The Effects of Communication about Climate Tipping Points on Collective Climate Action ...

• Main Authors: Cole, Jennifer Catherine, Constantino, Sara M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: OSF Registries 2023
• Subjects: Social Psychology; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Psychology; FOS Psychology; Antarc*; Antarctic; Greenland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/d6tbc; https://osf.io/d6tbc/

Scientists estimate that we are nearing natural tipping points in the climate system. These tipping points trigger self-perpetuating feedback loops creating irreversible and potentially catastrophic damage. Given current emissions trajectories, we are likely to surpass tipping points related to the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets and desertification of the Amazon rainforest in the near future. Damage past these tipping points is nearly irreversible, even with aggressive mitigation efforts. We investigate the impact of communicating about tipping points using a factual mock news article on a range of dependent variables including affect and emotion, perceived risk and urgency of climate change, willingness to sacrifice civil liberties, support and willingness-to-pay for climate policy, personal and collective efficacy, and behaviors. This experiment has implications for designing effective climate change communications that inspire action rather than fostering hopelessness as we ...