Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Weather, Climate, and the Economy: Explaining Risk Perceptions of Global Warming, 2001–10

Wanyun Shao Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Search for other papers by Wanyun Shao in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Barry D. Keim Louisiana Office of State Climatology and Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Search for other papers by Barry D. Keim in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
James C. Garand Department of Political Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Search for other papers by James C. Garand in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Lawrence C. Hamilton Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire

Search for other papers by Lawrence C. Hamilton in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Jan 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00029.1
Page(s):
119–134
Restricted access

Abstract

Two series of national survey datasets (2001–10), supplemented with monthly temperature and precipitation data and unemployment data, are used to examine how weather and climate, economic performance, and individuals’ sociodemographic backgrounds and political orientations affect public perceptions of global warming. Consistent with previous studies, political orientations play a key role in determining public perceptions of global warming. Democrats and liberals are more likely than Republicans and conservatives to see global warming as an immediate and serious problem. Sociodemographic characteristics are also shown to be significant factors, with young people, women, and racial minorities likely to show higher concern about global warming than their counterparts. Moreover, individuals with lower income and higher levels of education tend to be more concerned about global warming. Net of these factors, summer temperature trends over the past 10 years, among other weather and climate measures, are shown to have consistently positive effects on public perceptions of global warming. This suggests that individuals who have experienced increasing summer heat are most likely to perceive immediate impacts and severity of global warming. Surprisingly, macroeconomic conditions—represented by the unemployment rate at the county level—do not appear to influence public perceptions of global warming.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00029.s1.

Corresponding author address: Wanyun Shao, 450 Laurel Street, Suite 1200, P.O. Box 44027, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4027. E-mail: abby.shao@la.gov

Abstract

Two series of national survey datasets (2001–10), supplemented with monthly temperature and precipitation data and unemployment data, are used to examine how weather and climate, economic performance, and individuals’ sociodemographic backgrounds and political orientations affect public perceptions of global warming. Consistent with previous studies, political orientations play a key role in determining public perceptions of global warming. Democrats and liberals are more likely than Republicans and conservatives to see global warming as an immediate and serious problem. Sociodemographic characteristics are also shown to be significant factors, with young people, women, and racial minorities likely to show higher concern about global warming than their counterparts. Moreover, individuals with lower income and higher levels of education tend to be more concerned about global warming. Net of these factors, summer temperature trends over the past 10 years, among other weather and climate measures, are shown to have consistently positive effects on public perceptions of global warming. This suggests that individuals who have experienced increasing summer heat are most likely to perceive immediate impacts and severity of global warming. Surprisingly, macroeconomic conditions—represented by the unemployment rate at the county level—do not appear to influence public perceptions of global warming.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00029.s1.

Corresponding author address: Wanyun Shao, 450 Laurel Street, Suite 1200, P.O. Box 44027, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4027. E-mail: abby.shao@la.gov

Supplementary Materials

    • Supplemental Materials (DOCX 41.19 KB)
Save
Cover Weather, Climate, and Society
Weather, Climate, and Society

  • Borick, C. P., and Rabe B. G. , 2010: A reason to believe: Examining the factors that determine individual views on global warming. Soc. Sci. Quart., 91, 777–800.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • De Martino, G., Fontana N. , Marini G. , and Singh V. P. , 2013: Variability and trend in seasonal precipitation in the continental United States. J. Hydrol. Eng., 18 (6), 630–640.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Dunlap, R. E., and McCright A. M. , 2008: A widening gap: Republican and Democratic views on climate change. Environment, 50, 26–35.

  • Dunlap, R. E., Xiao C. , and McCright A. M. , 2001: Politics and environment in America: Partisan and ideological cleavages in public support for environmentalism. Environ. Polit., 10 (4), 23–48.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Egan, P. J., and Mullin M. , 2012: Turning personal experience into political attitudes: The effect of local weather on Americans’ perceptions about global warming. J. Polit., 74 (3), 796–809.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Elliott, E., Seldon B. J. , and Regens J. L. , 1997: Political and economic determinants of individuals’ support for environmental spending. J. Environ. Manage., 51, 15–27.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Finucane, M. L., Slovic P. , Mertz C. K. , Flynn J. , and Satterfield T. A. , 2000: Gender, race, and perceived risk: The ‘white male’ effect. Health Risk Soc., 2 (2), 159–172.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hamilton, L. C., 2008: Who cares about polar regions? Results from a survey of U.S. public opinion. Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res., 40, 671–678.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hamilton, L. C., 2011: Education, politics and opinions about climate change evidence for interaction effects. Climatic Change, 104, 231–242.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hamilton, L. C., 2012: Did the Arctic ice recover? Demographics of true and false climate facts. Wea. Climate Soc., 4, 236–249.

  • Hamilton, L. C., and Keim B. D. , 2009: Regional variation in perceptions about climate change. Int. J. Climatol., 29, 2348–2352.

  • Hamilton, L. C., and Stampone M. D. , 2013: Blowin’ in the wind: Short-term weather and belief in anthropogenic climate change. Wea. Climate Soc., 5, 112–119.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hamilton, L. C., Colocousis C. R. , and Duncan C. M. , 2010: Place effects on environmental views. Rural Sociol., 75, 326–347.

  • Howe, P., Markowitz E. , Lee T. M. , Ko C. Y. , and Leiserowitz A. , 2013: Global perceptions of local temperature change. Nat. Climate Change, 3, 352–356, doi:10.1038/nclimate1768.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kahn, M. E., and Kotchen M. J. , 2010: Environmental concern and the business cycle: The chilling effect of recession. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Working Paper 16241, 28 pp.

  • Karl, T. R., Williams C. N. Jr., Quinlan F. T. , and Boden T. A. , 1990: United States Historical Climatology Network (HCN) serial temperature and precipitation data. Environmental Science Division Publ. 3404, Carbon Dioxide Information and Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 389 pp.

  • Kellstedt, P. M., Zahran S. , and Vedlitz A. , 2008: Personal efficacy, the information environment, and attitudes toward global warming and climate change in the United States. Risk Anal., 28, 113–126.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Krosnick, J. A., Holbrook A. L. , Lowe L. , and Visser P. S. , 2006: The origins and consequences of democratic citizens’ policy agendas: A study of popular concern about global warming. Climatic Change, 77, 7–43.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Leiserowitz, A., 2006: Climate change risk perception and policy preferences: The role of affect, imagery, and values. Climatic Change, 77, 45–72.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Leiserowitz, A., Maibach E. , Roser-Renouf C. , Feinberg G. , and Howe P. , 2012: Extreme weather and climate change in the American mind. Yale University and George Mason University Rep., 30 pp.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Li, Y., Johnson E. J. , and Zaval L. , 2011: Local warming: Daily temperature change influences belief in global warming. Psychol. Sci., 22 (4), 454–459.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Malka, A., Krosnick J. A. , and Langer G. , 2009: The association of knowledge with concern about global warming: Trusted information sources shape public thinking. Risk Anal., 29, 633–647.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Marshall, B. K., 2004: Gender, race, and perceived environmental risk: The “white male effect” in Cancer Alley, LA. Sociol. Spectrum, 24, 453–478.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Maslow, A. H., 1943: A theory of human motivation. Psychol. Rev., 50, 370–396.

  • McCarthy, J. J., and Coauthors, Eds., 2001: Climate Change 2001—Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, 1032 pp.

  • McCright, A. M., 2009: The social bases of climate change knowledge, concern, and policy support in the U.S. general public. Hofstra Law Rev., 37, 1017–1046.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • McCright, A. M., and Dunlap R. E. , 2011a: The politicization of climate change and polarization in the American public’s views of global warming, 2001–2010. Sociol. Quart., 52, 155–194.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • McCright, A. M., and Dunlap R. E. , 2011b: Cool dudes: The denial of climate change among conservative white males in the United States. Global Environ. Change, 21, 1163–1172.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Myers, T., Maibach E. , Roser-Renouf C. , Akerlof K. , and Leiserowitz A. , 2013: The relationship between personal experience and belief in the reality of global warming. Nat. Climate Change, 3, 343–347, doi:10.1038/nclimate1754.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Nisbet, M. C., and Myers T. , 2007: Twenty years of public opinion about global warming. Public Opin. Quart., 71, 444–470.

  • Parry, M. L., Canziani O. F. , Palutikof J. P. , van der Linden P. J. and Hanson C. E. , Eds., 2007: Climate Change 2007—Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, 976 pp.

  • Pew Research Center, cited2006: Little consensus on global warming: Partisanship drives opinion. [Available online at http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=280.]

  • Pew Research Center, cited2007: Global warming: A divide on causes and solutions. [Available online at http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/303.pdf.]

  • Pew Research Center, cited2012: More say there is solid evidence of global warming. [Available online at http://www.people-press.org/2012/10/15/more-say-there-is-solid-evidence-of-global-warming/.]

  • Primo, D. M., Jacobsmeier M. L. , and Milyo J. , 2007: Estimating the impact of state policies and institutions with mixed-level data. State Polit. Policy Quart., 7, 446–459.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Rabe-Hesketh, S., and Skrondal A. , 2008: Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling Using Stata. 2nd ed. Stata Press, 562 pp.

  • Tegart, W. J. McG., Sheldon G. W. , and Griffiths D. C. , Eds., 1990: Climate Change 1990—The IPCC Impacts Assessment. Australian Government Publishing Service, 294 pp.

  • Watson, R. T., Zinyowera M. C. , and Moss R. H. , 1995: Climate Change 1995—Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific–Technical Analyses. Cambridge University Press, 878 pp.

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 6647 1318 115
PDF Downloads 3622 365 24