What Moves Conservatives On The Environment? Show Them Pictures Of What Happens Without The EPA [View all]
If youre a conservative, this image of Cleveland from 1973 taken before the Environmental Protection Agency started cleaning up our skies should make you care about the environment:

Thats according to a new paper from UC Berkeley, anyway.
In a study released this week, UC Berkeley researchers looked at how conservatives respond to messages about protecting the environment. Rather than being moved by the moral arguments that progressives often make, the study found that conservatives responded to images and videos within a purity/sanctity frame:
The purity/sanctity-themed article stressed how pollution has contaminated Earth and peoples bodies, and argued for cleaning up and purifying the environment. To enhance those themes and elicit disgust, the accompanying images showed a person drinking filthy water, a city under a cloud of pollution and a forest full of garbage. The neutral article talked about the history of neckties.
Participants were then asked to rate how strongly they felt certain emotions, including disgust, in response to what theyd read. Next, they reported how strongly they agreed or disagreed with such statements as It is important to protect the environment, I would support government legislation aimed at protecting the environment and I believe humans are causing global warming.
Overall, the study found that the purity-themed message inspired conservatives to feel higher levels of disgust, which in turn increased their support for protecting the environment.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/12/12/1322831/what-moves-conservatives-on-the-environment-show-them-pictures-of-what-happens-without-the-epa/