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A common argument for the lack of economic reform in developing countries is popular opposition. If current economic policies are dysfunctional, could information about alternatives sway the voters? We examine if a simple argument emphasizing the need to increase electricity prices for improved supply can change public opinion in the case of India's power sector reforms. The evidence comes from a survey experiment in rural Uttar Pradesh, which is both India's largest state and has one of the lowest levels of household electrification. As expected, people respond to information about the relationship between electricity pricing, capacity investment, and reliability of supply by increasing their support for higher prices. However, no corresponding increase is observed for privatization of electricity generation. For external validity, we analyze an existing national survey on electricity privatization conducted in 2004/2005, finding patterns that support our argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Survey experiment on public support for environmental policy at different levels of scientific certainty. [•] Even modest amounts of scientific dissent undermine public support for environmental policy. [•] Negative effect of scientific dissent on public support does not depend on respondent's socioeconomic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relationship between socio-economic factors and public opinion on environmental policies in Brazil, drawing on a survey conducted in June 2012. There are few systematic studies of the determinants of environmental preferences in emerging economies, and Brazil is a particularly interesting case because of its democratic political system, rapid economic growth, and importance for the global environment. In general, we find that the Brazilian public is highly supportive of environmental protection. To explain variation in environmental preferences, we focus on the effects of income and education. Many previous studies suggest that both should have positive effects, but the empirical evidence is mixed. Indeed, we find that income has no effect on environmental preferences. However, education is a strong predictor of environmental preferences. While college education is not necessary for environmental awareness, there is a large difference between Brazilians with primary and secondary education. For policy, the findings imply that investment in secondary education can raise environmental awareness, regardless of income levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Survey experiment on public support for clean energy in the US. [•] Single frames (arguments) can trigger support or opposition to clean energy. [•] Counter frames can neutralize positive or negative arguments. [•] Framing is unlikely to help clean energy: every argument can be neutralized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]