A delegation of Defend International attended a seminar, during which internationally renewed scientists from the US, Denmark and Norway discussed public positions on climate change and climate politics. The seminar was entitled The Public And Its Climate Change Problem and was held at the University of Oslo, Norway on 6 June 2017.
The experts are contributing to a new research project “From targets to action: Public responses to climate policy instruments” led by the Centre for International Climate Research (CICERO), Norway’s foremost institute for interdisciplinary climate Research.
Description
The speakers included scholar Paul Stern, professor Dana Fisher, professor Riley Dunlap, professor John Thøgersen, and professor Ottar Hellevik.
The program consisted of presentations covering a wide range of topics, including “Political polarisation and American climate politics” by professor Fisher, “Organised climate denial” by professor Dunlap, “What are the greatest opportunities for households to contribute to limiting climate change and how can they be realised? Insights from United States research and experience” by senior scholar Stern, “Does green consumerism increase the acceptance of wind power?” by professor Thørgersen, and “Changes in climate policy attitude in the Norwegian Monitor: a result of generation or period effect?” by professor Hellevik.
About the Speakers
Paul Stern is a senior scholar at the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences, Education and Medicine. He has served as a director of the Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change for over 20 years. He is a psychologist by training and has worked extensively on determinants of environmentally significant behaviour.
Dana Fisher is professor in sociology and the Director of the Program for Society and the Environment at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between environmentalism and democracy – most recently studying environmental stewardship and American climate politics.
Riley Dunlap is professor at Oklahoma State University. He is one of the founders of environmental concern, the environmental movement and public opinion regarding human-made climate change.
John Thøgersen holds a professorship in economic psychology at Aarhus University. Important areas of interest are consumer behaviour, the role of social and moral norms for environmentally responsible behaviour, transfer of pro-environmental values and behaviour, and media influences on consumer perceptions, attitudes and behaviour.
Ottar Hellevik is professor in political science. His research interests include values and value change, public opinion research, and survey methodology. he has a very strong record in methods, such as time-series analysis, including experience in initiating establishment of the Norwegian Monitor.