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2017 Conference

du 21 au 24 June 2017

Tuscon, AZ

AESS 2017 Draft Conference Session Schedule

Statements about climate researchers’ carbon footprints affect their credibility and the impact of their advice

jeudi 22 juin 2017 à 16:00–17:30 MDT
ENR2 S 230
Abstract

Abstract Would you follow advice about personal energy conservation from a climate specialist with a large carbon footprint? Many climate researchers report anecdotes in which their sincerity was challenged based on their alleged failure to reduce carbon emissions. Here, we report the results of two large online surveys that measure the perceived credibility of a climate researcher who provides advice on how to reduce energy use (by flying less, conserving home energy, and taking public transportation), as a function of that researchers personal carbon footprint description. Across the two studies, we randomly assigned partici- pants to one of 18 vignettes about a climate scientist. We show that alleged large carbon footprints can greatly reduce the researchers credibility compared to low footprints. We also show that these differences in perceived credibility strongly affect participantsreported intentions to change personal energy consumption. These effects are large, both for participants who believe climate change is important and for those who do not. Participantspolitics do affect their attitudes toward researchers, and have an extra effect on reported intentions to use public transportation (but not on intentions to fly less or conserve home energy). Credibility effects are similar for male and female climate scientists.

Supplemental Materials

attari_ad_hominem_2016.pdf

Supplemental URL

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-016-1713-2

Primary Contact

[photo]
Shahzeen Attari, Indiana University Bloomington

Presenters

[photo]
Shahzeen Attari, Indiana University Bloomington
Title of paper

Statements about climate researchers’ carbon footprints affect their credibility and the impact of their advice

Co-Authors

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Elke Weber, Princeton University
Title of paper

Statements about climate researchers’ carbon footprints affect their credibility and the impact of their advice

[photo]
David H Krantz, Columbia University
Title of paper

Statements about climate researchers’ carbon footprints affect their credibility and the impact of their advice

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