1. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire What Do Students & Households Think About Global Warming Issues? Student Researchers: Isaac Borofka-Webb, Drew Christensen, Joy Larson, Ben Ponkratz and Matthew Sackmann Faculty Researcher: Eric Jamelske Department of Economics University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Chippewa Valley Center for Economic Research & Development

2. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Overview  The Project  The Survey  The Sample  The Results  Public Awareness  Future Work  Q & A

6. Global Warming OR ????

7. January 2010 February 2010, Washington DC

8. Late April 2010 Eau Claire, WI

9. The Project & The Survey  How much do people really know about global warming?  Survey of households and students.  What do residents of the Chippewa Valley think?  What do UWEC Students think?

10. The Project & The Survey  Is global warming really happening?  Why is it happening?  Is it anthropogenic?  Should we be concerned?  What should we do?

15. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire The Sample  292 households submitted a completed on-line survey. -Postcard mailing and news media  412 UW-Eau Claire students surveyed by paper and pencil in economics, geography, and chemistry classes.  704 total respondents.

16. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire The Sample  Student sample was 54% female and 46% male  Household sample was 45% female and 55% male.  In terms of age 93% of students were 18-24 compared to only 13% of household respondents.  The remaining age distribution for households was 20% age 25-44, 50% age 45-64 and 17% over age 65.

17. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire The Sample  Most households reported annual income between $40,000-$75,000.  12% earned less than $20,000.  17% earned over $100,000.  Students were not asked about their income (they are poor).

18. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire The First Question

20. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Global Warming Not Real  The remaining questions are about the causes of global warming and what we should do to address it.  40 household respondents said GW is not happening.  New N = 252  10 student respondents said GW is not happening.  New N = 402  These respondents were not asked further questions.

21. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Cause of Global Warming

23. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Cause of Global Warming

25. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Re-Cap  Nearly all had an opinion regarding global warming.  Public opinion somewhat divergent.  A majority felt mostly human caused.  Non-trivial amount of skepticism toward anthropogenic cause.  Majority blame manufacturing most.  Some uncertainty regarding most responsible sector.

26. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire What Should We Do

28. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire What Should We Do

30. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire What Should We Do

32. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire What Should We Do

34. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Re-Cap  Of those that believe global warming is real, general consensus that action should be led by government.  Majority also support international agreement to reduce carbon emissions (even without China and India).  Economy is most important current issue. -Environment is a distant 4th.  Vast majority of reported little/no familiarity with the current US legislative proposals (especially students).

35. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Alternative Strategies/Policies

45. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Re-Cap  Wind and solar perceived to be most effective alternative sources of energy.  Nuclear and ethanol less so.  Carbon tax, and cap & trade policies also not thought to be very effective strategies.  Much uncertainty regarding effectiveness of alternatives/strategies, especially cap and trade, carbon capture, carbon tax and nuclear.

46. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire What Should We Do?  Divergent opinions regarding if global warming is real and how concerned we should be.  Uncertainty & divergent opinions regarding global warming causes.  Consensus regarding need for government involvement, but uncertainty and divergent opinions regarding what alternatives and policy strategies would be most effective.  Little to no familiarity with current legislative proposals.  Need for increased public awareness!

47. What Should We Do

49. What Should We Do?

51. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Science)  How much global warming science should people know?  Temperature is rising.  Climate models predicted this rise.  GHGs trap heat.  World Fossil Economy.  Warming will have consequences, some possibly severe.

52. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Science)  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  http://www.ipcc.ch/  The United States Environmental Protection Agency  http://www.epa.gov  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  http://www.noaa.gov/  Goddard Institute for Space Studies  http://www.giss.nasa.gov/

53. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Legislation)  How much global warming politics should people know?  Alternative sources, cap and trade, taxes, subsidies  Waxman-Markey Bill, Kerry-Boxer Bill  Montreal Protocol  Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun  Wisconsin Policy

54. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Legislation)  International sources  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change -http://unfccc.int/  National sources  Henry Waxman House Webpage (Waxman-Markey) - http://www.henrywaxman.house.gov/  John Kerry Senate Webpage (Boxer-Kerry) -http://kerry.senate.gov/  State sources  Clean Energy Wisconsin -http://cleanenergy.wi.gov/

55. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)  Wind  US Department of Energy - http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/  Wind Power in Wisconsin -http://www.ecw.org/windpower/web/index.html  Solar  US Department of Energy, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/ Nuclear  Nuclear Energy Institute, http://www.nei.org/

56. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Energy Alternatives)  Ethanol  American Coalition for Ethanol - http://www.ethanol.org/http://www.ethanol.org/  Hybrid vehicles  Electric Drive Transportation Association -http://www.electricdrive.org/  Commuter/high-speed rail  Midwest High Speed Rail Association -http://www.midwesthsr.org/

57. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Public Awareness (Policy Strategies)  Carbon Capture  Carbon Capture Project, http://www.co2captureproject.org/  Carbon Tax  Carbon Tax Center -http://www.carbontax.org/  Cap & Trade  Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, http://www.rggi.org/home  Environmental Protection Agency -http://www.epa.gov/captrade/basic-info.html

65. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire The Economic Way of Thinking Can Help  People respond to incentives  How did we get here?  People respond to incentives  How can we change course?  Politics and Ignorance  Will we change course?  Taking the pulse of the world regarding GLOBAL WARMING! Yale 360 Survey: http://e360.yale.edu/content/digest.msp?id=2303

66. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire The Economic Way of Thinking Can Help What is YOUR solution? “There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs.”

67. Questions & Discussion