Personal Harm and Support for Climate Change Policies: Evidence from 10 Communities Impacted by Extreme Weather

• In Event: 1261 - Environmental Policy

Abstract

A growing body of research examines the role of extreme weather experience – as one of the most personal, visceral (and increasingly frequent and severe) impacts of climate change – in shaping views on climate change. A distinct divide is whether the experience of an extreme weather event increases climate change concern via experiential learning or reinforces existing views via motivated reasoning. Building on this work, we explore the relationship between personal experience and climate change policy preferences using surveys in 10 communities that experienced extreme weather events. We find that self-reported personal harm aligns with objective measures of event impacts and that personal harm (i.e., experience) is associated with higher levels of policy support. While political ideology (i.e., motivated reasoning) dominates our model of policy support in predictable ways, personal harm moderates this relationship: Conservatives reporting higher levels of personal harm from the event are more likely to express support for climate policy than those reporting lower levels of harm. While extreme weather events may serve as teachable moments on climate change, their lessons may only reach conservatives who feel personally harmed, even in the communities most affected.

Authors

• Hilary Schaffer Boudet, Oregon State University

• Chad Zanocco, Oregon State University

• Robi Nilson, Cornell University