Climate change threat more real to those with perceived personal experience: study

[JRLeft]

Source: Calgary herald

We have dramatically shrinking glaciers. We have compelling science. We have adorable polar bears treading water. But wouldn’t you know it, what really makes us fret over climate change is making it all about us.

A new study has found that a feeling of “personally experiencing” global warming heightens people’s perception of risks related to the environmental phenomenon – and particularly those risks germane to where they live. Changes to the seasons, unusual weather, water levels, snowfall patterns and shifts related to plants and animals were among the most common signs cited by lay people.

“The Holy Grail is figuring out how to get the public engaged on this issue. The problem is that the typical output of climate studies is statistical information that’s impenetrable to most people,” said Karen Akerlof, the study’s lead author. “If you can help people feel they’ve actually experienced what’s happening, they may be able to better acknowledge the risks.”

Using population survey and climatic data from a county in Michigan, researchers found 27 per cent of people felt they had personally experienced global warming, which refers to the long-term rise in the earth’s average temperature (“climate change” includes global warming and everything else affected by increasing greenhouse gasses). This is on par with a nationally representative U.S. study, fielded in 2010, in which 30 per cent of respondents felt similarly.



Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Climate+change+threat+more+real+those+with+perceived+personal+experience/7254694/story.html

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Climate change has sparked fears about the survival of the polar bear, seen in Churchill, Man., in this file photo. A new study has found that a feeling of ‘personally experiencing’ global warming heightens people’s perception of risks related to the environmental phenomenon.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Point out later frosts, earlier springs, migrations, invading pine beetle devastation, drought,...nt

[FirstLight]

2. hmmm...

well it doesn't help that so many people live in urban or even suburban areas and are not too involved with 'nature'. I find it really takes immersion to appreciate it sometimes, and years in an area or climate to recall changes from one year to the next. I have been in the Mtns for 20 yrs, and the extreme seasonal changes get to be a normal thread over the years...you get to understand patterns so you can prepare accordingly.

...
I will say this, many of my long time fellow mtn folk are openly concerned and commenting on the 'strangeness' we are experiencing over the past year, maybe two. This year has been especially odd, cooler than usual but yet a longer spring and summer, very little snow last winter, almost a 'warm' winter... the usual 'signs' of fall are early this year, and yet we are having an extended indian summer, with little to no thunderstorms or rainfall...and Mt Tallac's usual snowy "x" is long gone and makes us all feel uneasy... my plants/garden is the worst it has ever been, despite a better prep, warmer soil, good light, etc...three of the seeds didn't even come up, and my zuchini flowerd but gave NO fruit, only one tomato
so yeah, I'll admit to it being a 'off' year and being concerned... but I live closer to the wild/nature than many others do...

[kestrel91316]

3. The majority won't be convinced until famine causes them to experience hunger.

[Blue_Tires]

4. people need to "personally experience" it to believe?

All I had to do was read some books and think for myself...

[JRLeft]

5. Religion plays a factor in this.