Public engagement with marine climate change issues: (Re)framings, understandings and responses

Chilvers, Jason ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9238-1653, Lorenzoni, Irene, Terry, Geraldine, Buckley, Paul, Pinnegar, John K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5061-9520 and Gelcich, Stefan (2014) Public engagement with marine climate change issues: (Re)framings, understandings and responses. Global Environmental Change-Human and Policy Dimensions, 29. pp. 165-179. ISSN 0959-3780

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Abstract

Climate change impacts on marine environments have been somewhat neglected in climate change research, particularly with regard to their social dimensions and implications. This paper contributes to addressing this gap through presenting a UK focused mixed-method study of how publics frame, understand and respond to marine climate change-related issues. It draws on data from a large national survey of UK publics (N = 1,001), undertaken in January 2011 as part of a wider European survey, in conjunction with in-depth qualitative insights from a citizens’ panel with participants from the East Anglia region, UK. This reveals that discrete marine climate change impacts, as often framed in technical or institutional terms, were not the most immediate or significant issues for most respondents. Study participants tended to view these climate impacts ‘in context’, in situated ways, and as entangled with other issues relating to marine environments and their everyday lives. Whilst making connections with scientific knowledge on the subject, public understandings of marine climate impacts were mainly shaped by personal experience, the visibility and proximity of impacts, sense of personal risk and moral or equity-based arguments. In terms of responses, study participants prioritised climate change mitigation measures over adaptation, even in high-risk areas. We consider the implications of these insights for research and practices of public engagement on marine climate impacts specifically, and climate change more generally.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	marine climate change impacts,public understanding,public engagement,mixed-methodology,(re)framing,climate change as a public issue,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development) University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Science, Society and Sustainability Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine Knowledge Exchange Network
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2014 12:26
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2024 11:31
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/50536
DOI:	10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.09.006

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