Peoples Attitude and Beliefs Towards Climate Change - Research Proposal Example

People's attitude and beliefs towards climate change. Name: Institution: Instructor’s name: Course: Submission date: Introduction On the introduction, the climatic change is the shift of the weather conditions in a given area of study. Change in weather conditions has highly been fuelled by the acts of human being thus imposing dangers and risks to man's life. These weather conditions include the evolution of temperatures, wind breeze, cloud cover, rainfall as well as sun’s intensity (Weart, 2008). Therefore, different people and societies have variated beliefs and attitudes towards climatic change in their society depending on their ethnic cultures which either are towards the reduction of the danger of an increase of the same. Therefore, in the literature review, the research methods used, which is written the questionnaire, interview to different people at different climatic zones as well as the use of articles and documentaries available on the website concerning the topic (McCright, 2011). Topic introduction The subject of the essay deals with a recap on the attitudes that people have as well as beliefs on climatic change in the society as a whole. These climatic changes related issues were the global warming, carbon (iv) oxide emission and drought threats among others. They have been as a result of the activities that are being done by human beings which include deforestation and the release of hazardous gas to the atmosphere as well among other activities (Heath, 2006). Methods used in the research Several methodologies have been employed in the collection of information by the research team with interview being the main method used. In the research for the attitude and beliefs of people towards climatic change, use of written and open-ended questionnaire added up to 30% of the results obtained. The equivalent questionnaire was given to people living under diverged weather conditions and their responses put together (Kollmuss, 2008). Also, interview to the elders in several communities was conducted. This was more convenient for the collection of the required and extra information on the beliefs of the societies since the elderly were more informed of the culture, traditions and beliefs. Also, the reasons behind some culture were found thus adding up to 50% of the discussion (Haynes, 2007). The interview was done to ten people in five societies in diverged climatic conditions, with each society having two people to be interviewed (Haynes, 2007). Besides, the website gave 20% of the data in the discussion since additional data about beliefs were collected from it. Discussion From the research, different attitudes from various people have been noted from various climatic changes. Several people’s attitude towards global warming was that the climate change was a serious problem to the society (Carvalho, 2007). Therefore, they see the "global warming" change of climate as a threat to the human life due to the illness that is as its result (Dunlap, 2009). These disease brought about by global warming are skin cancer-related illnesses. Therefore it’s the attitude of many that the nations need to live a less materialistic life as a way of reducing global warming with others opposing the since the reduction of materialism life will shut down the economy of the nation due to many businesses breakdown (Lorenzoni,2006). On the beliefs on global warming, many religious people believe that global warming and its repercussions are a punishment from their creator due to the nation’s immorality (Hamilton, 2011). The hot temperatures that make people uncomfortable, the insufficient rains due to global warming, the skin cancers caught by the nation, as a result, is believed to be a curse upon the unreligious and the hypocritical in the society (Bord, 2010). Therefore, they believed that the only way to curb global warming is by leading a righteous life. To those whose point of view is scientifically based understand what global warming its causatives thus belief that leading a life whose activities least promote globalism can result to solving global warming as a climate change. The probable activities that are believed to reduce globalism include the participation in the production of green energy which occurs at an increased cost of living (Hulme, 2009). Besides, this is either a personal or a social action and benefits. They belief that solutions to globalism will lead to an improvement in the natural ecosystem's health as well as private resident's benefit in the field of health (Dasgupta, 2007). As a result, many support the climatic change whose results are global warming for the interests of the social area rather than for their benefit aiming at these welfare benefits that are to lead to their actions' influence despite majority not associating the effects of globalism as of personal concern (Shepperd, 2005). On carbon emission, some percent of the people support its high taxation with others seeing its tax as an unlawful activity. This is due to the gas' efficiency being viewed to be involving sacrifice. Therefore, the attitude towards carbon emission is determined by the capita level of the nation/ nations with high per-capita levels of emissions of carbon have less concern about the climatic change (Whitmarsh, 2009). On the other hand, countries whose carbon emission per capita level is high are greatly concerned about climate change. Besides, those who show interest in low-carbon production mostly are unconscious defending themselves from the images associated with climate change (Bostrom, 2005). On extension, they are found making deeper reflections on the particular measures to be taking in the process of changing their behaviors and attitude towards the carbon-emissions (Marcell, 2004). Besides, several individuals prefer products having the little footprint of carbon along sides the completion of the IAT where they are supposed to assign negative or positive terms with the aim pf targeting the minimal carbon footprint's category (Lorenzoni, 2007). On drought, many areas have been affected by it. Therefore, different communities have developed different beliefs and attitudes towards the climate change according to one’s educational level. The professional group in the society know all possible causatives of drought thus not having beliefs and attitudes towards it as well as the lack of sufficient water (Melville, 2010 and Corner 2012). The water insufficiency which is brought by low rainfalls as in various lands thus only the few who are learned understands the changes thus having a positive attitude and belief towards the climatic change. Some people associate drought with ancestral punishment to the living generation due to immoral behavior by the nation (Stern, 2005). To the other group of individuals who understand that scanty rains are as a result of global warming take the change as a natural occurrence that is beyond human control. Therefore, drought has turned to be the greatest concern to the majority in fear of its repercussions which include inadequate or no harvest of food in the firms accompanied by people’s death from thirst and anger for lack of adequate water and meals to sustain them (O'Connor, 2009). This greatly fuels the development of a negative attitude towards the climatic change. Those that took the drought climate change positively have ganged up to the construction of dams and the drilling of boreholes as a way of providing an artificial solution to the problem (Leiserowitz, 2005). To the nations with sea shores, there is a likelihood of experiencing large water wave-drifts along the coast. Most of the society will have the same attitude and belief towards the change that it's a form of warning to the living by the creator or even the ancestors on a particular issue (Weart, 2008). Other than that, the nation is likely to face floods due to consistent rains as well as intense storms in the water bodies that mostly result in deaths of many people. The society, due to the mortality rates in the region, tends to associate the climatic change within the water bodies which are unpredictable and hard to identify (Whitmarsh, 2011). Its effect may be minimal to the lands but of significant risk of the sea and wild water animals The research question statement The research question is, “what are the beliefs and attitudes of people about change in climate?” Aim and objective of the research project The aim of the study was to identify people's attitude as well as beliefs about climatic changes. Hypothesis On the assumption, the attitude and beliefs on the climatic change by people in the society will be carried from one generation to the other with a few amendments (Demerrit, 2009). These changes are as a result of the development of technological activities and the innovation and invention of technological tools. The tools are necessary for the explanation of reasons behind the several climatic phenomena as well as in finding solutions to the problems related to climatic change (Dunlap, 2010). Besides, it's an assumption that despite all the changes in climate being natural occurrences, the human has the power to control them by recreating the environment again though reforestation the deforested areas as well as afforestation the other lands. Also, minimization of the release of hazardous gases to the atmosphere also helps in the climate change. All this could be made a success if everyone got a positive attitude and belief over the climate changes, References Bostrom, A., Morgan, M. G., Fischhoff, B., & Read, D. (2005). What do people know about global climate change? 1. Mental models. Risk Analysis, 14(6), Bord, R. J., O'Connor, R. E., & Fisher, A. (2010). In what sense does the public need to understand global climate change?. Public understanding of science, 9(3), Carvalho, A. (2007). Ideological cultures and media discourses on scientific knowledge: re-reading news on climate change. Public understanding of science, 16 Corner, A., Whitmarsh, L., & Xenias, D. (2012). Uncertainty, scepticism and attitudes towards climate change: biased assimilation and attitude polarisation. Climatic change, 114(3-4). Dasgupta, P. (2007). The Stern Review's economics of climate change. National institute economic review, 199(1). Demeritt, D. (2009). The construction of global warming and the politics of science. Annals of the association of American geographers, 91(2). Dunlap, R. E., Van Liere, K. D., Mertig, A. G., & Jones, R. E. (2010). New trends in measuring environmental attitudes: measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: a revised NEP scale. Journal of social issues, 56(3). Dunlap, R. E., & McCright, A. M. (2008). A widening gap: Republican and Democratic views on climate change. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 50(5). Hamilton, C. (2011). Requiem for a species: Why we resist the truth about climate change. ReadHowYouWant. Com, 70. Haynes, N. M., Emmons, C., & Ben-Avie, M. (2007). School climate as a factor in student adjustment and achievement. Journal of educational and psychological consultation, 8(3). Heath, Y., & Gifford, R. (2006). Free-market ideology and environmental degradation: The case of belief in global climate change. Environment and behavior, 38(1). Hargreaves, T. (2011). Practice-ing behaviour change: Applying social practice theory to pro-environmental behaviour change. Journal of Consumer Culture, 11(1). Hulme, M. (2009). Why we disagree about climate change: Understanding controversy, inaction and opportunity. Cambridge University Press. Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2008). Mind the gap: why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?. Environmental education research, 8(3). Leiserowitz, A. A. (2005). American risk perceptions: Is climate change dangerous?. Risk analysis. Lorenzoni, I., & Pidgeon, N. F. (2006). Public views on climate change: European and USA perspectives. Climatic change, 77(1), . Lorenzoni, I., Nicholson-Cole, S., & Whitmarsh, L. (2007). Barriers perceived to engaging with climate change among the UK public and their policy implications. Global environmental change, 17(3). Marcell, K., Agyeman, J., & Rappaport, A. (2004). Cooling the campus: Experiences from a pilot study to reduce electricity use at Tufts University, USA, using social marketing methods. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 5(2). Melville, N. P. (2010). Information systems innovation for environmental sustainability. MIS quarterly, 34(1). McCright, A. M., & Dunlap, R. E. (2011). The politicization of climate change and polarization in the American public's views of global warming, 2001–2010. The Sociological Quarterly, 52(2). O'connor, R. E., Bard, R. J., & Fisher, A. (2009). Risk perceptions, general environmental beliefs, and willingness to address climate change. Risk analysis, 19(3). Sheppard, S. R. (2005). Landscape visualisation and climate change: the potential for influencing perceptions and behaviour. Environmental Science & Policy, 8(6). Stern, P. C., Kalof, L., Dietz, T., & Guagnano, G. A. (2005). Values, beliefs, and proenvironmental action: Attitude formation toward emergent attitude objects. Journal of applied social psychology, 25(18). Weart, S. R. (2008). The discovery of global warming. Harvard University Press. Whitmarsh, L. (2011). Scepticism and uncertainty about climate change: Dimensions, determinants and change over time. Global environmental change, 21(2). Whitmarsh, L. (2009). Behavioral responses to climate change: Asymmetry of intentions and impacts. Journal of environmental psychology, 29(1). Read More

Besides, the website gave 20% of the data in the discussion since additional data about beliefs were collected from it. Discussion From the research, different attitudes from various people have been noted from various climatic changes. Several people’s attitude towards global warming was that the climate change was a serious problem to the society (Carvalho, 2007). Therefore, they see the "global warming" change of climate as a threat to the human life due to the illness that is as its result (Dunlap, 2009).

These disease brought about by global warming are skin cancer-related illnesses. Therefore it’s the attitude of many that the nations need to live a less materialistic life as a way of reducing global warming with others opposing the since the reduction of materialism life will shut down the economy of the nation due to many businesses breakdown (Lorenzoni,2006). On the beliefs on global warming, many religious people believe that global warming and its repercussions are a punishment from their creator due to the nation’s immorality (Hamilton, 2011).

The hot temperatures that make people uncomfortable, the insufficient rains due to global warming, the skin cancers caught by the nation, as a result, is believed to be a curse upon the unreligious and the hypocritical in the society (Bord, 2010). Therefore, they believed that the only way to curb global warming is by leading a righteous life. To those whose point of view is scientifically based understand what global warming its causatives thus belief that leading a life whose activities least promote globalism can result to solving global warming as a climate change.

The probable activities that are believed to reduce globalism include the participation in the production of green energy which occurs at an increased cost of living (Hulme, 2009). Besides, this is either a personal or a social action and benefits. They belief that solutions to globalism will lead to an improvement in the natural ecosystem's health as well as private resident's benefit in the field of health (Dasgupta, 2007). As a result, many support the climatic change whose results are global warming for the interests of the social area rather than for their benefit aiming at these welfare benefits that are to lead to their actions' influence despite majority not associating the effects of globalism as of personal concern (Shepperd, 2005).

On carbon emission, some percent of the people support its high taxation with others seeing its tax as an unlawful activity. This is due to the gas' efficiency being viewed to be involving sacrifice. Therefore, the attitude towards carbon emission is determined by the capita level of the nation/ nations with high per-capita levels of emissions of carbon have less concern about the climatic change (Whitmarsh, 2009). On the other hand, countries whose carbon emission per capita level is high are greatly concerned about climate change.

Besides, those who show interest in low-carbon production mostly are unconscious defending themselves from the images associated with climate change (Bostrom, 2005). On extension, they are found making deeper reflections on the particular measures to be taking in the process of changing their behaviors and attitude towards the carbon-emissions (Marcell, 2004). Besides, several individuals prefer products having the little footprint of carbon along sides the completion of the IAT where they are supposed to assign negative or positive terms with the aim pf targeting the minimal carbon footprint's category (Lorenzoni, 2007).

On drought, many areas have been affected by it. Therefore, different communities have developed different beliefs and attitudes towards the climate change according to one’s educational level. The professional group in the society know all possible causatives of drought thus not having beliefs and attitudes towards it as well as the lack of sufficient water (Melville, 2010 and Corner 2012). The water insufficiency which is brought by low rainfalls as in various lands thus only the few who are learned understands the changes thus having a positive attitude and belief towards the climatic change.

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