1. Communication about Sea-Level Rise: Messages (and Process) KAREN AKERLOF, PHD RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR CENTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY CLIMATE ADAPTATION FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES JUNE 25, 2015 CHESAPEAKE BAY ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER 600 DISCOVERY LN, GRASONVILLE, MD 21638

3. Yearly survey of Marylanders 2,035 respondents in 2014 35% response rate Reports and PPTs with figures available online New reports to be released in fall 2015 Climatemaryland.org

4. Anne Arundel County, 2012

5. When people in your community think about climate change, what is the risk that most worries them? What causes them outrage?

6. 2 Ways to Think about Communication 1. Messages 2. Process

8. What People Perceive as RISK Hazard Social context

9. ? 1. Message

11. sea level rise climate change Extremely certain not happening Don’t know Extremely certain it’s happening Extremely certain not happening Don’t know Extremely certain it’s happening

12. What % of Marylanders think sea level-rise is happening? Climate change?

13. Eastern Shore Don’t know, 33% Not happening, 12% Happening, 56% Half of Marylanders don’t know if sea level rise is happening here

14. Eastern Shore Don’t know, 20% Not happening, 14% Happening, 66% Vast majority says climate change is happening

15. More than half say protecting coastal areas should be a high or very high priority

16. Hard protection – walls and barriers—is the least supported policy option

17. Erosion is the biggest concern

18. Eastern Shore Support, 67% Marylanders support government action

19. Climatemaryland.org

20. Main Message 1: Rising Waters: It’s a Shore Thing! Tell your community members to prepare for stronger and more frequent storms Plant trees and native plants that naturally reduce flood impacts Join a wetland restoration project to help naturally protect communities from rising seas and strong storms Climatemaryland.org

21. Main Message 2: Raise your voice! Sea levels are rising. Tell your elected officials to adopt the state’s “CoastSmart” construction guidelines Learn more about Maryland’s CoastSmart construction program construction program Climatemaryland.org

22. ? 2. Process ?

23. Have you engaged in public and/or stakeholder dialogues in your community?

24. Development of sea-level rise viewer with household-level risk information (Dewberry) Countywide survey of residents Daylong community deliberative event

25. Beliefs about social order (hierarchy and individualism) were the largest factors in perceptions of sea-level rise risks and policy support

27. www.FutureCoast.info

28. What was your favorite part of the day’s events? (n=38)

29. Knowledge of sea-level rise changed after community event

30. Hierarchical individualists changed the most

31. Sea-level rise beliefs Impact concern scale Problem identification Local government policy adequacy

32. Preferences for response strategies changed after community event

33. Creating opportunities to build community identity and shared decision-making in pursuit of larger group goals may reduce impacts of cultural polarization

34. ? 3. What’s next for the Consortium 2015 survey release in October 2015 survey release in October Community resilience project Community resilience project Campaign to renew Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act: “Renew Maryland” Campaign to renew Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act: “Renew Maryland”

36. kakerlof@gmu.edu kakerlof@gmu.edu