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Exposure to climate change information predicts public support for solar geoengineering in Singapore and the United States

Rosenthal, S; Irvine, PJ; Cummings, CL; Ho, SS; (2023) Exposure to climate change information predicts public support for solar geoengineering in Singapore and the United States. Scientific Reports , 13 (1) , Article 19874. 10.1038/s41598-023-46952-w. Green open access

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Abstract

Solar geoengineering is a controversial climate policy measure that could lower global temperature by increasing the amount of light reflected by the Earth. As scientists and policymakers increasingly consider this idea, an understanding of the level and drivers of public support for its research and potential deployment will be key. This study focuses on the role of climate change information in public support for research and deployment of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) in Singapore (n = 503) and the United States (n = 505). Findings were consistent with the idea that exposure to information underlies support for research and deployment. That finding was stronger in the United States, where climate change is a more contentious issue, than in Singapore. Cost concern was negatively related to support for funding and perceived risk was negatively related to support for deployment. Perceived government efficacy was a more positive predictor of support for funding in Singapore than in the United States. Additionally, relatively low support for local deployment was consistent with a NIMBY mindset. This was the first study to quantify the role of climate change information in SAI policy support, which has practical implications for using the media and interpersonal channels to communicate about SAI policy measures.

Type: Article
Title: Exposure to climate change information predicts public support for solar geoengineering in Singapore and the United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46952-w
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46952-w
Language: English
Additional information: © 2023 Springer Nature Limited. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Climate-change mitigation, Climate-change policy, Psychology and behaviour
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10181731
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