larger than those
  observed during the 20th century.

6
International Policy - UNFCCC

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
  Change
• Kyoto Protocol, passed in 1997 and entered into
  force by ratifying countries in 2005.
• Kyoto Protocol did not require GHG reductions by
  developing countries (Non-Annex I parties)
• Burden of change on developed nations (Annex I
  parties)

7
International Policy - Kyoto Failure

• Exclusion of China cited as important determinant
  in US decision to not ratify/join the Kyoto
  Protocol
• Global GHG emissions continue to rise
• US emissions were not reduced, China emissions
  increased significantly
• Little meaningful international action
  cooperatively through the UNFCC post-Kyoto

8
Continued Warnings 2013 - 2014

• IPCC 5th Assessment
• extremely likely human influence has been
  dominant cause of observed warming since mid-20th
  century. Continued GHG emissions will cause
  further warming and changes in climate system.
  Limiting climate change will require substantial
  and sustained reductions of GHG emissions.
• 3rd US National Climate Assessment
• Climate change, once considered an issue for a
  distant future, has moved firmly into the
  present.

9
Scientific Consensus in Literature

• Oreskes (2004)
• Doran and Kendall-Zimmerman (2009)
• Anderegg et al. (2010)
• Cook et al. (2013)
• 9798 of active climate researchers in agreement
  with IPCC

10
Emissions in China, the US and the Rest of the
World
-China 2012 emissions 1.88 times larger than US
emissions -China US 2012 emissions comprise
41.6 of global total Source Carbon Dioxide
Information Analysis Center
-US cumulative emissions from 1850-2010 2.56
times larger than China emissions -US China
cumulative emissions from 1850-2010 comprise
38.5 of global total Source World Resources
Institute, Climate Data Explorer
11
Total, Per Capita and Per Unit ofGDP Emissions
in China and the US
-China 2012 emissions are 1.88 times larger than
US emissions-China 2012 per capita emissions
are only 0.44 of US emissions-China 2012
emissions per unit of GDP are just over 2 times
as large as US emissions
12
Quotes from 2012 US Presidential Campaign
More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a
joke. My plan will continue to reduce the carbon
pollution that is heating our planet because
climate change is not a hoax. -Barack
Obama "Do I think the world's getting hotter? I
don't know, I think it is, but I don't know if
it's mostly caused by humans. What I'm not
willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on
something I don't know the answer to. -Mitt
Romney
13
Skepticism and Denial in the United States
14
Quotes from Chinese Government Officials
Climate change is a grave challenge to the
sustainable development of the human societythe
Chinese government is determined to address
climate change in the process of pursuing
sustainable development. Developed countries
must take responsibility for their historical
cumulative emissions and current high per capita
emissions to change their unsustainable way of
life and to substantially reduce their emissions
and provide financial support and transfer
technology to developing countries.
15
International Policy The US China

• International climate cooperation is
  controversial because of politics, special
  interests and individual differences within
  countries
• As well as issues of responsibility, blame and
  fairness across countries...
• Controversy centers on differences between
  developed and developing nations
• Highlighted by the stalemate between US and
  China

16
What do Adults and College Students in the United
States and China Think About Climate Change?
17
Chinese Research Partners

• Jinan University, Guangzhou
• Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu
• University of International Business and
  Economics, Beijing
• Low Carbon Economy Institute
• Xian University of Posts and Telecommunications,
  Xian
• Many Chinese student research assistants

18
Project Support

• UW Sabbatical Program
• UWEC International Fellows Program
• UWEC Foundation
• Xcel Energy and Northwestern Bank

19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
Our Survey

• Is climate change happening?
• Is it anthropogenic?
• What does science say?
• What is the threat?
• How concerned are you?
• What should be done?

25
Our Sample (N 7,358)

• 2,335 US college students (Online, professors,
  extra credit, 60)
• CA, NE, RI, WI, CO, MD, SC
• 1,670 Chinese college students (Online,
  professors, extra credit, 60)
• Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Xian, Shanghai
• 1,306 US adults (Online, postcards, gift card,
  7)
• CA, NE, RI, WI
• 2,047 Chinese adults (In person, 40)
• Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Xian

26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33
More Analysis of Climate Change Concern

• Ordinary Least Squares regression on
  self-reported concern about climate change among
  college students in US and China
• Concern is measured on scale from 1 5
• 1 not at all concerned
• 2 not very concerned
• 3 somewhat concerned
• 4 concerned
• 5 very concerned
• What factors influence the level of concern

34
Note Statistical significance is denoted as
0.01 level, 0.05 level and 0.10 level.
35
Conclusion

• Chinese citizens show greater acceptance of CC
  realities compared to US citizens
• More likely to believe in anthropogenic CC
• Less likely to see scientific disagreement on
  anthropogenic CC
• More likely to see threat to humans from CC
• Less likely to be unconcerned about CC
• More likely to support joining international CC
  agreement

36
Possible Reasons for US Results

• Climate change coverage in US media and political
  nature of debate is much different than situation
  in China
• US has Six Americas ranging from
  alarmed/concerned to doubtful/dismissive
• Significant variation in climate change views
  among Americans

37
Possible Reasons for Chinese Results

• Chinese government states climate change is real
  and important
• Chinese media reports climate change as
  scientific consensus
• Chinese citizens are accustomed to respecting
  government authority and look to government for
  leadership on climate change
• Within the Chinese culture, people are very
  respectful of education and knowledge (science)
• China has experienced extreme weather events
  including flood, drought and heat waves as well
  as intense air pollution and smog

38
Questions Discussion
39
Appendix
40
Demographics

• US college students
• Average age 19.4 (stdv1.3), 49.6 Male, 81.6
  White
• Chinese college students
• Average age 19.7 (stdv1.3), 44.9 Male, 95.4
  Han
• US adults
• Average age 49.7 (stdv14.3), 53.2 Male, 87.7
  White
• Chinese adults
• Average age 39.1 (stdv12.7), 56.4 Male, 93.8
  Han

41
Demographics

• Household Income
• Based on US Census and China Statistical Yearbook
• US Dollars () or Chinese Yuan (CNY)
• Parents for college students
• Good distribution across 8 categories
• Education
• Highest level completed
• Parents for college students
• Good distribution across 5 categories

• Political Ideology (US)
• Adult Liberal (37.4), Moderate (29.4),
  Conservative (26.1), Other (7.1)
• College Liberal (29.4), Moderate (34.1),
  Conservative (29.6), Other (6.9)

42
Question What are the three most important
issues for society to address?Respondents were
given 15 issues to choose from with responses
coded as most important 3, 2nd most important
2, 3rd most important 1Figure reports
selected results as weighted averageEconomy is
most important in US, Environment is most
important in China
43
Question What are the three most important
issues for society to address?Respondents were
given 15 issues to choose from with responses
coded as most important 3, 2nd most important
2, 3rd most important 1Figure reports
selected results as weighted averageEconomy is
most important in US, Environment is most
important in China
44
(No Transcript)
45
(No Transcript)
46
(No Transcript)