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In public debates, climate change communication tends to polarize into communities for and against the scientific basis of global warming. We analyze mention networks on Twitter around the publication of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 2 and 3 reports that were published in March–April 2014. Building upon earlier research into climate skepticism and polarization of climate change debate, we focus on the relative prominence of different types of Twitter user accounts, in terms of engagement with other users and their alignments towards the scientific basis of climate change. We distinguish a "heart" actively discussing IPCC from a "shadow", which more anecdotally mentions IPCC and is likely to correspond to the remainder of a public space minimally interested in IPCC-related reports. We develop an original network analysis framework that enables us to analyze and deconstruct the inner structure of this heart's strongly intertwined engagement dynamics. Interesting observations relate to the position of critical users, who are in the minority, but are in relative terms most engaged with and most engaging with other users in this arena, while the media, casual users and governmental agencies occupy relatively less prominent positions. We further qualify the various structural positions by demonstrating that they correspond to different types of vocabulary specific to user types and positions. This socio-semantic approach may be generally helpful to disentangle semantic and structural polarization in online conversation spaces where opposing poles precisely appear to be mixing. • Users critical of anthropogenic climate change hold a prominent position on Twitter. • They dominate a heart of users discussing IPCC reports despite being in minority. • Their vocabulary distinctly relies on scientific rather than political terms. • Media, individuals and governmental organizations are less prominent in the debate. • The heart exhibits a socio-semantic hierarchy intertwining terms and positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a clear consensus among climate scientists about the reality and serious consequences of anthropogenic climate change. However, a vocal minority challenges this consensus. While some research has drawn attention to how conservative foundations support these anti-consensus scientists, less is known about how these scholars are embedded within the broader scientific community. Here, we analyze the networks of anti-consensus and consensus scientists and observe the extent to which these groups are maintained through peer collaborations (e.g. co-authorship) or substantive focus (e.g. research specialization). Using bibliometric data, we construct co-authorship and bibliographic networks linking scientists that appear in two key reports representing the consensus and anti-consensus positions. We identify specialty areas using text analysis and model participation in either series of reports. Results indicate that anti-consensus scientists are not in the same network as consensus scientists and have somewhat different research specializations than consensus scientists although there is substantive overlap. Additionally, anti-consensus scientists do not form a coherent network among themselves, which suggests they do not constitute a separate scientific community, but rather are composed of a disparate group of idiosyncratic scientists. • Clear consensus exists among climate scientists about anthropogenic climate change, yet a small minority is anti-consensus. • Consensus and anti-consensus scientists differ by collaboration and somewhat by specialization, among other factors. • Consensus scientists form a community, while anti-consensus scientists have few ties to consensus scientists or each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigates stability and change of actors in issues in a mature policy discourse. • Applies a temporal network analysis of the policy discourse in three subsequent periods. • Shows how international and national policy processes trigger change in the discourse coalitions over time. • Shows that key actors and most salient issues remain stable in a policy discourse linked to a mature policy subsystem. Policy discourses are important platforms for political actors to express their preferences on certain issues and are usually linked to a specific policy subsystem. From a research perspective, they have the potential to indicate ideological coalitions, policy change and learning. Using discourse network analysis, we identify core policy actors, issues, and coalitions in Switzerland's climate policy discourse and investigate how they have evolved over the past 15 years. In line with the policy process literature, we expected to see more stability than change in the discourse linked to the mature climate policy subsystem. However, our results have shown that policy discourses are more volatile than policy subsystems, and that national and international policy developments are able to trigger change, particularly in terms of the configuration of actor coalitions and the issues discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many communities are unprepared for climate change, yet action stagnate. Adaptation requires governance actors to perceive climate change as a risk and action within their responsibility. However, little is understood on how subjective actor perceptions influence adaptation governance. Individual actors, within the political, public and professional spheres, often shape decision making to echo their informal social institutions. This study theorizes on why climate change adaptation is frequently overlooked, investigating how misguided perceptions of risk and responsibility impact governance and the role denial and discretion plays in this process. To glean insight into how subjective perceptions result in adaptation barriers, the experiences of senior management (n = 14) across four regional districts in Canada is explored. On-site observation and strategic document review provided a general understanding of how regional planning and policies integrate adaptation, while thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews reveals the importance of considering actor perceptions of risk and responsibility in adaptation planning. Here, findings suggest that denial and discretion function as a governance process, hindering decision making on adaptation as political leadership avoids responsibility and the public copes with powerlessness. While navigating climate discourse, actors employ denial and discretion to mitigate ideological conflicts stemming from polarized perceptions of human agency to affect the natural world. To facilitate preparedness for climate change, this research provides insight into the human barriers preventing planning for adaptation. [Display omitted] • Legislative discretion impedes effective adaptation policy. • Political actor risk perception influences policy. • Defensive discretion shifts responsibility between actors. • Implicatory denial and institutional trust placate public actor concern. • Polarized perceptions of human agency limit collective climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of addressing the existential threat to humanity, climate change, has grown remarkedly in recent years while conflicting views and interests in societies exist. Therefore, climate change agendas have been weaponized to varying degrees, ranging from the international level between countries to the domestic level among political parties. In such contexts, climate change agendas are predominantly driven by political or economic ambitions, sometimes unconnected to concerns for environmental sustainability. Consequently, it can result in an environment that fosters antagonism and disputes over power and position and increases the risk of prolonged confrontations, hindering the collective global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Through the current discourse, we aim to provide a preliminary definition of the weaponization of climate change and environmental sustainability and examine its risks and consequences on international relations, political dynamics, public perception, and the comprehensive integrity of climate action. We also recommend embracing a globally coordinated, scientifically substantiated approach to circumvent climate change by building an eco-surplus cultural value system. • Climate change agendas driven by political and economic ambitions can foster antagonism and disputes over power and position. • We provide a preliminary definition of climate change weaponization. • Weaponization can lead to risks and consequences in international relations, political dynamics, public perception, and integrity of climate action. • A globally coordinated, scientifically substantiated approach to circumvent climate change is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri-environmental projects have been portrayed as tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation and to overcome processes of deforestation, soil erosion, issues of water availability, and biodiversity loss. This paper is concerned with the social organisation of knowledge around agri-environmental projects offered to farmers in the department of Caquetá in Colombia. Using Institutional Ethnography (IE), we start with the experiences and work practices of small farmers or campesinos to explore how these are coordinated with the work of other people also involved in the organisation of agri-environmental projects. We identified the ideological code of the 'good producer' and argue agri-environmental projects are part of the wider 'project economy'; an institution that shapes campesinos' practices. Our data shows that what is portrayed as solutions to achieve sustainable livestock, poverty reduction, and the halting of deforestation, end up eroding the trust and willingness to cooperate of those whose work is crucial to achieve the conservation goals these projects claim to promote. Our research contributes to the growing body of social studies about agrienvironmental systems and explains how such interventions reinforce neoliberal agendas that risk replicating modernising logics of productivity, accountability, and efficiency. • Using Institutional Ethnography revealed ideological code of 'good producer'. • Ideological code of 'good producer' shapes campesinos' work practices and language. • Campesinos turned into 'good producers' through participation in financial system. • Campesino's knowledge of their land is not valued by agri-environmental projects. • Agri-environmental projects undermine trust and willingness to conserve the forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oppressor-oppressed dynamic is one of the driving forces that lie behind power, motivating those who possess it to control access to life resources, essential information, and other options and choices that are necessary to adapt to a world in continuous transformation. By referring primarily to the context of corporate America, the aim of this study is to expose the ongoing confrontation between power structures that are responsible for spreading climate denial theories, and climate science that is involved in promoting not only global climate cooperation and regulation but also climate literacy among the general public. The concerted effort of climate denialists to discredit scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic causes of climate change is analyzed through an action-reaction dialogic construct embedded in a series of key quotes collected from the counter-denial website DeSmogBlog. By drawing on the cognitive and communicative principles of Relevance theory in pragmatics and on neo-Gricean approaches, and by adopting a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, the study attempts to shed light on denialist communicative intentions that initiate and give impetus to the global climate change debate. • Relevance Theory and the critical interpretation of the global climate change debate. • Concordance analysis and the quantitative interpretation of dialogicity. • Appraisal categories recurring in pragma-dialogic spaces. • Action-reaction in climate change denialist argumentation. • The oppressor-oppressed dynamic, and the ongoing altercation between the two forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban trees and forests can contribute to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon in their living tissues, with aboveground biomass (AGB) playing a pivotal role. This study explores the capability of UAV-borne hyperspectral and LiDAR data for estimating AGB in tropical urban forests. Structural attributes of trees, such as diameter at breast height (DBH), total height, and wood density, were collected from over 5600 individuals, forming a comprehensive AGB dataset. Our methodology included two primary AGB estimation strategies: an area-based strategy that correlated AGB with hyperspectral and canopy height data across various grid sizes and an individual tree crown (ITC)-based method that integrated canopy height, spectral signatures of individual trees and crown area. The findings indicate that increasing the grid size from 10 m to 50 m improved the R2 from 0.24 ± 0.04–0.61 ± 0.13, mainly due to reduced border effects. Furthermore, integrating canopy height and hyperspectral data enhanced the R2 of AGB estimates from 0.61 ± 0.13–0.70 ± 0.09 for a 50 × 50 m grid. Crucially, wavelengths centered at the green peak and red-edge were identified as key bands in AGB retrieval. Integrating hyperspectral and LiDAR data did not significantly enhance results for individual trees, where AGB was closely linked to tree height and crown area. This study underscores the potential of utilizing integrated UAV-borne sensors for biomass assessment in urban forest settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations often use agri-environmental policies and program to promote Best Management Practice (BMPs) adoption, which are meant to mitigate on-farm environmental risks. However, producer preferences for programs and collaborative organizations are often overlooked during the process of policy implementation. Producers are likely to feel more inclined to accept information from, and otherwise engage with, some organizations over others. Overlooking such preferences may have led to inefficient policies that did not engage the intended audience, resulting in minimal BMP uptake. The goal of this paper is to investigate the preferences of Canadian producers for climate-mitigative policy options and partner organizations that impact or encourage BMP adoption, two variables deemed critical to on-farm BMP adoption decisions. We use a survey-based method for assessing individuals' priorities in the form of most and least preferred choices from a set of available options. Our analysis reveals that producers prefer financial support, while certification, extension, carbon offsets and carbon taxation are all significantly less likely to be chosen as the most preferred climate policy. As for organizations producers prefer to work with, the provincial government and county or municipal governments are their first-choice collaborative organizations when it comes to climate-mitigation in agriculture. In contrast, producers in Alberta are more likely to choose environmental NGOs as their least preferred organization. The results also show these preferences are altered when interacted with producer characteristics. Beliefs about climate change significantly alter their policy preferences: those who believe in human-caused (anthropogenic) climate change are more likely to support several climate-mitigative policies, with the notable exception of a tax on carbon and carbon offsets. We also find farm typology and being an avid adopter of BMPs alters producers' policy preferences, but not organization preferences. Given the challenges to changing producers' on-farm decision making, the results of this paper can help guide those who develop and implement climate-mitigative policies and programs by providing an overview of preferred policies that are more likely to be accepted by agricultural producers. This includes helping tailor policy approaches in collaboration with trusted partners and understanding what factors, such as farm typology and climate change beliefs, may influence the acceptance of these climate-mitigative policies. [Display omitted] • Farmers' policy and organization preferences shape adoption of proven climate-mitigative BMPs. • Male and strongly conservative farmers unanimously oppose carbon taxation. • Farmers hold differing views of organizations in the agri-environmental space. Messenger effects matter. • Farmer are largely unwilling to work with environmental organizations on climate BMP adoption. • Farmers stated climate beliefs significantly affect their policy preferences, except for carbon taxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the scant literature exploring the determinants of methane emissions. A lot is explored considering CO 2 emissions, but fewer studies concentrate on the other most long-lived greenhouse gas (GHG), methane which contributes largely to climate change. For the empirical analysis, a large dataset is used considering 192 countries with data ranging from 1960 up to 2022 and considering a wide set of determinants (total central government debt, domestic credit to the private sector, exports of goods and services, GDP per capita, total unemployment, renewable energy consumption, urban population, Gini Index, and Voice and Accountability). Panel Quantile Regression (PQR) estimates show a non-negligible statistical effect of all the selected variables (except for the Gini Index) over the distribution's quantiles. Moreover, the Simple Regression Tree (SRT) model allows us to observe that the losing countries, located in the poorest world regions, abundant in natural resources, are those expected to curb methane emissions. For that, public interventions like digitalization, green education, green financing, ensuring the increase in Voice and Accountability, and green jobs, would lead losers to be positioned in the winner's rankings and would ensure an effective fight against climate change. Ranking of alternative ML algorithms.Source: authors' elaborations in Knime and Fluorish.Studio. [Display omitted] • Methane emission determinants are analyzed for 192 countries for the 1960–2022 period. • Government debt, GDP, and unemployment increase CH 4 emissions. • Domestic credit, renewable consumption, exports, and urbanization reduce CH 4 emissions. • Losing countries are located in the poorest world regions, abundant in natural resources, dangerous for non-sustainable development. • Methane emissions are predicted to grow by 14.82% in Western countries (on average). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tests the role of social status in the educational divide in climate change attitudes. • Test of knowledge-deficit approach using objectively measured scientific knowledge. • Scientific knowledge more relevant for educational divide in climate skepticism. • Social status more relevant for educational divide in distrust in climate science. • Practitioners could increase sensitivity to subjective social status. Research has frequently found that less-educated citizens are more skeptical about climate change and show less trust in climate science than their more-educated counterparts. We advance insights on why this educational divide exists by: 1) scrutinizing the relevance of the dominant knowledge-deficit explanation by uniquely using an objective measure of scientific knowledge; and 2) theorizing and empirically testing a novel explanation on the importance of subjective social status. Building on recent sociological insights, we theorize that less-educated citizens have a lower subjective social status and feel misrecognized by more-educated citizens, inciting frustration and opposition toward the attitudes and lifestyle of the latter. Because belief in and concern about climate change are predominantly embraced by more-educated citizens and have strong status connotations, less-educated citizens' opposition to the lifestyle of more-educated citizens is likely also directed at the issue of climate change. We test hypotheses derived from both approaches by analyzing unique survey data gathered among members of a high-quality panel representative of the Dutch population. We focus on two outcome measures: climate change skepticism and distrust in climate science. We find that both the knowledge-deficit approach and the novel explanation involving subjective social status contribute to understanding the educational divide in climate change attitudes, in addition to other approaches covered by control variables such as income and political ideology. Our study concludes with a reflection on the theoretical implications of these findings and their practical implications for information campaigns, which our study suggests should be careful not to prime less-educated citizens' perceived lower social standing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The article analyses the media portrayal of peatland agricultural practices. • We focus on the narratives surrounding the 2016 International Peat Congress. • It finds four denialist narratives in defending existing unsustainable practices. • These frames bear resemblance to climate change denialism. This article analyses the denialist narratives of the negative environmental impact of oil palm plantations on tropical peat by the media of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Specifically, we focus on media coverage of the 2016 International Peat Congress, where scientifically misleading claims that it is sustainable to develop oil palm plantations on tropical peatlands were made. We found that media reporting of the denialist narrative is more prevalent than that of the peer-reviewed science consensus-view that plantations on tropical peat could cause excessive greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the risk of fires. Four mutually complementary narratives were used by Indonesian and Malaysian media to construe denialism, which closely resemble the four climate denialist narratives identified by Elsasser and Dunlap (2013). These denialist narratives draw heavily upon information advocated by divergent knowledge communities (Goldstein 2016) and appeal to a nationalist sentiment of 'us' - palm oil-producing developing countries - and 'them' - western developed countries producing research critical of the industry. The Malaysian press has most extensively deployed this nationalistic sentiment, whereas the Singaporean media has not actively endorsed or rejected any of the denialist narratives. Our findings suggests that media representation of the issue is a reflection of an amalgamation of economic, diplomatic and nationalistic concerns, determined by political, socio-cultural nuances specific to each country. Importantly, our article alerts to the continuation of unsustainable practices as justified by the media to the public, and that the prevalence of these denialist narratives constitute a significant obstacle in resolving pressing issues such as transboundary haze, biodiversity loss, and land-use change related greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is continuing debate about which climate-policy instruments are most appropriate to reduce emissions. Undertaking a global survey among scientists who published on climate policy, we provide a systematic overview of (dis)agreements about six main types of policy instruments. The survey includes various fields across the social and natural sciences. The results show that, on average, all instruments are considered important, with direct regulation receiving the highest rating and adoption subsidies and cap-and-trade the lowest. The latter is surprising given the theoretical advantages and real-world success of the EU-ETS. Next, clustering scientific fields based on how important they consider the instruments, we determine five distinct groups, with (a) ecological economists and (b) mathematics/computer science being most dissimilar from other discipline clusters. We explain disagreement through assessing the relative importance assigned to policy criteria effectiveness, efficiency, equity and socio-political feasibility, as well as researchers' attitudes and background. Paying special attention to carbon pricing, motivated by its contested key role, we identify three respondent clusters, namely 'enthusiasts', 'undecided', and 'skeptics'. Examining various policy arguments, we find that agreeing that carbon pricing effectively limits energy/carbon rebound and has potential to be harmonized globally have the strongest association with giving importance to this policy. • We survey researchers from diverse fields to examine views on climate policies. • Direct regulation is on average rated as most important. • Environmental and ecological economists hold contrasting views on cap-and-trade. • Support for carbon pricing relates to expectations of curbing rebound and global harmonization. • Many other factors are assessed, such as policy criteria, climate worry and ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent shift towards renewable energy sources in response to climate change highlights the necessity of thoroughly examining the obstacles that impede the progress of cleaner energy efforts. This study examines the socio-political barriers that hinder the expansion of the renewable energy industry in India, a nation facing the dual challenges of rapid economic growth and environmental preservation. Amidst increasing global apprehensions regarding the environment, this study employs a comprehensive analysis encompassing ANOVA, correlation, and regression to identify crucial aspects influencing the advancement of renewable energy in India. While previous studies have recognized financial limitations such as brief loan durations and significant capital expenses as substantial obstacles, our research explores the intricate interaction of several elements in greater detail. The key findings reveal substantial variations across the groups examined, providing insight into the differing degrees of awareness and concern surrounding renewable energy. Remarkably, limited connections arise between crucial factors such as awareness of renewable energy, care for the environment, and government energy policy. The regression analysis highlights the insufficiency of the variable "Development of renewable energy in India" in accurately predicting the dependent variable, thus indicating the presence of other relevant factors. India's present renewable energy capacity is only 18%, with hydro energy contributing 14%. Our research highlights the need for specific actions to address this issue. The study continues by recommending incorporating scholarly knowledge into policy development to encourage investor attraction and promote the widespread acceptance of cleaner and renewable energy solutions at both national and international levels. This research provides a detailed and insightful viewpoint to the ongoing discussion, highlighting the crucial influence of socio-political factors in determining the future direction of India's renewable energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some well-established scientific findings may be rejected by vocal minorities because the evidence is in conflict with political views or economic interests. For example, the tobacco industry denied the medical consensus on the harms of smoking for decades, and the clear evidence about human-caused climate change is currently being rejected by many politicians and think tanks that oppose regulatory action. We present an agent-based model of the processes by which denial of climate change can occur, how opinions that run counter to the evidence can affect the scientific community, and how denial can alter the public discourse. The model involves an ensemble of Bayesian agents, representing the scientific community, that are presented with the emerging historical evidence of climate change and that also communicate the evidence to each other. Over time, the scientific community comes to agreement that the climate is changing. When a minority of agents is introduced that is resistant to the evidence, but that enter into the scientific discussion, the simulated scientific community still acquires firm knowledge but consensus formation is delayed. When both types of agents are communicating with the general public, the public remains ambivalent about the reality of climate change. The model captures essential aspects of the actual evolution of scientific and public opinion during the last 4 decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous prior studies regarding public acceptance of climate change mitigation technologies, most academic papers focus on individual technologies in their analyses. Little is known about the acceptance of multiple low-carbon energy technologies. This study bridges this research gap and explores the cross-technology acceptance of various energy solutions at different locations. Thus, we provide a comprehensive understanding of public acceptance patterns by analysing a broader range of technologies concurrently, focusing on: (a) nuclear power, (b) district heating, (c) energy-saving technologies, (d) onshore, nearshore, and offshore wind power (WP), (e) photovoltaics (PV) installed on agricultural land, industrial roofs, and private roofs, and (f) carbon capture and storage (CCS) in offshore, nearshore, rural onshore, and urban onshore locations. Based on Danish nationally representative survey data, our results give strong policy indications that PV on industrial rooftops is accepted at the highest level. In contrast, nuclear power, onshore rural and urban CCS, and nearshore CCS are the least accepted technologies to combat climate change among the Danish public. Additionally, we discover that the acceptance of a specific technology is contingent on locations. Specifically, the public acceptance of PV, WP, and CCS depends on the place of living and the potential location of technology placement. Finally, this study explores subgroup analyses to compare acceptance differences according to gender, age, education, income, and location of residence. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For countries like Norway, with abundant offshore wind resources and deep seas, floating wind power technology can play an essential role in the green energy transition. However, this technology is still immature, and the first utility-scale floating offshore wind power projects need substantial support for technology development to be commercially feasible. This study employs an online survey targeting the general population in Norway (N = 1011) to investigate support and opposition toward floating offshore wind power development. The survey includes a discrete choice experiment focusing on policy-relevant factors such as the export of electricity, reducing domestic carbon emissions by electrifying offshore oil and gas platforms, impact on global technology cost trends, and involving domestic offshore industries as key players in the floating offshore wind sector. We find the highest support for developing projects that utilize technology from domestic offshore industries and projects connected to the domestic electricity grid. Projects aimed at reducing domestic carbon emissions by electrifying offshore oil and gas platforms are favored over those for exporting electricity to other countries. A significant impact on future technology costs does not lead to increased support for the project. Projects presented after a framing text focusing on meeting future electricity demand result in a higher willingness to pay for floating offshore wind projects than those presented after a framing text focusing on meeting climate objectives. Respondents opposing all the projects are likely climate skeptics and believe that project developers should bear all the project costs. Norway is expected to play a critical role in developing floating wind power. However, the Norwegians demand clear national benefits to be willing to shoulder the cost of spearheading the floating offshore wind power development. Understanding these preferences is vital for crafting energy policies aligning with public interests and rapidly integrating floating wind power into the green energy transition. • We use a choice experiment to elicit preferences for floating offshore wind. • Norwegians prefer projects connected to the domestic electricity grid. • Support increases with the share of domestic technology in the projects. • Support unaffected by projects' impact on future technology costs. • Opposition to offshore wind power associated with climate skepticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We empirically derive the determinants of British public preferences for different low-carbon energy sources using machine learning algorithm-based variable selection methods (ridge, lasso, and elastic net regression models). We seek to understand the drivers of support for solar, wind, biomass, and nuclear energy, which are the largest low-carbon energy sources and together account for the majority of UK power generation. Explanatory variables examined include those related to demographics, knowledge, perceptions of climate change, and government policy. We carry out a comparative study by synthesising the results of our independent analyses for each energy source and find that the preferred energy sources vary with respondents' views on anticipated climate change impacts. Those who believe that potential effects of climate change will be catastrophic tend to prefer renewable energy sources whereas those less concerned about climate change tend to prefer nuclear power. The public also prefers energy sources about which they are more familiar or knowledgeable. Energy transition policies should be adjusted to better consider the factors that drive public acceptance of low-carbon energy sources, including exploring ways to secure policy support that considers energy source-specific characteristics and expanding public awareness of climate change and individual technologies, particularly among certain demographics. • We analysed drivers of the British public's preferences for low carbon energy sources. • Machine learning-based regression models were used for variable selection. • Familiarity with low carbon energy sources influences preferences for that source. • Public perception of the impact of climate change impacts is a key determinant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecosystem in the Sanjiangyuan region of China is known to all for its simplicity and fragility. Studying the changes in net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation and its influencing factors will help protect and improve this fragile environment. However, there are missing data in some regions in NPP data collectors, which affect the data availability. Therefore, this article proposes a method for estimating NPP using only a small amount of basic data by constructing a deep neural network (DNN) model suitable for NPP estimation. This method requires only a small amount of basic data to obtain high-precision, complete NPP data. We conducted a precision verification of the NPP estimates in the Sanjiangyuan region and studied the temporal and spatial variation of NPP in the Sanjiangyuan region, the relations between NPP and meteorological factors, and the contributions of climate change and human activities to NPP changes. The results showed that the estimation of NPP was reliable, with coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.893 to 0.933 and root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from 24.904 to 34.550. From 2001 to 2020, the NPP in the study area showed a significant increasing trend (1.32 g C/m2·year−1, P < 0.05). The partial correlation coefficients between climate and NPP were all positive, with the maximum partial correlation coefficient between temperature and NPP (0.308), followed by radiation (0.113) and precipitation (0.067). The contributions of climate change and human activities to NPP changes were 1.298 and − 0.051 g C/m2·year−1, respectively. Climate change was the main driving factor for vegetation regeneration, while human factors were the main cause of vegetation reduction in the study area. • A DNN model is constructed to estimate NPP. • Partial derivative is used to quantitatively access the impacts on NPP. • Climate change plays a dominant role in vegetation recovery. • Human activities play a dominant role in vegetation degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The near-surface soil freeze state is affected by global warming, and its changes have profound effects on landscapes, ecosystems and hydrological processes. On the basis of daily soil freeze observational data at 476 meteorological stations over 50 freezing years from September 1, 1961 to August 31, 2011, the spatial distributions and temporal variations of the near-surface soil freeze state were estimated using five freeze variables (first date, last date, maximum seasonally frozen depth, duration and actual number of freeze days) across China, which was divided into three regions (eastern China, northwestern China and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)). The near-surface soil freeze state varied greatly across China. The QTP has an earlier freeze, later thaw, longer freeze days and deeper seasonally frozen depth than the other two regions. The spatial distributions of the near-surface soil freeze state can be explained largely by altitude in northwestern China and on the QTP, whereas they can be explained by latitude in eastern China. The near-surface soil freeze state has changed significantly over 50 freezing years. On average across China over the study period, the first date of freezing was delayed by approximately 10 ± 1 days with a rate of 0.20 ± 0.02 days/year, the last date advanced by approximately 18 ± 2 days with a rate of 0.36 ± 0.04 days/year, the duration and the number of freeze days decreased by 28 ± 2 and 23 ± 2 days with rates of 0.56 ± 0.04 and 0.45 ± 0.04 days/year, respectively, and the maximum seasonally frozen depth decreased by 20 ± 3 cm with a rate of 0.41 ± 0.06 cm/year. The change in the freeze variables is relatively large in high-latitude and high-altitude regions. Highlights • The near-surface soil freeze state varies greatly and can be explained largely by altitude or latitude. • The soil freeze state on the QTP is obviously different from the other two regions. • The change of the freeze variables is relatively large in high-latitude and high-altitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition in household energy use from conventional to clean energy sources plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. In this study, we systematically considered the driving-inducing mechanisms of household residential energy transition from both external scenarios and internal psychological aspects. Based on data from 361,127 samples spanning 2005–2021, this study innovatively proposed the driving-inducing mechanism of the household energy transition. With the help of meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis (MRA), we comprehensively analyzed the psychological and behavioral differences in the process of household energy transition in different countries and different clean energy types, and revealed the evolution pattern of household residents from transition awareness to transition behavior in response to external scenarios and internal psychological changes. The results showed that the optimal drivers and inducers of household energy transition vary according to the diversity of clean energy types, and policy utility dislocation is the key external inducer that influences the transition from awareness to behavior of household residents. Further, the policy strategy should be tailored by region and type to better promote household energy transition. • Driving-inducing mechanisms of the household residential energy transition. • Advocacy guidance is more effective for solar, wind, and photovoltaic energy. • Policy utility dislocation is a key external inducer. • Promoting clean energy by "region and type" is a wise policy strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and climate change are endangering the sustainability of public spaces through increased land artificialization, ecological fragmentation, reduced resource availability, and limited accessibility to natural and seminatural areas. Properly managing Green Infrastructure (GI) can contribute to mitigating these challenges by delivering multiple provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural Ecosystem Services (ES). This would facilitate the implementation of strategically planned GI networks in cities for urban regeneration purposes. In this context, this study developed a systematic review on the ES provided by GI using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The analysis of 199 eligible articles indicated that more efforts should be made to address more ES at once, which connects to the need for conceiving GI as a strategically planned network of areas aimed at delivering diverse benefits. Based on the methods used in the items reviewed, geoprocessing tools and multi-criteria decision analysis are proposed to develop systems of indicators capable of accounting for multiple ES. These systems should also rely on multidisciplinary and participative procedures to encompass various facets of GI and represent the priorities of all relevant stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a mathematical model to determine the optimal schedule of preventive replacement of a component such that the economic and environmental impacts of the component are minimized. For the economic dimension, the model minimizes the operation, failure and replacement costs of the component. From the environmental perspective, the model aims to minimize the environmental impact associated with the use phase and action taken to replace the component. The model is made general and can accommodate any environmental impact category. Due to the complexity of the objective functions of the model, genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to find the optimal solutions. To reduce GA search space, upper and lower bounds of the solutions are determined based on the numerical analysis of the first derivatives of the objective functions of the model. To show the applicability of the model, a case study aiming to minimize total expected cost and global warming potential (GWP) of a bus tire is presented. The results of the case study show that the optimal preventive replacement schedule minimizing total expected cost per km is when the tire reaches 17,700 km and the schedule minimizing total expected GWP per km is when the tire reaches 19,500 km. The schedules result in US$23 and 0.2 kg CO 2 -eq savings in the total expected cost and GWP per tire. The solutions of the multi-objective optimization problem indicate that a 1000 km increase in the optimal schedule minimizing total cost will result in a 0.4% increase in the total expected cost and a 0.002% reduction in the total expected GWP of the tire. The sensitivity analysis presents that 1% reduction in the operation cost and fuel consumption contributes to a 0.91% reduction in the total expected cost and 0.99% reduction in the total expected GWP, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building and construction sector is one of the major energy users and emission sources. Traditionally, companies have not been especially interested in improving energy efficiency of their premises, which results in an energy efficiency gap, the gap between feasible energy efficiency investments and executed energy efficiency investments. This paper combines literature on energy efficiency gap and companies' temporal orientation as a part of their decision-making. The aim of the study is to assess the factors that affect the temporal orientation of a company's decision-making as well as willingness to pay for energy efficiency investments. We conducted a web-based survey targeted to Finnish top managers in industrial small- and medium-sized companies. As a result, we conclude that explanations for energy efficiency gap are more behavioral in nature as the resources of the company or the financial uncertainty of the investment do not affect the decision-maker's temporal orientation or willingness to pay for energy efficiency investments. The behavioral aspects on the other hand, such as the manager's climate change skepticism and manager's past decisions to invest in energy efficiency, do have an impact on the decision-maker's willingness to pay. • Behavioral explanations for energy efficiency gap are supported. • Companies' social responsibility is linked to temporal orientation. • Companies' financial situation is not linked to temporal orientation. • Managers' climate change skepticism is linked to their willingness to pay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Lagrangian-based transport model is derived for simulating contaminant transport in natural fracture. • The upscaled dispersivity is higher than the measured dispersivity. • LBTM can directly estimate field-scale dispersivity based on geostatistical data. Physical heterogeneities are prevalent features of fracture systems and significantly impact transport processes in aquifers across different spatiotemporal scales. Upscaling solute transport parameter is an effective way of quantifying parameter variability in heterogeneous aquifers including fractured media. This paper develops conceptual models for upscaling conservative transport parameters in fracture media. The focus is on upscaling dispersivity. Lagrangian-based transport model (LBTM) for dispersivity upscaling are derived for the solute transport in two-dimensional fractures surrounded by an impermeable matrix. The LBTM is validated against the random walk particle tracking (RWPT) model, which enables highly efficient and accurate predictions of conservative solute transport. The results show that the derived scale-dependent analytical expressions are in excellent agreement with RWPT model results. In addition, LBTM results are also compared to experimental results from the observed breakthrough curve of a conservative solute transport through a single natural fracture within a granite core. Comparing results from the LBTM and transport experiment shows that LBTM based estimated dispersivity is 10.55% higher than the measured value. Errors introduced by the experiments, the conceptual assumptions in deriving models, and the heterogeneities of fracture apertures not fully sampled by measuring instruments are main factor for such discrepancy. The sensitivity analysis indicates that the longitudinal and transverse dispersivities are positively related to the integral scale and the variance of the log-fracture aperture. The longitudinal dispersivity is strongly contolled by the variance of the log-fracture aperture. The LBTM may be useful for directly predicting solute transports, requiring only the acquisition of fractured geostatistical data. This work provides a better understanding of transport processes in fractured media which ultimately control water quality across scales. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political conservatives and males are more likely to deny human influence on climate change. In this paper we examine the role of social dominance orientation (SDO) in explaining this “conservative male” effect by testing whether SDO mediates the influence of both political conservatism and gender on anthropogenic climate change denial. We use cross-sectional online-based data from Brazil ( N = 367) and Sweden ( N = 221) to test our mediation hypothesis. Results from path analysis showed that SDO partially or fully mediated the influence of political orientation and gender on anthropogenic climate change denial. The results provide insights about the role of SDO in the “conservative male” effect, and suggest that SDO could be considered more comprehensively in studies focusing on climate change denial and environmental attitudes/behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although virtually all experts agree that CO 2 emissions are causing anthropogenic global warming, public discourse is replete with contrarian claims that either deny that global warming is happening or dispute a human influence. Although the rejection of climate science is known to be driven by ideological, psychological, and political factors rather than scientific disagreement, contrarian views have considerable prominence in the media. A better understanding of contrarian discourse is therefore called for. We report a blind expert test of contrarian claims about climatological variables. Expert economists and statisticians were presented with representative contrarian statements (e.g., “Arctic ice is recovering”) translated into an economic or demographic context. In that blind test, contrarian claims were found to be misleading. By contrast, mainstream scientific interpretations of the data were judged to be accurate and policy relevant. The results imply that media inclusion of contrarian statements may increase bias rather than balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consistent climate data and reliable sizing methods are fundamental for designing Technical Building Systems. This paper addresses both these aspects with reference to the Italian context analyzing 108 different locations. Regarding the climate data, a quality analysis through the application of rules and filters was performed on the locations. The results showed good data quality, with most sites having high percentages of usable material, although highlighting recursive criticalities in the detection of humidity and wind speed parameters. Regarding the sizing methods, a sensitivity analysis was carried on for the European standard EN ISO 15927-2 to evaluate its performances in selecting the Cooling Design Days in the 108 locations. The analysis highlighted great differences in terms of chosen Design Days when using different climatic parameters, showing at the same time a negligible influence of the wind speed on the selection process. Furthermore, a sizing process for a test building applied to the 108 locations was carried on by using the Cooling Design Days. The results highlighted that the Design Days obtained through the EN ISO method often give counterintuitive sizing outputs, even obtaining higher required powers for lower risk levels, the opposite of how it should be. This implies that a designer should be very careful in evaluating which parameters to use in the Design Day selection and if the output sizing powers obtained through them are reliable for its particular sizing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hidden carbon taxes outperform salient carbon taxes in reducing consumer demand. • Salient carbon taxes trigger a moral licensing process that encourages consumption. • Awareness of paying a carbon tax included in the price enhances moral self-concept. • A higher moral self-concept increases the purchase likelihood of the taxed product. • Licensees are environmentally concerned and less conservative. Carbon taxes raise the costs of carbon-intensive products to penalize their consumption. Policymakers can decide whether the carbon tax is hidden or indicated explicitly as a component of the retail price. This policy design decision has effects on demand that have been overlooked. Here we show that salient carbon taxes are less effective than hidden taxes in reducing demand because being aware of paying a carbon tax activates a moral licensing process that encourages consumption. Across four experimental studies and two pilot experiments, we found that participants' purchase intention was consistently higher when the carbon tax was salient. This effect remained robust with different products, carbon tax levels, and additional carbon footprint labels. Salient carbon taxes had a stronger effect on the purchase intention of the climate change concerned and less conservative individuals because they were more susceptible to a boost in moral self-concept triggered by paying the carbon tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelters are microhabitats where animals rest and hide. These microhabitats can be used from short daily periods to long-term estivation or hibernation. Environmental conditions and the phenotypical characteristics of the animal drive habitat selection in relation to shelters. Based on this, climate regions and phylogeny are expected to affect the use of different shelter types. Although shelters are yet to be described for most anuran species, a variety of microhabitats have already been reported as shelter-sites, including dense vegetation, rock crevices, and holes in the ground. In this study, we evaluated photos of frogs for sheltering behaviour from 29 countries in the Americas deposited on the popular citizen-science platform, iNaturalist. We compared the frequency of use of different shelter types identified on the photos among different climate regions and anuran families, also testing possible phylogenetic signals. We identified 11,133 photographs of 378 frog species showing individuals hiding in shelters or in a resting position. We classified observations into 10 shelter types, with live vegetation (24.7 %) being the most commonly recorded natural shelter, followed by hole in the ground (11.4 %) and tree trunk (11.1 %). The use of different shelter types varied between arid and humid climates, and also among different anuran families. We found strong phylogenetic signal for three shelter types (hole in the ground , live vegetation , and water) and the differences in shelter use among taxa suggest a relation with body characteristics. Approximately 47 % of observations of threatened and near threatened species were in hole in the ground , while artificial habitat represented only 3.6 % of the observations in this group. The daily pattern of shelter use corroborated the nocturnal activity of most species. Our findings also expanded the description of shelter sites for 330 species that had no published information on this behaviour. This study contributes to our current knowledge about animal behaviour and highlights the use of citizen science as an effective approach to understand the natural history of amphibians at a large scale. • Microhabitats where individuals shelter are unknown for most frog species. • Based on citizen science data we identified shelter sites for the first time for 330 species. • Daily use of shelters converges with nocturnal activities for most species. • Threatened species prefer natural over artificial shelters. • Climate and phylogeny predict the frequency of shelter use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The map received allowed setting the designation purpose of the land plots and their rating in terms of suitability for construction works. • Testing the neural network for terrain recognition showed the model's training error of up to 1.3%. • The obtained results can be used for terrain recognition and expert evaluation of land plots. The article addresses the issue of the Earth's surface surveillance. It was determined that artificial intelligence tools and machine learning methods are required to enhance the effectiveness of image recognition. Cores, Era 5, and ArcGIS cloud computing services (APIs) were installed to evaluate spatial data quality. The article presents the results of analyzing climate data received through applications developed by the authors. Raster terrain images of Slavyanka city located in Khasansky District of the Russian Federation were obtained, and corresponding graphs of temperature regimes were built. The root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) value calculated using machine learning techniques served as the basis for developing a neural network. It was later used to define the land features of the Khasansky city district to evaluate the possibility of construction works in this area. The map received allowed setting the designation purpose of the land plots and their rating in terms of suitability for construction works and defining areas not serviceable for any civil engineering activities. Complex climatic factors and obtained raster images of the terrain were considered. Testing the neural network for terrain recognition showed the model's training error of up to 1.3%. In terms of statistics, RSSD (2.5 ± 0.95), the Pearson's criterion, the Student's criterion, and the statistical significance of the results were estimated. The obtained results can be used for terrain recognition and expert evaluation of land plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the size and nature of green fiscal stimulus in the G20 countries in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with a focus on the energy-related policies. We exploit a new dataset, the Energy Policy Tracker (EPT), with detailed information on countries' policies since the start of the pandemic. Between January 2020 and December 2021, G20 countries enacted 913 stimulus measures that have direct impacts on energy supply and demand. The average country spent $395 USD per person on energy-related policies. Only 30% of this amount, on average, is devoted to low-carbon measures, mostly in the transit and buildings sectors, with considerable variation across countries. To properly compare countries' efforts in aligning their COVID-19 stimulus with climate goals, we construct a new index, the Green Energy Policy Index (GEPI), using principal components analysis, taking into account both "green" and "brown" stimulus measures. The GEPI varies considerably across countries. We find that on average, countries with a "greener" energy-related stimulus are wealthier and have a lower emission intensity. On average, countries that have experienced the crisis more acutely, both in terms of deaths and gross domestic product (GDP) loss, have "greener" stimulus packages. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research and climate energy policy-making. • A Green Energy Policy Index (GEPI) is developed to assess countries responses to the COVID-19 crisis. • On average, low-carbon measures accounted for 30% of energy-related spending in the G20 with large variations across countries. • Wealthy and low-emission countries have 'greener' energy-related stimuli • Countries with higher COVID deaths and GDP loss have 'greener' stimuli [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, climate change belief across countries has gone through an enormous political debate. Due to different perspectives, the issue of climate change belief in relation to political orientations cannot be considered uniform. This study aims to identify different groups of respondents based on their level of knowledge concerning climate risk against their political orientations. This in return helps in understanding political bias in forming a climate change belief. The methodological approach of this study comprises two major steps. First, to carry out a public perception survey in South East Queensland, Australia. Second, to undertake a hierarchical cluster analysis to derive the groups of respondents with distinct political orientations regarding climate change beliefs. The findings disclose that: (a) Public stances about climate risk knowledge in the case study area are rigid and simply distributed between the two groups—i.e., 'least concerned/mostly disagreed group' and 'highly concerned/mostly disagreed group'; (b) The 'least concerned/mostly disagreed group' is highly rigid on the stance that there is nothing like anthropogenic climate change, and; (c) Climate risk concerns of the 'least concerned/mostly disagreed group' do not influence significantly in guiding their voting decisions. The insights generated help in overcoming the knowledge gaps between climate risk believers and deniers, and thereby inform decision-makers in taking adequate measures to address climate risks and develop appropriate land use decisions. • Investigates the typology of groups of people concerning their climate change belief. • Overcomes the knowledge gaps between climate risk believers and deniers. • Younger and highly educated people are much stronger believers in climate change. • Managers, manufacturers, and business owners are more sceptical to climate risk belief. • Political orientation or exposure to climate risk events do not moderate the belief of deniers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending previous research, we examined whether the relation between social dominance orientation (SDO) and climate change denial reflects group-based dominance (SDO and nature dominance) or general system justification. Moreover, we examined whether the relation between personality (domineering and empathy) and denial is mediated by group-based dominance variables. The results showed that the group-based dominance variables reduce the effect of system justification on denial to nonsignificant. Also, social dominance and nature dominance explain unique parts of the variance in denial. Moreover, path analyses showed that the relations between empathy and system justification with denial are mediated by both of the group-based dominance variables, while the relation between domineering and denial is mediated only by SDO. Together, these results suggest that denial is driven partly by dominant personality and low empathy, and partly by motivation to justify and promote existing social and human-nature hierarchies. We conclude by suggesting that climate change mitigation efforts could be more successful if framed as being clearly beneficial for everybody and nonthreatening to existing social order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vested interests and political agents have long opposed political or regulatory action in response to climate change by appealing to scientific uncertainty. Here we examine the effect of such contrarian talking points on the scientific community itself. We show that although scientists are trained in dealing with uncertainty, there are several psychological reasons why scientists may nevertheless be susceptible to uncertainty-based argumentation, even when scientists recognize those arguments as false and are actively rebutting them. Specifically, we show that prolonged stereotype threat, pluralistic ignorance, and a form of projection (the third-person effect) may cause scientists to take positions that they would be less likely to take in the absence of outspoken public opposition. We illustrate the consequences of seepage from public debate into the scientific process with a case study involving the interpretation of temperature trends from the last 15 years. We offer ways in which the scientific community can detect and avoid such inadvertent seepage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A top-down analysis of the non-residential building stock in Brazil is proposed. • The share of each building typology in the country energy consumption was assessed. • A statistical analysis showed variation of EUI according to type of building and region. • Reference values for the commercial building stock in Brazil is provided. This paper provides a pioneering, top-down analysis of the non-residential building stock in Brazil. A country-wide dataset was used, comprising 10,000 buildings divided into 12 typologies. Key indicators include floor area, energy use intensity, and operation patterns. In addition, predominant wall constructions, lighting systems, equipment, water heating, and HVAC systems for each typology were identified, including average density power for the systems. Data from the Brazilian Energy Balance report was correlated with the sample of buildings to determine the proportion of each building typology in the total energy consumption of the country, considering different energy sources. This study provides an innovative and up-to-date status of the characteristics of non-residential buildings in Brazil. A complementary statistical analysis addressed the correlation between energy use intensity and the building characteristics including an ANOVA test and a regression analysis in order to investigate the influence of the energy usage indicators (Lighting Power Density, Equipment Power Density, Cooling capacity) on the energy use intensity of each building typology in Brazil. This study is intended to serve as a reference for building characteristics and building energy performance in Brazil, and hence support diverse research regarding country-level building stock modeling, energy benchmarking, climate change impacts, and energy-efficiency related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ambitious 2050 decarbonization strategy of the European Union (EU) must implement and reconcile several economic, social, and technological targets, such as continuous prosperity, growth, and increases in energy production and reductions in fossil fuel (FOS) intensity. These dimensions are included in a modified Kaya identity that, consequently, becomes a considerably useful accounting identity to analyze convergence among the EU member states toward a carbon neutrality target. Surprisingly, no comprehensive analysis of the convergence of the growth of all Kaya components toward the decarbonization target among the EU countries and the rest of the world has been conducted thus far. This study fills this gap in the literature by providing the first comprehensive evidence for the simultaneous convergence process of FOS reduction for all the Kaya components from 1990 to 2018. A balanced panel data is used in the study. The results reveal that there is evidence of σ -absolute and conditional β -convergence process for several groups of EU countries. Furthermore, to provide policy recommendations, we simulate alternative scenarios to assess when the target levels of decarbonization can be reached, providing relevant policy implications for the credibility of the 2050 EU policy regarding climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of the environment with plastics has garnered significant public attention, but the topic has also been the focus of controversy, including assertions that resources are better spent on other topics, such as global warming. Here, we argue that plastic pollution and climate change are fundamentally linked, from the extraction of fossil fuels to the production of plastics, and eventual disposal. We demonstrate how plastics research and funding currently lag significantly behind that of climate change and conclude by advocating for a more integrated approach to addressing pressing conservation issues in the time of a planetary emergency. [Display omitted] • Plastics and climate are coupled through shared processes and chemical blueprint. • Failure to recognize plastic pollution and climate change connections impedes mitigation. • Research and funding into plastic pollution lags significantly behind climate change. • Far from being a distraction, plastics research footprint is only 2.5 % that of climate change. • Plastic pollution affects livelihoods, human rights, and is rooted in colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is considerable ambiguity around the importance of demographic and socio-economic characteristics that catalyze pro-environmental behaviours. These factors are typically deemed responsible for environmental skepticism, such as the degree of trust in social institutions, fundamental views of the individuals (e.g., religiosity and political ideology), and competing priorities. In this context, the present study analyzed a comprehensive dataset of survey responses to discern the most reliable predictors of environmental attitudes of Canadians related to activism, lifestyle, household practices on air quality, waste disposal, energy and water conservation. To achieve this objective, we capitalize upon the wealth of publicly available data from surveys conducted by Statistics Canada's Households and the Environment Survey. Our analysis suggests that individuals with university-level education and higher income or families with children generally display pro-environmental behaviours. Political conservatism, as expressed by the percentage vote for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in a given area, appears to covary with some facets of the documented reluctance to embrace environmentally aligned behaviours (i.e., climate change issues), although we did not find a major "conservative-versus-liberal" divide about the broader spectrum of environmental issues. Our assessment of environmental attitudes in different Canadian provinces suggests an aptitude for more sustainable living in Ontario and British Columbia. Our analysis also provides evidence that the intent to support efforts that reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels or promote clean energy and technology – which has been overwhelmingly communicated in recent national polls – is not necessarily actualized. This established trend of Canadians failing to "walk the talk" and materialize their stated commitment with tangible participation into environmentally supportive behaviours could stem from barriers imposed at the household and societal levels. Notwithstanding the uncertainty regarding the importance of different socio-demographic factors in shaping our predisposition and behaviour towards environmental issues, the findings of our study offer a working model that could allow addressing the roots of environmental skepticism, promote societal trust, and revisit the role of ecopolitics in the social agenda. • We examine critical socioeconomic covariates of environmental attitudes in Canada. • Education, household income, family size covary with pro-environmental behaviours. • Ontario and British Columbia display a greater aptitude for sustainable living. • No major conservative-vs-liberal divide exists in Canada about the environment. • We offer a framework that could augment the role of ecopolitics in the social agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Natural disaster experience has positive effects on climate change beliefs. • The effects are strongest within close proximity to the disaster. • The effects are driven by pre-event climate change believers. • In contrast, spatial proximity has no effect on beliefs of climate skeptics. • We use unique longitudinal survey data and satellite imagery of a flood event. Public support of climate policies crucially depends on climate change beliefs. Here we analyze the effects of natural disaster experience on the belief in the existence of climate change. The primary data source is a panel survey covering 22,251 observations from 11,194 geo-located households collected in Germany between 2012 and 2015, combined with satellite imagery of a major flood event in 2013. We find that flood experience had a significant positive effect on the beliefs in the existence of climate change for those respondents living close to the flooded area. However, the effect decreases sharply with distance. We further show that this overall effect is driven by those respondents who already believed in climate change before the flood – they saw their belief confirmed by their experience. In contrast, spatial proximity to the flood had no measurable effect on skeptics. These results imply that climate skeptics may not be influenced by the experience of natural disasters at their doorsteps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate skepticism reduced from 2009 to 2019, particularly among conservatives. • Hotter global temperatures the year prior to the survey predicted lower skepticism. • National temperatures and economic indices were not highly predictive of skepticism. • Rising global temperatures have the power to update beliefs among conservatives. Identifying historical patterns of fluctuation in climate change skepticism guides researchers, policy makers, and science communicators in efforts to catalyze change in the future. We analyzed data from 25 nationally representative polls collected in Australia from 2009 to 2019 (N = 20,655). Although it remains concerningly high, climate skepticism trended down in that 10-year period, particularly among conservatives. Multilevel analyses identified two variables that stood out as being relevant in explaining that trajectory. First, climate change skepticism was positively associated with support for conservative political parties in national polls. Second, climate change skepticism was negatively associated with the annual global temperatures the previous year. There was little evidence that climate change beliefs were associated with economic variables or with seasonal variations in temperature. Furthermore, there was only weak evidence that climate change beliefs were associated with national temperatures. This suggests that global temperatures in the previous year are impactful because of their informational value (as a communication heuristic for the urgency and immediacy of climate change) more so than for their experiential value (in the sense of people actually experiencing warmer weather). Importantly, the effect of previous global temperature was particularly pronounced among those with the strongest levels of skepticism: political conservatives. This suggests that rising global annual temperatures have the power to update beliefs among those most in need of converting to the climate cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Public climate change skepticism has not become a mainstream phenomenon in Germany. [•] Skepticism correlates with low environmental awareness and low risk awareness. [•] Skepticism correlates with less support for renewables and being less critical of nuclear energy. [•] Public skepticism of climate change correlates with low political participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate scientists have been engaged in a decades-long debate over the standing of satellite measurements of the temperature trends of the atmosphere above the surface of the earth. This is especially significant because skeptics of global warming and the greenhouse effect have utilized this debate to spread doubt about global climate models used to predict future states of climate. I use this case from an understudied science to illustrate two distinct philosophical approaches to the relations among data, scientist, measurement, models, and theory. I argue that distinguishing between ‘direct’ empiricist and ‘complex’ empiricist approaches helps us understand and analyze this important scientific episode. I also introduce a complex empiricist account of testing and evaluation, and contrast it with the basic Hypothetico-Deductive approach to the climate models used by the direct empiricists. This more developed complex empiricist approach will serve philosophy of science well, as computational models become more widespread in the sciences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Because of the open-access nature of the environment we consider an ad hoc adjustment of people's environmental footprint to the quality of the environment. The adjustment is motivated by environmental concern, but hindered by skepticism about announced changes in the state of the environment. Changes in the quality of the environment affect Earth's carrying capacity. By expanding the Lotka–Volterra predator–prey model to include these features we show that, despite skepticism, the environment does not deteriorate to a state in which humans cannot exist. We also show that in the ideal case of no skepticism, the interplay between the non-optimally changing environmental concerns and carrying capacity leads the world's environment and human population to a unique interior steady state along an oscillating course. These results require no further technological, social or international progress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We examine whether conservative white males are more likely than are other adults in the U.S. general public to endorse climate change denial. We draw theoretical and analytical guidance from the identity-protective cognition thesis explaining the white male effect and from recent political psychology scholarship documenting the heightened system-justification tendencies of political conservatives. We utilize public opinion data from ten Gallup surveys from 2001 to 2010, focusing specifically on five indicators of climate change denial. We find that conservative white males are significantly more likely than are other Americans to endorse denialist views on all five items, and that these differences are even greater for those conservative white males who self-report understanding global warming very well. Furthermore, the results of our multivariate logistic regression models reveal that the conservative white male effect remains significant when controlling for the direct effects of political ideology, race, and gender as well as the effects of nine control variables. We thus conclude that the unique views of conservative white males contribute significantly to the high level of climate change denial in the United States. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Copenhagen 2009 was a major moment in the development of climate change as an issue. But climate sceptics before and during this event, sought to influence the nature of debate, and for this reason, the way Copenhagen was covered in the mass media was particularly important. This paper outlines the contours of contrarian arguments and claims, and assesses their reflection in the coverage at Copenhagen. The focus is on television, and extends to the assessment of internet – both modes of mass communication underrepresented in the existing literature. The results suggest a higher profile for contrarians and scepticism than is perhaps healthy, and speak to the role of these mass media, now and in the future, particularly with regard to the issue of public comprehension of the issues involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study presents a detailed investigation of public scepticism about climate change in Britain using the trend, attribution, and impact scepticism framework of . The study found that climate scepticism is currently not widespread in Britain. Although uncertainty and scepticism about the potential impacts of climate change were fairly common, both trend and attribution scepticism were far less prevalent. It further showed that the different types of scepticism are strongly interrelated. Although this may suggest that the general public does not clearly distinguish between the different aspects of the climate debate, there is a clear gradation in prevalence along the Rahmstorf typology. Climate scepticism appeared particularly common among older individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds who are politically conservative and hold traditional values; while it is less common among younger individuals from higher socio-economic backgrounds who hold self-transcendence and environmental values. The finding that climate scepticism is rooted in people''s core values and worldviews may imply a coherent and encompassing sceptical outlook on climate change. However, attitudinal certainty appeared mainly concentrated in non-sceptical groups, suggesting that climate sceptical views are not held very firmly. Implications of the findings for climate change communication and engagement are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the potential for developing surface water flood warnings in England and Wales by focusing upon the requirements of professional and public flood warning responders. The recent development of Extreme Rainfall Alerts (ERAs) presents an opportunity to develop such warnings. However, uncertainties concerning event probability, the location and likely impact of floods would significantly complicate the risk communication and warning response process limiting warning effectiveness. Feedback, interviews and workshops involving professional emergency responders and public focus groups allow the reception to existing ERAs and to proposed linked flood warnings to be gauged. For professional responders ERAs are useful and the majority take preparatory actions on receipt of them. There is support for surface water flood warnings among professional responders, particularly if uncertainties can be reduced and warnings tailored to their requirements. Higher quality linkages are required between rainfall intensity and duration and flooding and between forecasters, warners and the warned. Most flood experienced members of the public want surface water flood warnings but scepticism exists about ability to effectively provide them. Reasons include inherent forecasting uncertainties and lack of confidence in the responsible authorities. Existing constraints on developing warnings include reliability issues surrounding flood warnings, the current level of understanding of probabilities and low levels of public flood risk awareness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]