Climate Change Impacts and American Psychological Responses: Applying the Social Science for Practical Public Engagement Strategies

This session will feature emerging insights from the latest qualitative and quantitative research (conducted by ecoAmerica and other leading organizations) on how local climate change impacts are influencing human health, and subsequently, human mental health.   It will include public health implications, and recommendations for designing and implementing communication strategies that effectively engage Americans in climate change preparedness and mitigation efforts. Recognizing that simply providing information is not enough to evoke effective responses, this session will demonstrate how a variety of psychological, social, cognitive, and emotional factors influence the ways in which people perceive and interpret what is happening regarding climate change-related health impacts, and what to do about it.

New findings on how human beings process information, make decisions and behave as individuals and communities in relation to climate change will be translated into recommendations and techniques that public health professionals can apply to design programming and create communication strategies that not only educate and increase awareness but also engage and motivate the public to take action. The session will draw upon three new research resources from ecoAmerica and partners: 1) The American Climate Values Survey that focuses upon a) the visible and local impacts of climate change; b) principles for local and national solutions on climate, and; c) behavior narratives, asks and messengers that would best motivate personal and public policy action; 2) Climate Impacts and Psychology: How physical climate change impacts influence human psychology, and; 3) Communicating on Climate: Approach and Methodology.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Communication and informatics
Environmental health sciences
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Assess current and future psychological impacts in relation to climate change. Design public health programming and communication practices that integrate emerging insights from current qualitative and quantitative research findings on American psychological dynamics in order to more effectively engage the public in climate preparedness, adaptation and solutions. Formulate effective public messaging to increase awareness of the public health implications of climate change and motivate personal action.

Keyword(s): Behavioral Research, Climate and Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an entrepreneur, environmentalist, writer, and investor. I have been President of direct marketing and manufacturing organizations with revenues reaching $600 million, including Cornerstone Brands, Smith+Noble and Joanna Western Mills. I am Managing Partner of VivaTerra LLC and ecoSalon LLC and a partner in Arqua Equity Partners, LLC. I am the Founder/President of ecoAmerica, serve on the Environmental Defense Fund, and World Bicycle Relief Boards, and was a Sierra Club Foundation Trustee from 2001-2007.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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