Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Barriers to climate change action'
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Banuelos, Liana (Liana M. ). "Overcoming Barriers to Institutionalize Climate Change Resiliency Practices : MassDOT." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118266.
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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 91-93).
The most pronounced climate change effects in northeastern United States will be increased precipitation events, more frequent heat waves, and substantial sea level rise. These temperature and flooding outcomes place substantial risk on vital infrastructure that supports economic development, public health, and access to resources and amenities within the state of Massachusetts. As such, there is a need to mitigate these risks through long-range planning and climate change adaptation strategies. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recognizes that infrastructure must be fortified through these methods but has yet to establish a systematic approach for quantifying climate change impacts, evaluating the costs and benefits of selective intervention, and implementing adaptation strategies. However, MassDOT operates within a complex political setting of constraints and conditions that may or may not be conducive to particular implementation mechanisms. Additionally, the hydrologic modeling and spatial analysis needed to identify specific areas of transportation infrastructure that are especially vulnerable to climate change effects will not be completed until late 2018. Cognizant of these constraints, this thesis aims to (1) synthesize the best climate change resiliency strategies from other large infrastructure owners/DOTs and (2) draw upon lessons learned from other agencies to recommend strategies for overcoming barriers to institutionalization at MassDOT. In this way, the department will have a roadmap to addressing existing gaps and barriers to implementation once the climate adaptation and vulnerability assessment tool has been developed. By strategically protecting infrastructure that will have the greatest benefit to MassDOT's constituents at the least cost, the department will be able to minimize the impacts of climate change and maintain a satisfying level of service despite increasing climate stresses on infrastructure and operations.
by Liana Banuelos.
M.C.P.
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Saritas, Alan. "Perceptions of barriers to climate change adaptation by Uppsala farmers." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-398615.
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Current emissions are likely to produce substantial impacts for the agricultural sector and the salience for adapting to these changes in the agricultural sector is increasing. While Nordic agriculture is faced with both opportunities and challenges from climate change, a still developing political and institutional structure in combination with an extreme drought during the summer of 2018 is exacerbating existing long-term trends of financial pressure in the sector, particularly for meat and dairy farmers. Previous research has highlighted that there is a relative lack of studies attempting to understand the decision-making process of climate change adaptation and there is a currently a growing field of research focusing on the barriers to adaptation faced by farmers. This study primarily used Grothmann and Patt’s MCCAPP model in order to determine what factors influenced farmers decision-making when deciding to adapt to climate change. The results of this study found that the predominant barrier to adaptation among farmers were uncertainty regarding future climatic impacts, which resulted in a lower confidence in adaptation strategy efficacy to produce financial stability and returns. Climate mitigation was also identified as a potential trade-off when pursuing adaptation strategies. To a lesser degree, farmers also attested to farm-level differences, such as the availability of water resources as impacting the strategies that they were able to pursue. Opportunities to facilitate adaptation through institutional support was identified, as farmers both require better information regarding adaptation strategies and subsequent trade-offs and synergies it might create in relation to farmers priority issues such as financial viability and climate mitigation. More effective means of financial assistance to counteract the effects of extreme climatic conditions was also identified. Lastly, social capital was an important facilitator of adaptation implementation, but one that is threatened due to the continuingly deteriorating socio-economic conditions that farmers experience in their sector.
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Robinson, Pamela J. "Canadian municipal response to climate change, a framework for analyzing barriers." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0018/NQ53743.pdf.
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Main, Kelly Leilani. "Revisiting barriers to climate change adaptation in coastal municipalities in Massachusetts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118243.
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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 52-[58]).
Massachusetts has positioned itself as a leader in climate adaptation and mitigation action. However, there is little knowledge about how exactly climate adaptation is occurring at the local level and what barriers municipalities in the state face in implementing adaptation strategies. In response to a 2011 study on barriers to climate adaptation in coastal municipalities in Massachusetts that found 'leadership' and 'values and beliefs' as the two main barriers to adaptation, this thesis set out to ask: how, given the increase in extreme weather events and the presence of significant political leadership at the state level, have barriers to climate adaptation for coastal municipalities changed? And if the barriers have changed, what are the new barriers? The research draws on sixteen interviews with staff in six municipalities and arrives at the following findings: (i) barriers to adaptation have shifted from the understanding phase to barriers found in the implementation phase, and include the following cross cutting themes: (ii) private property interests are a significant barrier because publicly funded adaptation projects require public easements on all property that benefits from public funding; (iii) the potential of decreasing property tax revenue continues to be a concern for towns that rely on valuable waterfront property as a pillar of their municipal income; (iv) the town meeting process illuminates many concerns about equity in regards to who should pay for adaptation projects; (v) planners are aware of zoning and land use strategies for long-term adaptation, but such projects are still unpopular and unlikely to pass a town meeting vote in the near term; and (vi) uncertainty about significant damage caused by extreme weather events is more challenging to manage than slow-onset changes such as sea level rise or temperature changes. The findings lead one to believe that adaptation planning is not in fact a bureaucratic issue to be overcome with information, charts, and resources, but a much more fundamentally conceptual issue faced by a society grappling with the implications of shifting economic, social, and environmental conditions caused by climate change. By viewing the story of coastal adaptation through the unique challenges of individual towns and the experiences of the people who make these towns function, one finds that layered deep within this tension is the challenge and opportunity of restoring a highly privatized coastline to the commons.
by Kelly Leilani Main.
M.C.P.
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Ledin, Sofia. "Over the Barriers - A Study on Climate Change Communication on Websites." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Medie- och Informationsteknik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-176990.
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This study examines communication about global warming with an emphasis on encouraging a change in a viewers behavior, and how this can be practically visualised on websites. The study first gathers research from the fields of climate change communication, marketing and psychology, then a survey is sent out and an overview of websites about global warming is made. The findings from all this is then applied to a Hi-fi prototype of a website. The study aims to answer the question: How could visualized messages and information about global warming encourage change in a viewers behavior? User tests of the finished prototype gave mixed results. The results suggest that the site succeeded in creating a positive tone and emotional impact, but were not as successful at encouraging change and raising perceived self-efficacy. It may have been successful at encouraging hopefulness, and informing, but it is a bit unclear due to contradicting results from quantitative personal ratings and qualitative interview answers.Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet
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Sanchirico, Emily. "A Strong Institutional Climate: Regional Trade Networks and Climate Action." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/13410.
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Climate change has been described as a malign, wicked, and super wicked problem. I focus on key characteristics that make international collective action challenging: asymmetry, fear of free riding, scientific uncertainty, and inherent interdependencies. I argue that an institution designed to tackle such a complex problem requires a key set of features: leadership, linkage, quality information, differentiated obligations, monitoring/enforcement, transparency, and flexibility. I assess the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol to determine what aspects are missing. I then ask why the European Union (EU), with incentives to the contrary, set broad unilateral goals. I argue that the framework of political and economic integration made deep cooperation possible. Lastly, I consider whether this experience is specific to the EU and ask whether regional trade networks have a role in the global arsenal of climate change solutions.
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Phear, Nicolette. "Creating Space| Engaging Deliberation about Climate Action." Thesis, Prescott College, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3642993.
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In the United States public discourse, climate change is often framed as a polarized and intractable issue. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore deliberation about climate action, and to evaluate whether effective responses to climate change can be facilitated through new structures and processes that enable and encourage dialogue on the subject of how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Working with sustainability leaders at the University of Montana and in the community of Missoula, Montana, the author convened three public deliberations, in which a variety of solutions to climate change were discussed. Three questions guided this study: 1) what motivated individuals to engage in deliberation about climate action; 2) how did individual engagement vary and affect the quality of the deliberation; and 3) how effective were the deliberations in building a sense of individual agency and generating collaborative action strategies to address climate change. Based on a rigorous statistical analysis of survey responses combined with qualitative data, this action research study offers a holistic exploration of the three deliberative events convened. The deliberative processes generated collaborative action strategies and increased participants' sense of agency to take action on climate change; the findings also revealed differences in the ways individuals engaged and affected the quality of the overall group deliberation. This dissertation contributes to the literature on collaborative responses and collective action on climate change, broadens understanding of deliberative processes, and provides new insight into opportunities for leading deliberation about climate action.
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Howarth, Candice. "Perceived barriers to sustainable travel behaviour change and the role of information on climate change." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.533284.
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Padolsky, Miriam Elana. "Bringing climate change down to earth science and participation in Canadian and Australian climate change campaigns /." Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2006. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3214881.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2006.Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 21, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-284).
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Doughty-Grajales, Miguel. "Identifying Institutional Factors that are Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation in Vietnam." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-210650.
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The process to successfully adapt to climate change for farmer communities’ in Vietnam faces a multitude of challenges. This thesis proposes that institutional barriers to implementing policy related to climate change adaptation occur in key sectors related to farmer’s livelihoods at the local level, which are important to facilitating the adaptation process for farmer communities. It analyses the current state of the climate change policy landscape, investigates water, agricultural and disaster risk management sectors in Vietnam in the literature, and examines more closely how governmental institutions at the local level facilitate these in a field study of Bo De commune. The institutional barriers to successful adaptation to climate change reported at the local level in the field study are similar to the types of barriers identified across the literature, related to communication, technology, leadership facilitated by institutions. The results confirm that institutional barriers are occurring at the local level that are impeding the implementation process of key policies; this limits the ability of the farmer community to adapt successfully to climate change.
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Azhoni, Adani. "Adapting water management in India to climate change : institutions, networks and barriers." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2017. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/13660.
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Climate change is experienced most through the medium of water. The ability of water institutions and the factors that enable or hinder them to purposefully adapt to the new and additional challenges brought by climate change require better understanding. Factors that influence their perception of climate change impacts and initiatives being taken for adaptation are shaped by various enabling factors and barriers through the interaction with both governmental and non-governmental institutions across administrative scales. Better understanding of these adaptation enablers and barriers is essential for devising adaptation strategies. This research aims to identify and expound the characteristics that enable or hinder institutions to adapt for water management, and hence, it evaluates the involvement of key governmental and non-governmental institutions in India and the inter-institutional networks between them. It surveyed webpages and online documents of sixty Union Government institutions and interviewed representatives from twenty-six governmental, non-governmental, research and academic institutions operating at the national level and another twenty-six institutions operating within the State of Himachal Pradesh in India to assess the characteristics that enable or hinder adaptation. While the online projection of institutional involvement and interaction among key Union Government institutions on climate change and water indicate a more centralized network pointing to Planning Commission and Ministry of Environment and Forest, the interview responses indicated a more distributed network with both Ministries of Water Resources and Environment and Forest recognized as key institutions thereby indicating a potential variation in perception of who is in-charge. Moreover, online documents show institutions that are involved in water have less mention of climate change compared to Union Government ministries involved in less climate-sensitive sectors indicating that impacts of climate change on water are potentially ignored. While it is evident that research and consulting institutions engaging with both national and state level institutions play a key role in enabling adaptation, various barriers pertaining to data and information accessibility, inadequacy of resources and implementation gaps exist particularly due to inter-institutional network fragmentations. Although barriers identified in this study bear resemblance to barriers identified by other researchers in other contexts, this research shows similar barriers can emerge from different underlying causes and are highly interconnected; thereby indicating the need for addressing adaptation barriers collectively as a wider governance issue. Since many of the adaptation barriers emerge from wider governance challenges and are related to larger developmental issues, the findings have important policy implications. Among the various issues that the government needs to address is improving the inter-institutional networks between water institutions so that information dissemination, sharing of learning experiences and data accessibility is improved and prescriptive legislations are seen to be inadequate in this regard. Restructuring the way officials in government water institutions are recruited and deployed is suggested as a potential solution for improving the inter-institutional networks. The research elucidates that inter-institutional networks and transboundary institutions are two pillars that supports adaptation and also bridges the gap between adaptive capacity and adaptation manifestation that enable water institutions to cross the chasm of adaptation barriers. Thus the thesis presents an important analysis of key characteristics that enable or hinder water management institutions to adapt to climate change which have been so far under acknowledged by other studies through the analysis of the state of climate change adaptation in India. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights for developing countries, particularly, facing similar challenges of adapting water management for climate change.
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Irlam, James Hamilton. "Barriers to cycling mobility in Masiphumelele, Cape Town: a best-worst scaling approach." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20833.
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Non-motorised transport (NMT) such as cycling and walking has multiple social, economic, environmental, climate and public health benefits and is integral to the agenda of sustainable development. There is considerable potential for more cycling mobility in South Africa, especially in low-income communities (LICs). Barriers to cycling mobility were investigated in Masiphumelele, a LIC in Cape Town, in order to inform recommendations for promoting cycling as a mode of transport in this community and beyond. A mixed methods design of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. A focus group discussion (FGD) with local bicycle shop customers informed the design of a cross-sectional cluster sampling questionnaire and a Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) stated choice survey of 100 household residents. The BWS survey used 10 choice sets of 4statements each to rank the relative importance to study participants of 20 potential barriers to cycling mobility on their average Best-Worse (B-W) scores.
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Brügger, Adrian. "Fear appeals and localising climate change : neither is a panacea to motivate action on climate change : a social psychological perspective." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/14445.
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This thesis was interested in exploring the questions of why individuals typically do not respond strongly to climate change, and how individual motivations to do so might be strengthened. More specifically, this thesis explored two widely cited barriers to climate change action and the solutions commonly suggested to overcome them. The first barrier is the lack of personal experience with climate change, which is believed to inhibit relevant emotional processes. The second, not unrelated, barrier is that people typically perceive climate change as a distant threat, one that is not relevant to them personally, where they live, and in the present time. To test these explanations, two public surveys of residents of both the UK (n = 616) and Switzerland (n = 316) explored the relationships among negative emotions, perceptions of geographically proximal and distant climate change risks, and variables that capture people’s willingness to address climate change. The findings supported the idea that stronger negative emotions were positively related to more readiness to act against climate change. The relationship between spatially close versus distant risk perceptions and measures of different forms of action was, however, more complex. Specifically, the findings revealed a strong association between global risk perceptions and policy support and a strong association between local risk perceptions and personal intentions. One explanation for these (unexpected) associations is that they are due to spontaneous matches with regard to psychological distance: Local risk perceptions are psychologically proximal on the spatial dimension and personal intentions can be regarded as proximal on the social dimension. Likewise, the spatially remote global risk perceptions can be matched to support for policies, which can be regarded as distant on the social dimension. Studies 3 and 4 tried to experimentally untangle the complex relationships between psychological distance and people’s perceptions and actions that were 2 observed in the survey research. Specifically, in both studies participants were manipulated to adopt either a spatially proximal or distant perspective on climate change. Study 3 (n = 80) measured participants emotional responses to climate change and looked at how these predicted different attitudinal and behavioural responses under a proximal or distant framework, whereas Study 4 (n = 330) more directly explored the possible effects of activating negative emotions (i.e., fear) in combination with different distance frames as part of attempts to promote action on climate change. The findings of Studies 3 and 4 suggest that decreasing the psychological distance of climate change and inducing fear can both be potentially useful strategies to promote action on climate change. However, the operation of both these strategies is more complex than is often assumed and these complexities have implications for the effectiveness of each strategy. For one thing, both attempts to reduce distance and increase fear can initiate multiple psychological processes that simultaneously increase and decrease the likelihood of acting on climate change. Because these processes work in opposition, reduced distance and increased fear can have positive effects, negative effects, or no effect at all. Together, the findings across studies highlight that psychological distance is neither an insurmountable obstacle to action against climate change – it depends on what kind of action is being considered (Studies 1 & 2) – and nor is decreasing psychological distance a panacea to motivate action – this can trigger the same kind of defensiveness that have been observed in response to other strategies, such as the use of emotion (Studies 3 & 4). In the general discussion, the theoretical implications of these insights for different theoretical models of distance, emotion, and action are considered, as are the implications for the practice of promoting public engagement with and action on climate change.
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Chappel, Angela. "Barriers and enablers to the adoption of practices to improve crop production and reduce vulnerability to climate risks in the semi-arid Omusati Region,Namibia." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29455.
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Namibia is almost entirely semi-arid or arid. With evaporation rates being higher than precipitation rates, farming conditions are extremely adverse. This is exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, namely increased temperature, decreased rainfall and higher rainfall variability, all of which are projected to worsen in the future. More than half of the population is reliant on rain-fed subsistence agriculture for their source of food but these challenging conditions mean that there is widespread food insecurity across the subsistence farming community in Namibia. This leads to a state of vulnerability and dependence on government support in the form of social grants, food aid and remittances from family members in urban areas. The locus for this study is three villages: Omaenene, Okathitukeengombe and Oshihau, in the north-central Omusati region of Namibia. This research investigated local perceptions of climate change vulnerability, farming practices used in other regions that could reduce this vulnerability and finally barriers and enablers to the uptake of new farming practices. These objectives were answered through the use of a systematic literature review and interviews with the local community. Findings revealed that the local population is already experiencing a hotter and drier climate, which has decreased their yield output. Many farmers are concerned about future climatic changes while some are comforted by support from the government or God. In both of these cases, the farmers are vulnerable because they are not currently adapting or planning to adapt to climate change. Although a majority of the farmers claimed that they are willing to try new farming practices, they are inhibited by: limited access to new information, mistrust of new farming practices as well as insufficient labour and resources. Three adaptive farming practices – planting pits, bunds and composting – aimed predominantly at water harvesting, soil conservation and increasing soil quality were selected by the researcher, from a systematic literature review, as appropriate for the village sites. Some of the social and institutional enablers that could be enhanced to promote the uptake of these practices are: i) support from local authorities and possibly enlisting the help of religious and traditional leaders (including building trust within these networks), ii) enhancing information access predominantly through the radio, iii) explaining the severity of climate change and the value of adaptation practices, iv) establishing self-help labour groups and v) the creation of demonstrations sites. In the face of irreversible climate change, this research aims to contribute to empowering local people to adapt their farming practices to the harmful experienced and predicted impacts of climate change and climate variability.
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Holz, Christian. "The public spheres of climate change advocacy networks : an ethnography of Climate Action Network International within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2012. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3696/.
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Climate change is the most important issue of our time due to its potential to very seriously disrupt the life sustaining systems of planet Earth as well as its intersec-tions with other important challenges facing humanity. The United Nations Frame-work Convention on Climate Change is the key platform upon which the political process of international climate change politics takes place. The aim of this work is to produce an analysis of the role of transnational climate change advocacy networks in this political process and their internal power dynamics and thus contributing to the understanding of a crucial aspect of this political process. To advance this aim, this thesis engages with two objectives. First, a detailed ethnography is developed which serves to illustrate the political work of the environmental advocacy NGOs involved within this process, especially those that are members of Climate Action Network International (CAN-I). This approach is suitable to uncover the internal dynamics and structures of that NGO network as well as its complex and multi-layered relationships within the larger political configuration of the UNFCCC treaty process. Secondly, the investigation is advanced by analysing this ethnography through the lens of a critical theory of the public sphere. In particular, this analysis features more contemporary conceptualisations of the public sphere which stress the multiplicity of the public sphere concept including notions such as internal and external public spheres, counterpublics, and nested public spheres. Owing to this research design, the thesis has a degree of hybridity: it is expressly both an empirical thesis, with strong empirical flavour imparted by the focus on the detailed ethnographic account, as well a theoretical thesis offering an original contribution that is advanced throughout the thesis. The main theoretical thesis and contribution is that the theory of the public sphere is appropriate to analyse the political practice of civil society engagement on a transnational level if it is further developed to allow for greater degree of multiplicity and a broader conceptualisation of the notions of the “centre of authority” and the translation of the public opinion.
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Alexander, Serena E. "From Planning to Action: An Evaluation of State Level Climate Action Plans." Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1470908879.
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Kassam, Zain. "Barriers and Enablers of Water Conservation in Formal Residential Households in Cape Town, South Africa." Master's thesis, Faculty of Science, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33827.
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In recent years, climate change has caused great changes in weather patterns such as extreme changes in rainfall leading to prolonged drought. Rapid urbanization has led to more than half of the world's population living in urban centres, and the growing urban population must share increasing scarcity of water, exacerbated by climate change. Thus, climate change and urbanization has contributed to the emergence of more water-stressed cities. This thesis is concerned with water conservation as a method of adaptation to an urban water crisis. It looks into the water crisis in the City of Cape Town that took place during 2015-2017. The severe water crisis has been attributed to prolonged drought, rapid population growth, reliance on six-rain-fed dams to provide 95% of the city's water supply, and excessively high water use by formal residential households. The City of Cape Town took various measures to manage both the demand and the supply of water in order to alleviate the stress caused by the water scarcity. From January 2016, a public education campaign was paired with progressively increased water restrictions. However, despite the growing water restrictions and the worsening of the water crisis, Capetonians did not reduce water consumption enough. Against this background, this thesis aims at gaining a nuanced understanding of the barriers and enablers to water conservation amongst residents in formal residential households in the City of Cape Town. The study focuses on formal residential households because the residents use 65% of the total municipal water supply. Data collection was carried out primarily in the Southern and Northern suburbs and consisted of in-depth interviews with 44 respondents using a semi-structured interview guide about daily water conservation as well as perceptions of the water crisis and of their role in mitigating the water crisis. The data analysis involved development of a coding system and identification of three categories of water savers amongst the highest, the lowest, and the median levels of water conversation within the data set, referred to as respective the ‘avid', the ‘low' and the ‘moderate' water savers. The key findings are that the main barrier of water conservation for the ‘low water savers' is lack of willingness to inconvenience one-self in relation to water conservation. Other important barriers to water conservation for the ‘low water savers' included lack of information regarding the on-going water crisis, perceptions of the water crisis as non-urgent, limited trust in water governance institutions, and interest in maximising own benefit from the common water resource. The dominant enabler amongst the ‘avid water savers' is the pro-environment identity they possess, combined with a high self-efficacy to make a difference to the water crisis through their actions. The study showed that this dominant enabling factor works as a catalyst to enhance other enabling factors, especially seeking information and engaging in conversations about water conservation within their social networks. Barriers such as the discomfort of taking short showers, standing inside a bucket during a shower and collecting greywater for re-use are seen as necessary actions that align with their identity and altruistic outlook towards the environment. Interestingly, ‘the moderate water savers' held similar proenvironment identity but were constrained, mostly by institutional barriers, to reduce their water use. Thus, the overall argument is that there is not one barrier or one enabler to water conservation. Rather, the main argument is that an overriding enabling factor for increased water conservation in daily life is a pro-environment identity combined with a high sense of self-efficacy. Finally, this study has shown that the factor of Personal Characteristics, serves as the main enabler and as the main barrier to water conservation because Personal Characteristics have a ripple effect on how factors such as Information, Social, Technical, Financial or Institutional factors affect a respondent's water conservation.
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Schittecatte, Gabrielle. "The effects of framing on support for political action on climate change." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/54020.
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The scientific community has come to a consensus that immediate action is necessary to arrest the deleterious effects posed by anthropogenic climate change. However, widespread public support for climate mitigation policies has been seriously lacking. The literature has identified that the way climate change is being communicated and individual characteristics both pose barriers to increased support for political action on climate change.
This study investigates the potential role of sociological and psychological factors affecting an individual’s support for political action on climate change. This study also evaluates how various climate change frames are perceived by different individuals, and how that perception may alter political support for climate change action. To do so individuals’ values and worldviews are assessed and related to their perception of economic and moral frames are more effective at stimulating people to support the fossil fuel divestment campaign that is sweeping across North America. The sample for this study was students from four research-based Canadian universities. Data was collected via an online survey hosted by FluidSurveys.com. Univariate and OLS multiple regressions were used to analyze the data.
This study found that framing climate change as a moral issue was more effective at motivating support for political action than framing that climate change as an economic issue. It was also discovered that environmental and communitarian worldviews play a role in a person’s support for political action on climate change. These findings provide insight into how best to communicate the risks of climate change to enhance support for political action, and specifically the fossil free divestment campaign. Our findings also shed light on which worldviews should be targeted to by communication to foster support for climate action.Forestry, Faculty of
Graduate
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Häckner, Lina. "Climate Change and Agriculture in Babati : Awareness Strategies Constrains." Thesis, Södertörn University College, School of Life Sciences, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-2685.
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Climate change caused by green house gas emissions, mainly carbon dioxide, is today’s most debated environmental issue. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with the legally binding Kyoto protocol, is the emission regulatory framework. Tanzania has ratified both the conventions supporting carbon reductions.
Tanzania has a very varied climate with two rainfall regimes dominating the country, bimodal and unimodal. Scientific literature predicts a 2,2-4°C average increase in temperature for Tanzania, all studies also predict a higher increase in the cooler period and lower in the warm period. Rainfall predictions are less certain but in general a 10 % average increase is expected but the distribution uneven, both between rain periods and geographically. Tanzanian reports estimate a 5-45 % increase in rainfall in bimodal regions and a 5-15 % decrease in unimodal regions. The distribution of increase in bimodal regions will be uneven, with an increase in the long rain period and a decrease in the short rain period.
Agriculture is indisputably the most important source of income in Tanzania standing for 80% of employment and 50% of GNP. Climate change will therefore inevitably affect the economy and livelihood of people. Developing countries are also more vulnerable due to lower adaptation capacity. Effects on Tanzania are predicted to be both positive and negative. Maize production, the major staple, is predicted an average 33% decline while cash crops like coffee and cotton are predicted to increase. To be able to adapt there first has to be a perception of need to adapt, adaption strategies then have to be developed and barriers worked through. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the level of awareness, strategies and barriers existing for adaption to climate change on national, regional and local level, Tanzania nationally and Babati regionally and locally. The research questions are; How do people perceive climate change? What are the strategies for adapting to climate change? What are the barriers for adaption to climate change? At national level policy framework and strategies were used to answer the research questions. At regional and local level a field study was conducted in Babati to answer the research questions at these levels.
The study showed that Tanzania nationally has declared their conviction in climate change and state that the issue has to be addressed. Agriculture is identified as one of the most vulnerable areas however climate change is not mainstreamed into agricultural and environmental policy framework. In Babati district no policy was found on climate change and official perception varied. Concerns were related to timing and amount of rainfall, the results were the same for farmers. Global climate change was also known for both studied groups and existed as a parallel truth with the local reason for changes. A number of adaption strategies are also identified nationally, both used and potential, where small scale irrigation is the primary adaptive step. Switching to draught resistant crops is also prioritized in the North eastern region. In Babati adaption strategies were promoted, even though there was not a general policy or perception, by officials to switch to short-term crops and planting of trees. Switching cops was also the most commonly used strategy by farmers along with traditional diversification. Nationally a large number of barriers are also identified including, lack of funding, poverty, HIV, lack of infrastructure and analytic capacity. Officials in Babati also mentioned the lack of money, deforestation, lack of clouds, education, irrigation and seeds. The farmers in Babati were not so clear about what they needed to adapt, irrigation, livestock backup, diversification and switching crops were mentioned, not differing much from used strategies.
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Mingliang, Lu. "Coastal Community Climate Change Adaptation Framework Development and Implementation." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/30425.
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As the impacts of climate change become more severe, coastal communities are required to prepare plans for adaptation to the invasive environmental changes. A well-prepared adaptation plan can effectively reduce the overall risks of coastal communities. However, a plan is not the final solution for the climate change on coastal communities. How to take the plan into action and implement it in the local communities and find the opportunities for the enhanced preparedness and development of coastal communities is the primary consideration of this thesis research. Many organizations are engaged in developing adaptation tools and guidebooks. For completing their adaptation plans, communities need to develop clear, operational, action plans, and discover the opportunities to enhance the sustainability of coastal communities. To make coastal communities more sustainable in the face of the changing climate, the public’s attention and community participation is critical. The purpose of this study is to develop an adaptation framework and action plan process system for coastal communities and at the same time, provide the general public with an enhanced opportunity to contribute their understanding about what is being done for their costal community around them and how to react when an event happens. The research is applied to the coastal communities of Richmond County, Cape Breton, Canada as a case study. The result of the work develops an adaptation “Action Plan” website for Richmond County. The website features the development, application, and simulation of a mobile communication “Action plan” application designed and implemented with the action website along to provide coastal community with communication options that exploit the local community network and enhance the community’s capacity for climate change adaptation. The emergency response community mobile app and the accompanying website are models for other communities especially those that from the coastal communities in Canada and the Caribbean as part of the C-Change ICURA project to which this research is affiliated.
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Selato, Janet Chatanga. "Credibility and scale as barriers to uptake and use of seasonal climate forecasts in Bobirwa Sub-District, Botswana." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27526.
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Seasonal climate forecasts (SCF) can play a crucial role in reducing vulnerability to climate variability, particularly for rural populations reliant on agriculture for their livelihood. The use of disseminated SCF by farmers in decision-making could reduce losses and maximise benefits in agriculture. Despite the potential usefulness of SCF, incorporating them into farming decisions is a complex process that navigates through several barriers which constrain their effective use. The first two barriers, namely credibility (trust on SCF) and scale (relevance of SCF in geographical space and time), originate from the limitations of SCF associated with the form in which they are produced. In this study, credibility and scale are investigated as limitations of SCF, which potentially bar the uptake and use of SCF in Bobirwa sub-district. The second group of barriers are beyond the SCF themselves but limit their effective use and emanate from biophysical, socio-cultural and economic factors. This study examines whether credibility and scale are barriers to the use of SCF in Bobirwa farmers' decision-making, investigates how SCF are used in decision-making, and seeks to find out how the barriers are overcome. To make these investigations, qualitative data was collected from subsistence agro-pastoral farmers in eight villages in Bobirwa sub-district of Botswana using semi-structured interviews. Data was collected considering gender to allow for gendered analysis. Themes related to the main study questions were identified from the data and analysed for the number of people who mentioned the themes. It was found that all 47 farmers interviewed coincidentally had access to SCF and the majority used SCF in their decision-making, while only a handful of farmers were non-users of SCF. The results show that scale (both temporal and spatial) is a barrier for users of SCF, whereas credibility is a major constraint for non-users of SCF in Bobirwa. To cope with the barriers, farmers mainly use local knowledge to complement SCF. Additionally, farmers apply advice from Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and use economic information in their decisions to deal with the barriers. Despite the barriers, some farmers indicated that using SCF was beneficial in increasing harvests, providing warnings and minimising losses of crops and livestock. However, disadvantages of using SCF were also highlighted, including lost crops, seeds and harvest, and missed opportunities to plant because of lack of temporal and geographical detail in the forecasts. The barrier of credibility has contributed to a few non-users resorting to using traditional planting, possibly making them vulnerable to the impacts of climate variability. A gendered analysis shows that almost equal proportions of both males and females use SCF. Moreover, women use SCF for crop farming while men use it for livestock management, which is aligned to traditional roles in Botswana. It is also revealed that, unlike women who only use local knowledge and MoA advice to overcome SCF limitations, a few men also use economic ventures, which could make men less vulnerable than women farmers. Strong networks between scientists and farmers can reduce the perceived credibility barrier, and innovative ways of reducing the scale barrier can be devised. Therefore, recommendations from the study include continuous engagement with farmers to understand their decisionmaking context in order to tailor the information to their local context as much as science permits. Government programmes should be designed to integrate SCF to build farmers' resilience to climate variabilities. The impacts on livestock farming, which is dominated by men, need to be given as much prominence in SCF information as arable farming. Forecasters should continue to improve credibility and scale without compromising either factor to avoid chances of contributing to the vulnerability of farmers particularly women, who mostly rely on SCF for crop production.
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Jones, Nicolette. "How Are American Cities Planning for Climate Change? An Evaluation of Climate Action Planning in Chicago, IL and Portland, OR." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2012. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1592.
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Contending with a changing climate presents a necessary push for planning. Although climate change is considered a global environmental problem requiring a global commitment and trans-national action, more and more, policymakers are recognizing the vital need for action at the local level. In the US, especially in the absence of national climate legislation, many local governments have begun developing strategic plans, or climate action plans (CAPs), to address adapting to impacts of climate change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. This thesis involves case studies of Portland, OR and Chicago, IL, cities with recently adopted CAPs and with considerable recognition in the field. The analysis involves an evaluation each city’s CAP and an evaluation of its implementation. The studies help elicit an understanding of the measures cites are employing to mitigate climate change and determine ways the planning profession can better assist communities in climate policy development and its prompt implementation.
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Shankland, Michael. "Climate change, collective action, and state compliance : obstacles on the road to Copenhagen." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/1598.
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Climate change is a type of prisoner’s dilemma. Reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a public good and are costly to provide. Consequently, nation-states generally have done little to curb their emissions. Countries could be encouraged to reduce their emissions if the international community of states were to sanction, or the world were to shame, states that did not act. However, financial and technological aid is more likely to induce states to impose tougher restrictions on GHG emissions.
In order for Copenhagen to precipitate major action on climate change the treaty must either compel countries to fulfill their obligations or assist states in transitioning their economies away from fossil fuels toward alternative energy sources. If the treaty fails to do both of these things then we can only hope that the largest producers of greenhouse gases either take steps to reduce their emissions voluntarily or are forced to take action in response to domestic pressure from their citizens and/or sub-national governments. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to adapt to an increasingly warmer planet and the consequences thereof.
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Jeswani, Harish Kumar. "Corporate strategies on climate change in Pakistan and the UK." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2007. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/844255/.
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The growing consensus among scientists and governments on the need for immediate action to avoid the dangerous impacts of climate change has resulted in many industries starting to prepare for a carbon-constrained world, in order to analyse the effectiveness of industry response, this research has developed a theoretical framework to categorise corporate strategies on climate change in developing and industrialized countries. The framework classifies the corporate response into four sets of strategies based on their operational and management activities. The empirical data was collected from 180 companies trough a questionnaire survey in Pakistan and the UK. Twenty-four interviews with representatives from industries and other stakeholder groups were also conducted to triangulate and complement the survey results. An analysis of the empirical data indicates that corporate responses towards climate change can be characterized in four categories: indifferent, beginner, emerging and active which validates the theoretical framework. The research found that business responses to this international challenge depend on national policies, economic, social, and technological related factors. However, the strength and content of these factors varies between industrialized and developing countries, where corporate environmentalism is a relatively new phenomenon. For Pakistan, the findings suggest that, in the absence of regulatory and societal pressure, the only effective incentive for organizations is cost-savings tlirough energy efficiency projects. However, their response is shaped by the prevalence of obstacles and a lack of external pressure that prevent a different picture to emerge. The situation is different for the UK. Due to regulatory pressure, UK firms are actively involved in GHG management activities. However, climate policies concerning industries for instance, EU ETS, do not provide sufficient incentives to companies to change from 'business as usual' because of its short-term outlook, uncertainty, complexity and the generous allocation of allowances, hence very low carbon price.
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Diko, Stephen K. "Barriers to Urban Greenspace Planning in the Kumasi Metropolis: Implications and Hints for Climate Change Interventions in Ghana’s Urban Areas." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1563527687449757.
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Gicheru, Mercy Njeri. "Barriers and enablers to uptake and implementation of system of rice intensification: a case study of Mwea irrigation scheme in Kenya." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23716.
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It already seems preposterous to be able to sufficiently meet global food demand of the expected nine billion people by 2050 while at the same time maintain our emissions levels below 2ᵒC by the end of the century. This is more so for a continent such as Africa where much of this population is expected to arise from considering the fact that the continent is ranked to have the highest proportion of food insecure population. In order to overcome this challenge, we will need a total revolution of our agricultural production systems to systems that not only focus on increasing food production but also build our resilience to climate change. An example of one such practice is System of Rice Intensification (SRI) which is acclaimed to increase rice production while at the same time reducing the pressure on scarce water resources, minimizing agricultural greenhouse gases emissions and improving the farmers' households' adaptive capacity to climate change impacts by increasing their income. However, despite the success attributed to SRI, its uptake across Sub Saharan Africa is arguably low. This is puzzling considering the high proportion of food insecurity in the region and the region's susceptibility to damage from increased severity and frequency of climate extreme events such as droughts and floods due to its geographical positioning and the limited adaptive capacity of its people. In this work, the researcher sought to understand the barriers and enablers to the adoption of the System of Rice intensification in Mwea irrigation scheme (MIS) in Kenya. The findings show that most barriers to the uptake of SRI in MIS occur during the dissemination of SRI. Further critical barriers to the uptake of SRI in MIS were identified as follows: lack of formal SRI training, high costs of rice production, failure to involve key stakeholder institutions such as SACCOs while marketing SRI and farmer's age. Moreover, the study also depicted that most barriers to SRI adoption were intertwined, thus focusing on a single barrier would be myopic. Furthermore, enablers to the uptake of SRI in MIS are tied to the benefits of SRI pre-empted by lead farmers. This correlation implies that the benefits of SRI are key motivators for SRI adoption. Other enablers include training. However, informal training on SRI through social networks which play a crucial role at disseminating climate adaptation activities amongst small scale farmers, is marked with a lot of inconsistencies which makes it a barrier for SRI uptake. In this regard, we advise that SRI trainers clearly highlight the activities involved in SRI and their resultant benefits during initial SRI information dissemination.
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Luhandjula, Yasmine. "Assessing the Prospects for Climate Action in the form of Climate Litigation as a tool to safeguard Human Rights." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76560.
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Climate change poses major threats to human life in the form of food and water shortages, health issues, loss of property and more. Climate change amplifies existing environmental, social, economic and political challenges and has increased the risk of displacements, accelerates social injustices, inequalities, and threatens human rights, including the right to life itself. Consequently, States can no longer overlook their obligations to effectively address climate change to safeguard human rights. States have agreed to mobilize stronger and more ambitious climate actions. However, their pledges on carbon emission caps, adaptation practices and climate change funds under the Paris Agreement, are not as ambitious as they ought to be. The aim of this research to assess the value and effectiveness of climate litigation as a substantial form of climate action to safeguard human rights. This research reveals that there has been a significant increase in climate litigation procedures and outcomes which reflect multiple ways in which climate litigation has influenced States to enhance and adopt laws to increase climate action on mitigation and adaptation practices. This research also reveals that climate litigation is amplified through public and civil society mobilisation as well as collaboration efforts between lawyers, scientists and activists across the world, and it is recognised as a valuable tool for those who seek accountability and justice for climate-induced harms.Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Centre for Human Rights
LLM
Unrestricted
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Lyshall, Linda. "Collaboration and Climate Action at the Local Scale." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1303754240.
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Burch, Michael Eddie. "Climate Change, Situational Theory of Problem Solving, and Issue Framing Effects." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5449.
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This is an exploratory study of the Situational Theory of Problem Solving applied to the context of climate change communication. Selective exposure to politically slanted media is explored as a referent criterion and framing effects are also tested. Relationships between consumption of media characterized as conservative or liberal with referent criterion, Situational Motivation in Problem Solving, problem recognition, involvement recognition, and constraint recognition are tested.
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Buttigieg, Claire Ruth. "Deliberation in Lyttelton: Deliberative Democratic Theory in Action: A community Group responds to Energy and Climate issues." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Social and Political Science, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/5322.
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The aim of this thesis is to explore the under-studied area of deliberative democratic
politics at the local level, while adding to the literature on deliberative theory itself.
Empirical research was conducted through the qualitative tools of participant observation
in Project Lyttelton’s Energy Matters Workshop and in-depth interviews with Project
Lyttelton members, workshop participants and local government representatives. A
comparative analysis was also undertaken between two locally focussed initiatives
looking at citizen engagement and democracy in relation to climate change.
The findings of this research suggest that Project Lyttelton’s Energy Matters Workshop
answers the call for a deliberative approach through its use of the key institutional
features of deliberative democratic processes. The research findings also show that local
deliberative initiatives may not be about reaching consensus or agreement in relation to a
particular issue such as climate change. Rather, they may be focused on building up a
network of citizens that discuss new ideas, build awareness, invigorate public
engagement, highlight shared interests and motivate new initiatives.
However, the research data also draws attention to compelling, and as yet unanswered
questions, about just what conditions are needed for local deliberation to affect public
policy and climate change decision-making, how deliberative practices could be
integrated within government structures themselves, how the current political framework
(and context) could act as a spur to those at the local level, and how local participation
and deliberation could have a voice in the largely international climate change arena.
This research adds to the scholarship on deliberative theory by examining what
deliberation looks like at the local level, while providing further empirical research for
deliberative theory itself.
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Arthur, Katie (Katie Louise). "Frontlines of crisis, forefront of change : climate justice as an intervention into (neo)colonial climate action narratives and practices." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111292.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Comparative Media Studies/Writing, 2017."June 2017." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 104-115).
Indigenous peoples, Small Island States, the Global South, women, youth, and the global poor, all face disproportionate impacts from climate change, a fact captured in the adage "the least responsible are most vulnerable." Recognising the Global North as the instigators and benefactors of a carbon economy built on the continuing oppression and exploitation of black and brown communities, in this thesis I highlight the on-going colonial violence involved in both extractive industry and the mainstream climate action movements of the Global North. I look at the stories we tell about climate change and how they legitimize a colonial structuring of power: from mainstream media coverage of the London Climate March in 2015 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) newsroom editorials. I investigate how communities and grassroots organisations are using radical media strategies to articulate climate justice as a transformative decolonial intervention from the frontlines of Standing Rock to the financial district of London. I follow the argument of activist groups including The Wretched of the Earth, the UK Tar Sands Network, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Indigenous Environmental Network; that climate action will be unfair and ineffective until it recognises the intersecting systems of power which created and maintain the inequalities of the colonial carbon economy. I argue that radical media strategies, on the streets and on the airwaves, are central to the articulation of climate justice and the contestation of hegemonic meanings of climate action that legitimise colonial violence.
by Katie Arthur.
S.M.
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Símonardóttir, Svandís Ósk. "The Climate in the CAPs : A Comparative Case Study of Iceland’s and Sweden’s Climate Action Plans." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för ekonomisk historia och internationella relationer, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-193772.
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This thesis examines the climate role conceptions and climate role positions of Iceland and Sweden respectively, as they are portrayed in their climate action plans. This study compliments the current trend to examine climate leadership within International Relations, with an additional focus on the Nordic countries. Not only is the Nordic identity enmeshed with ideas of environmentalism, but the Nordic countries also have a reputation of being environmental leaders. Despite this reputation, the Nordic countries vary considerably between themselves when it comes to climate performance, thus inspiring the study of the highest and lowest Nordic emitters of greenhouse gases. The study is carried out from a constructivist role theory perspective, which is complemented with a novel climate role analytical framework. A content analysis is conducted on Iceland‘s and Sweden‘s countries‘ climate action plans, and climate role indicators are coded and analyzed. The study reveals that both Iceland and Sweden depict themselves as climate leaders in their climate action plans. However, while both countries refer to themselves as climate leaders, the leadership indicators are manifested distinctively, resulting in the countries projecting different climate leadership role positions. By evaluating Iceland’s and Sweden’s portrayal of global climate leadership, it is assessed that Iceland assumes the climate role position of a pioneer, with aspirations for setting an example for other countries through its climate transition, and that Sweden assumes the climate role position of a constructive pusher, with aspirations to lead the domestic and global climate transition through ambitious actions. The analysis thus reveals how Sweden’s internationally ascribed roles as a climate leader and Iceland’s internationally ascribed role as an environmental leader is legitimated and reverberated throughout their respective climate action plans, in accordance with their role conceptions and identities.
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Jerstad, Heid Maria. "Weathering relationships : the intra-action of people with climate in Himalayan India." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/23510.
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Weather – cold, wet, hot and windy – pervades life, material and social. So present and obvious as to provide a challenge for research, material though ephemeral too, weather breaks boundaries and refuses categorisation. While night becomes day, the cold season warms up over weeks and annual patterns are changing on a scale of years, practices in the face of weather transitions are themselves shifting. Based on ten months of fieldwork in the small village of Gau in the Pahari Indian Himalayas this thesis interrogates the saliencies and permeations of weather in people’s lives. It investigates how people intra-act (Barad 2007) with the weather, though practices, infrastructures and relationships with others. My approach argues for the validity of weather as a means by which to learn about socio-material lives. Pahari villagers live and act within the weather that moves around them. They are subject to, but also modify, their thermal environment. Through housing, clothing and tools such as the fire and the fan they affect the impact of the weather as it meets their bodies, but also daily patterns of movement are coloured by weather considerations. This work views weather in relation to health practices (such as refraining from working during the rain so as not to fall ill), for care of others (such as domestic bovines), for house-building and hospitable relationship-building among neighbours, for negotiation of landslide-fraught access roads to elsewhere and for understandings of pollution in the air. This focus on weather is intended to connect dots for people working on climate change, both within and beyond anthropology, and to contribute to discussions in areas including human-animal relations, health and illness and housing.
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Bögelein, Sandra. "The social dilemma structure of climate change mitigation : individual responses and effects on action." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2015. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/61370/.
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Climate change mitigation constitutes a social dilemma, a conflict between personal and collective outcomes. Behaviours that result in personal benefits (e.g. travelling quickly, conveniently and cheaply by plane) also result in a collective cost in the form of climate change. Behavioural theories and evidence suggest this social dilemma structure significantly influences behaviour. This thesis aims to understand how the social dilemma structure of climate change mitigation affects people’s personal actions to address climate change. The first empirical study explores whether people perceive decisions with emission consequences as social dilemmas. Findings show that making salient the effected collective or the pro-social nature of the decision increases awareness of the social dilemma structure. A second set of empirical studies, using quantitative and qualitative methods, further demonstrate that there are two sets of considerations to the climate change mitigation dilemma: 1) non-cooperative considerations (e.g. a focus on immediate personal benefits or a temptation to free-ride) which are linked to a decrease in actions on climate change, and 2) cooperative considerations (e.g. a focus on outcomes for others or fairness considerations) which are linked to an increase in actions on climate change. Results also show that people apply cognitive strategies to counteract the discouraging effect of non-cooperative considerations. A third set of empirical studies tested whether communication massages based on cooperative considerations can increase personal actions to address climate change. Findings suggest that especially framing a message based on the collective outcome can increase actions, but careful consideration of the audience and the situation is required. Overall, this thesis makes the important contribution of demonstrating that the social dilemma structure of climate change mitigation does not necessarily discourage actions to address climate change, but also offers an encouraging perspective through a focus on the collective outcome.
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Burch, Sarah L. "Local responses to climate change : an exploration of the relationship between capacity and action." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/12258.
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Although the development and implementation of a global greenhouse gas reduction regime has dominated policy debates since before the advent of the Kyoto Protocol (and remains a critical element of effective mitigation), communities have both direct control of critical sources of emissions (Bulkeley and Betsill, 2005, Betsill, 2001) and are the scale at which the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change will play out (Wilbanks et al., 2007, Wilbanks et al., 2003). As this dissertation will show, communities face a unique set of challenges as they navigate through the uncertain future presented by climate change. Even so, communities bring to the task of climate change adaptation and mitigation a unique set of tools and proficiencies that are often absent at the national and international scales. It is the ultimate aim of the research presented here to enhance this toolkit so that communities might effectively employ the various forms of capacity they possess to rise to the challenge presented by climate change. Using three municipalities in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, this dissertation explores: the various forms of capacity that are utilized in response to climate change, the roots of capacity in the underlying development path, the factors that might inhibit the effective translation of capacity into action at the local level, and strategies that might be used to transform barriers into enablers of action. The evidence presented in this dissertation indicates that barriers are deeply interwoven phenomena, which may reinforce one another and create substantial inertia behind unsustainable patterns of municipal operations. Addressing a lack of technical, financial, or human resources appears to be less a matter of creating more capacity than of facilitating the effective use of existing resources. This facilitation depends most fundamentally on re-working the path dependent institutional structures, organizational culture and policy-making procedures that have characterized the unsuccessful patterns of climate change policy development in the past. It is hoped that this work will help to elucidate the means by which the challenge of carbon neutrality and resiliency can be met by communities, and to stimulate the transformation of barriers into enablers of action.
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Glaser, Sofia. "The Corona pandemic - a focusing event for insufficient governmental action on climate change mitigation?" Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-413203.
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This study seeks to examine whether the Corona pandemic has potential to serve as a focusing event for the problem of insufficient governmental action on climate change mitigation. The study is built on the Multiple Streams Framework by John W. Kingdon, with a main focus on the focusing event theory. According to this, focusing events can come in three forms: as crises and disasters, personal experiences of policymakers, and as symbols. Kingdon’s theoretical discussions, alongside my own developments of his work, provides the basis for a set of analytical questions through which the answer to the research question is provided. The analysis reveals that while the pandemic indeed can be considered a crisis or disaster and personal experiences of policymakers, establishing whether these could focus attention to the specific problem of insufficient governmental action on climate change mitigation requires further research, as the perceived cause of the crisis or disaster and personal experience must be established. However, the paper finds that the pandemic indeed has potential to serve as a symbol for the specific insufficient governmental action, for instance by stressing that deforestation increases the risk of zoonotic outbreaks, such as the Corona pandemic.
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Hards, Sarah. "Careers of action on climate change : the evolution of practices throughout the life-course." Thesis, University of York, 2011. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/1951/.
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Climate change has become a major concern for research and policy in recent decades, and individual behaviour change has constituted a significant strand within UK Government responses to the problem. However, our understanding of how and why individuals become engaged in sustainable practices, and how their participation develops over time, remains patchy. Conventional psychological models have failed to resolve issues such as the “value-action gap”; however, new sociological approaches offer a more holistic understanding of sustainable practices. This study draws mainly on these “social practice” approaches to answer four questions: 1) How is “action on climate change” understood by the people performing it? 2) How does performance of these practices develop throughout the individual life-course? 3) What are the key processes that influence this development? 4) What lessons can we learn for the promotion of sustainable practices? It adopts an in-depth, experience-based approach and employs a narrative-life-course methodology that combines loosely-structured biographical interviews with visual techniques. Findings suggest that action on climate change has multiple meanings for the people engaged in it, and encompasses diverse practices, often linked to broader life projects. While overall levels of action on climate change tend to increase throughout participants’ lives, some specific practices, such as car use, follow more variable patterns. Change happens for several reasons; first, every performance of a practice shapes future practices. Secondly, practices must be co-ordinated and shared with others, and these demands change over time. Thirdly, practices are shaped by context, including biographical time, historical time and space. These processes entail elements of path dependency, but individuals also appear to have a degree of agency within their careers of practice. The thesis concludes that these findings have significant implications for theory and policy on sustainable practices, and makes recommendations for the design of effective interventions.
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Blakstad, Gabriella. "Cities and regions as actors in a polycentric governance system towards climate change action." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-368867.
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Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and for long nation-states and international agreements have been in focus in the search of solutions. Yet, this approach to climate change action is becoming increasingly contested and the focus has in part been turned to other types of actors, such as actors from other levels of governance. A polycentric governance system is one of the new approaches posed for climate change governance. Through this governance system such actors are emphasized and the collaboration and cooperation between them, horizontally and vertically, is in focus. In this thesis the aim is to analyze two different alliances, one of city governments and one of regional governments. These two alliances are then positioned in relation to the polycentric system of governance. A frame analysis is used to investigate the alliances’ respective framings in order to identify how they position themselves within such a system. Reports and official documents by the alliances are used as material for the analysis. The results show that these two actors’ frames are similar in many ways. Their focus lays on the importance of the level of governance that they represent, as well as collaboration and cooperation with various types of actors. Proving their compatibility with the polycentric governance system theory.
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Shooya, Omagano Ndapewa. "Barriers and enablers to water access and community wellbeing in the Onesi constituency of Namibia: the case of Okalonga B and Onandjandja villages." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27527.
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The scarcity of water and especially the lack of safe drinking water have been accepted as amongst the most serious challenges facing the twenty-first century. The lack of access to water is a global problem that faces between 460 million to more than 1 billion people as a result of an increasing demand for water as well as a diminishing supply of water resources. The lack of access to potable water poses a great constraint on the societal and individual well-being for the inhabitants of the semi-arid regions of southern Africa and the key area needed to improve the sustainable development of water resources and services has been identified as water governance. The aim of this research is, therefore, to understand how access to potable water affects the well-being of communities living in the Cuvelai-Etosha basin in Namibia and to understand how these communities participate in water governance. The Okalonga B and Onandjandja villages were used as case studies.The objectives of this study are to examine how water is accessed and determine what the barriers are in accessing potable water, to examine how the well-being of the communities in the two villages is affected by water access and to explore how communities are engaged in water governance. The overall methodology of the study was based on a qualitative approach to case study research. Interviews were conducted at the household level, the constituency and regional levels using semi-structured interview guides. The study found that the communities of Okalonga B and Onandjandja access water through hand-dug wells, private and communal taps, Etaka dam and Oshana, and boreholes. A total of 6 barriers to accessing potable water were identified. These included distance to communal taps, amount of water one can carry, administration of water infrastructure, maintenance of water infrastructure, ability to pay the set water fees and specific times allocated for collecting water. The barriers to accessing potable water negatively affect the well-being of communities. Communities felt that they would have better economic opportunities if they had access to potable water which would in turn improve their well-being and livelihood opportunities. Furthermore, the study found that community participation in water governance was poor.
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Jacobson, Lisa. "Transforming air travel behavior in the face of climate change : Incentives and barriers in a Swedish setting." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Stockholm Resilience Centre, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-157489.
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Air travel accounts for a major share of individual greenhouse gas emissions in high-income countries. Technical development alone will not be sufficient to meet international climate goals if air travel continues to increase as predicted. Behavioral change is thus essential. Earlier research has shown that the gap between environmental attitudes and behavior is large when it comes to air travel; few reduce flying because of climate concerns. However, some people do, and there is a rising debate about individual responsibility and travel habits. This study, based on semi-structured interviews with Swedish residents who quit, reduce or continue flying, describes how such behavioral change comes about. Important incentives and barriers for this process are highlighted. A framework of societal transformation is applied to show where these incentives and barriers are located – in personal and political spheres. This thesis suggests that internalized knowledge about the impacts of global warming is crucial to spark the process of reducing air travel. This awareness evokes negative emotions, often anxiety, guilt or frustration, which may lead to a personal tipping point where a decision to reduce flying is made. For many, such behavioral change is counteracted by both personal values and societal structures promoting air travel. Also individuals with a strong personal drive to reduce flying may feel trapped in social and professional practices, and even counteracted and ridiculed by society. The study shows a lack of incentives from societal levels, pointing to the need for political action aiming to create economic incentives and more attractive alternatives to air travel, as well as deepened climate knowledge and change of social norms. The findings are valuable for policy makers who want to contribute to a transformation towards a more sustainable travel system.
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Frick, Coleman Moore. "Climate Planning in Politically Conservative Cities: A Case Study of Seven Climate Action Plans." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2014. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1221.
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Current research indicates that the potential risks associated with human-induced climate change are likely to increase in frequency and intensity. Although there have been several attempts, no effective international treaty or policy has been enacted by the United States with the purpose of combating this global issue. In the past decade, local climate action plans (CAPs) have emerged as a planning solution designed to reduce greenhouse emissions (GHGs). Previous studies have examined CAP attributes, but no research has focused solely on climate planning in politically conservative jurisdictions. This research finds that of 245 CAPs completed to date nationally, approximately 90 percent are located in communities identified as politically Democratic based on county level 2012 Presidential Election data. In order to expand climate planning in politically conservative communities, it is important evaluate the characteristics of CAPs in these communities.
This thesis aims to fill the current research gap by analyzing CAPs and conducting stakeholder interviews in seven conservative communities. The central hypothesis is: Climate action plans adopted in conservative communities differ in motivations, type, and political backing, when compared to climate action plans in general. The findings of this case study indicate that CAPs created in conservative communities do not differ substantially from CAPs in general. However, the findings suggest political opposition is heightened in these communities. In addition, the evidence shows that in conservative communities: economic co-benefits are stressed, cost-saving measures are over emphasized, CAP terminology is altered, business community involvement is crucial, and state mandates motivate CAP creation. The results of this research are distilled into 12 lessons and best practices for planning practitioners, and establish a basis for future research focusing on the political nature of climate action planning.
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Doelle, Meinhard. "From hot air to action? climate change, compliance and the future of international environmental law /." Halifax, Nova Scotia : Dalhousie University, 2005. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1014321911&sid=2&Fmt=2&clientId=78006&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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McGuire, Laura. "Psychological barriers to climate change : an exploration of implicit and explicit attitudes to sustainability and their behavioural implications." Thesis, Edge Hill University, 2017. http://repository.edgehill.ac.uk/9941/.
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This thesis tackles an issue of global importance, namely why we, as consumers, are not doing more to change our behaviour in the face of the threat posed by climate change. The scientific evidence for climate change is clear and unambiguous, yet there is serious concern about the public’s willingness to adapt their behaviour and lifestyles to ameliorate its effects. This is puzzling in the light of the existing literature on self-report attitudes to sustainability, conducted by a variety of governmental and other agencies, which suggests that the public are ready for behaviour change. This interdisciplinary thesis explores the relationship between self-report measures of attitude, and measures of implicit attitude (not based on self-reports), and a number of aspects of consumer behaviour. These include visual attention to carbon labels in an experimental setting, consumer choice between products with various labels, including carbon labels, in a simulated shopping task, and choice between different aspects of lifestyle varying in carbon footprint. The studies found that self-reported attitudes were good predictors of self-reported behaviour, but not actual behaviour. Implicit attitudes to carbon footprint were a better predictor of visual attention to carbon labels, and the choice of low carbon items in a simulated shopping task, especially under time pressure. The thesis also considered whether we could change explicit/implicit attitudes to carbon footprint and generate more sustainable lifestyle choices, using film content with a primary focus on emotion, information or both. It showed that it is possible to influence both carbon attitudes and behaviour; however, these effects are short-lived. The thesis argues that in the future we will need to design interventions aimed at changing both the explicit and implicit attitudes of younger children to produce the type of behavioural change that we need to combat global warming in any sort of meaningful way.
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Daniels, Christa. "Landscape Visualization: Influence on Engagement for Climate Resilience." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1519208099464983.
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Trendell, Nation Molly. "How Teachers’ Beliefs About Climate Change Influence Their Instruction, Student Understanding, and Willingness to Take Action." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6968.
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Climate change science is complex and controversial in nature, yet seen by educators and policy makers as an important topic to be taught within secondary science education. This is becoming increasingly evident with the inclusion of climate change into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for Earth and Space Sciences as well as Life Science courses (NGSS, 2013). An overwhelming amount of information is available to students; however, it is often misrepresented, politically inflated and falsified, and littered with misconceptions (Dawson & Carson, 2014; Gayford, 2002). It is critical to engage students in discourse that challenges them ethically in order for students to become more informed citizens, be able to develop skills necessary to take part in democratic discourse, and cultivate resolution (Gore, 1999; Lockwood & Harris, 1985; Reitano, Kivunja, & Porter, 2008)
Teacher’s personal beliefs about the instruction of climate change within science education are unclear (Gayford, 2002). The presence of controversy can influence teachers’ instructional decisions and cause confusion about the science of climate change and many teachers may fear objection from community members (Maibach, Roser-Renouf, & Leiserowitz, 2008). Therefore, we must consider the role of teachers’ beliefs when examining their classroom instruction (Kagan, 1992; Nespor, 1987).
This research study examines the complex nature of science teacher beliefs about climate change, their instructional practice in the marine science classroom, and the impacts on student outcomes. The study takes place within four marine science classrooms over the course of one semester. The teachers taking part in the study and their respective students are representative participants of the greater school district.
The purpose of this study was to better understand teachers’ understandings and beliefs about climate change, and how individuals feel their beliefs impact instructional practices. Teacher and student data were collected from classroom observations, surveys, interviews, and a comprehensive midterm exam of the content. The qualitative and quantitative data collected were analyzed and compared through a fully mixed methods approach by which the findings of both types of data were compared and contrasted to triangulate findings.
Findings from the study suggest teachers have strong beliefs about the causes and implications of climate change, they have high levels of concern for the impacts it will have on future generations, and value the topic as a necessary component of science education. However, this study revealed the controversial nature of the topic, current political climate, and potential resistance from stakeholders inhibited teachers from espousing these beliefs within their instruction of the curriculum. Results from the study found teachers’ personal beliefs had essentially no impacts on their classroom instruction or resulting student outcomes
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Westcott, G. M. "The role of subjective factors in local authorities' action on climate change in South West England." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2016. http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/28966/.
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This study examines the question of whether subjective attitudes to climate change play a significant part in the determination of local authorities’ policy and actions on climate change mitigation; whether the personal views of council members and officers about climate change, their beliefs, fears and attitudes affect the outcomes in terms of policy and action, or whether organizational culture, norms and collectively policed limits to discourse have this effect; or whether, on the contrary, the influence of central government policy is so overwhelming that action and policy is determined almost wholly by external and objective influences. The research fills a gap in the literature in studying both subjective attitudes and socio-cultural factors together with external and material factors in order to assess the importance of the former. Interviews with officers and members of local authorities in the South West of England and other data identify that considerable reductions in councils’ own greenhouse emissions have been achieved, not wholly due to cutbacks and other contextual factors, but policy for more widespread carbon reduction in their geographical areas was more limited. Central government finance and policy were key determinants of action in all the local authorities studied, but significant differences between authorities are linked to differences in the prevalence of climate change dismissal. Psycho-social methods are used to achieve a more subtle and coherent view of individual attitudes to climate change, to identify relevant aspects of corporate culture, and to tease out how objective influences such as financial incentives and political pressures interact with these attitudes. The study finds that climate dismissal and denial present obstacles to carbon reduction initiatives and reduce the number which emerge; it also identifies the way organizational culture, including the growing dominance of financial and economic discourse, can constrain possibilities and proposals. Based on the interview data, I argue that financial incentives not only encourage but enable discussion of carbon reduction measures, and that severe budgetary constraints undermine a sense of agency as well as curtailing long term ambition in carbon reduction. Perceived lack of agency, at times deployed as a ‘tool of innocence’, also emerges as a key contributor to climate change dismissal, as well as more specific political and personal attitudes. Implications for policy at local and national level are derived from the research findings.
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Doherty, Kathryn Laing. "From Alarm to Action: Closing the Gap Between Belief and Behavior in Response to Climate Change." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1406552403.
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Spires, Meggan Hazel. "Barriers to and enablers of climate change adaptation in four South African municipalities, and implications for community based adaptation." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018913.
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The focus of this study is on understanding the multiple and interacting factors that hinder or enable municipal planned climate change adaptation, here called barriers and enablers respectively, and their implications for community based adaptation. To do this I developed a conceptual framework of barriers to and enablers of planned climate change adaptation, which informed a systematic literature review of barriers to planned community based adaptation in developing countries. In this framework barriers were grouped into resource, social and physical barriers. I then conducted empirical case study analysis using qualitative research methods in four South African municipalities to understand what barriers and enablers manifested in these contexts. In light of the reflexive nature of my methodology, my framework was adjusted based on my empirical findings, where contextual barriers were found to better represent the empirical results and subsumed physical barriers. I found my framework useful for analysis, but in the empirical cases, barriers and enablers overlaid and interacted so significantly that in reality it was often difficult to separate them. A key finding was that enablers tended to be more about the way things are done, as opposed to direct opposites of barriers. Comparison of barriers and enablers across the case studies revealed a number of key themes. Municipalities struggle to implement climate change adaptation and community based adaptation within contexts of significant social, economic and ecological challenges. These contextual barriers, when combined with certain cognitive barriers, lead to reactive responses. Existing municipal systems and structures make it difficult to enable climate change adaptation, which is inherently cross‐sectoral and messy, and especially community based adaptation that is bottom‐up and participatory. Lack of locally applicable knowledge, funding and human resources were found to be significant resource barriers, and were often underlain by social barriers relating to perceptions, norms, discourses and governance challenges. Enablers of engaged officials, operating within enabling organisational environments and drawing on partnerships and networks, were able to overcome or circumvent these barriers. When these enablers coincided with windows of opportunity that increased the prioritisation of climate change within the municipality, projects with ancillary benefits were often implemented. Analysis of the barriers and enablers identified in the literature and case studies, informed discussion on whether municipalities are able to implement community based adaptation as defined in the literature, as well as the development of recommendations for how municipal planned climate change adaptation and community based adaptation can be further understood and enabled in the future. These recommendations for practice and research include: (a) To acknowledge and understand the conceptual framings of municipal climate change work, as these framings inform the climate change agenda that is pursued, and hence what municipal climate change adaptation work is done and how it was done. (b) The need for further research into the social barriers that influence the vital enablers of engaged officials, enabling organisational environments, and partnerships and networks. (c) To learn from pilot community‐level interventions that have been implemented by municipalities, as well as from other disciplines and municipalities. (d) To develop top‐down/bottom‐up approaches to enable municipal planned climate change adaptation and community based adaptation, that benefits from high level support and guidance, as well as local level flexibility and learning‐by‐doing. (e) To develop viable mechanisms for municipalities to better engage with the communities they serve.
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Christion, Tim. "Motivating Collective Action in Response to an Existential Threat: Critical Phenomenology in a Climate-Changing World." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/24554.
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In this dissertation, I analyze climate change as a collective action problem. Decades of consistent policy and indeed institutional failure suggest that climate change cannot be managed top-down by experts and politicians alone. Climate communicators must therefore take up the challenge of ethically and politically motivating public action on this issue. Unfortunately, the ethical and political logic of climate response presents profound challenges to public motivation that appears to confound thinkers in the climate literature across disciplines. I thus endeavors to rethink the climate situation today from the perspective of collective motivation. Doing justice to the complexities of this multifaceted problematic demands interdisciplinary analysis, but the equally pressing need for general comprehension requires philosophical synthesis. For the climate issue is at once global and intergenerational in scale, and is systemic to modern social and cultural institutions that have long-evolved to structure the way people relate to each other, to nature, and ultimately to the world of everyday experience. My thesis, then, is that this collective action problem is ultimately an existential problem that calls for an existential response. Specifically, I argue that the ethical and political implications of climate response are largely received as an “existential threat” to the extent that they unsettle the integrity of everyday existence lived in common. That is, the deeper implications of this issue roundly contradict the background structures of “lifeworld identity” informing collective experience at some of the most general (socio-cultural) levels of being in the world. The consequences of this existential problem present us with two “quandaries” that must be addressed coherently. The “quandary of denial” signifies the largely ethical challenges of motivating a collective response to the historical and material realities of the climate ‘problem.’ The “quandary of transition,” by contrast, speaks to the relatively political challenges of relating the climate problem as such to climate ‘solutions’ that are collectively meaningful enough to positively inspire viable ways forward. Finally, I conclude by drawing on Maurice Merleau-Ponty to advance a critical phenomenology of public motivation responsive to these two moments of the existential problem.
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Joshi, Nivedita. "Barriers to selling livestock in the face of drought in the Omusati Region of North Central Namibia." Master's thesis, Faculty of Science, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33821.
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Marginal communities living in semi-arid Namibia face significant challenges in sustaining rural livelihoods due to environmental degradation and poverty. Research has shown that livestock farming depends on rain-fed agriculture among other things, thus making communal farmers vulnerable to climate change in the future. Given this, it often makes sense for farmers to sell their livestock and explore alternative livelihood options. However, farmers in northcentral Namibia are reluctant to sell their livestock despite a noticeable temperature increase and rainfall decrease over the past forty years. This study analyses the barriers to selling livestock in the face of a drought in the Omusati region of north-central Namibia. The study was carried out in three villages namely Omahanene, Okathitukeengombe and Oshihau, in the north-central Omusati region of Namibia. Household livestock distribution, perceptions of climate change, barriers to the sale of livestock and alternative livelihood strategies from other semi-arid regions were explored among 30 households using semi-structured household interviews and a systematic literature review. Results from the study indicate that 80% of communal farmers predict future droughts in the region and able to recall climate change through frequent droughts, increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall. Farmers claimed that these changes have affected their livestock numbers. However, several barriers including cultural beliefs, lack of financial security, access to information, lack of institutional support and lack of efficient markets hinder livestock sales. The study suggests that the imminent impact of climate change coupled with the reluctance to sell livestock will threaten food security in the future. The study argues that rural livelihood diversification strategies are critical to safeguarding sustainable livelihoods in the future, including those of communal livestock farmers specifically. Additionally, policy recommendations like access to credit through public and private funding, access to markets by providing transportation facilities, encouraging market participation by improving quality of grazing lands, increasing water availability, building veterinary facilities, employing extension officers and access to information through reliable channels can help build a sustainable future in the face of climate risks.