University 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 Economics
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Chippewa Valley Center for
Economic Research & Development
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Overview
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The Project
The Survey
The Sample
The Results
Public Awareness
Future Work
Q&A
Global Warming
OR
????
February 2010, Washington DC
January 2010
Late April 2010
Eau Claire, WI
The Project & The Survey
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How much do people really
know about global warming?
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Survey of households and students.
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What do residents of the
Chippewa Valley think?
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What do UWEC Students think?
The Project & The Survey
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Is global warming really happening?
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Why is it happening?
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Is it anthropogenic?
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Should we be concerned?
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What should we do?
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Sample
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292 households submitted a completed on-line survey.
-Postcard mailing and news media
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412 UW-Eau Claire students surveyed by paper and pencil in
economics, geography, and chemistry classes.
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704 total respondents.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Sample
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Student sample was 54% female and 46% male
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Household sample was 45% female and 55% male.
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In terms of age 93% of students were 18-24 compared to only
13% of household respondents.
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The remaining age distribution for households was 20% age
25-44, 50% age 45-64 and 17% over age 65.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Sample
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Most households reported annual income between $40,000-$75,000.
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12% earned less than $20,000.
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17% earned over $100,000.
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Students were not asked about their income (they are poor).
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The First Question
The First Question
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Global Warming Not Real
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The remaining questions are about the causes of global
warming and what we should do to address it.
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40 household respondents said GW is not happening.
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10 student respondents said GW is not happening.
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New N = 252
New N = 402
These respondents were not asked further questions.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Cause of Global Warming
Cause of Global Warming
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Cause of Global Warming
Cause of Global Warming
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Re-Cap
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Nearly all had an opinion regarding global warming.
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Public opinion somewhat divergent.
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A majority felt mostly human caused.
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Non-trivial amount of skepticism toward anthropogenic cause.
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Majority blame manufacturing most.
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Some uncertainty regarding most responsible sector.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
What Should We Do
What Should We Do
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
What Should We Do
What Should We Do
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
What Should We Do
What Should We Do
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
What Should We Do
What Should We Do
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Re-Cap
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Of those that believe global warming is real, general
consensus that action should be led by government.
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Majority also support international agreement to reduce carbon
emissions (even without China and India).
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Economy is most important current issue.
-Environment is a distant 4th.
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Vast majority of reported little/no familiarity with the current
US legislative proposals (especially students).
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Alternative Strategies/Policies
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Re-Cap
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Wind and solar perceived to be most effective alternative sources of
energy.
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Nuclear and ethanol less so.
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Carbon tax, and cap & trade policies also not thought to be very
effective strategies.
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Much uncertainty regarding effectiveness of alternatives/strategies,
especially cap and trade, carbon capture, carbon tax and nuclear.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
What Should We Do?
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Divergent opinions regarding if global warming is real and how
concerned we should be.
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Uncertainty & divergent opinions regarding global warming causes.
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Consensus regarding need for government involvement, but
uncertainty and divergent opinions regarding what alternatives and
policy strategies would be most effective.
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Little to no familiarity with current legislative proposals.
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Need for increased public awareness!
What Should We Do
What Should We Do
What Should We Do?
What Should We Do?
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Science)
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How much global warming science should people know?
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Temperature is rising.
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Climate models predicted this rise.
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GHGs trap heat.
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World Fossil Economy.
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Warming will have consequences, some possibly severe.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Science)
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
 http://www.ipcc.ch/
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The United States Environmental Protection Agency
 http://www.epa.gov
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
 http://www.noaa.gov/
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Goddard Institute for Space Studies
 http://www.giss.nasa.gov/
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Legislation)
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How much global warming politics should people know?
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Alternative sources, cap and trade, taxes, subsidies
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Waxman-Markey Bill, Kerry-Boxer Bill
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Montreal Protocol
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Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun
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Wisconsin Policy
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Legislation)
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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/
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)
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Wind
 US Department of Energy
- http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/
 Wind Power in Wisconsin
-http://www.ecw.org/windpower/web/index.html
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Solar
 US Department of Energy, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/
Nuclear
 Nuclear Energy Institute, http://www.nei.org/
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)
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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/
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Awareness (Policy Strategies)
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Carbon Capture
 Carbon Capture Project, http://www.co2captureproject.org/
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Carbon Tax
 Carbon Tax Center
-http://www.carbontax.org/
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Cap & Trade
 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, http://www.rggi.org/home
 Environmental Protection Agency
-http://www.epa.gov/captrade/basic-info.html
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Economic Way of Thinking Can Help
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People respond to incentives
 How did we get here?
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People respond to incentives
 How can we change course?
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Politics and Ignorance
 Will we change course?
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Taking the pulse of the world regarding GLOBAL WARMING!
Yale 360 Survey: http://e360.yale.edu/content/digest.msp?id=2303
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The Economic Way of Thinking Can Help
What is YOUR solution?
“There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs.”
Questions & Discussion