Rural Farming Community Climate Change Acceptance: Impact of Science and Government Credibility
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Published
Dec 5, 2011
Chris Evans
Christine Storer
Angela Wardell-Johnson
Abstract
Independent research of Western Australian rural people’s attitudes to climate change and influences on their attitudes offered a preliminary assessment of the WA rural sector’s understanding of climate change and insights into potential barriers to communication. Of the farmers surveyed (N=255) only a third (33%) reported to the researchers they agreed climate change was occurring and just 19% believed climate change was human induced. Over half (52%) were uncertain whether human-induced climate change was occurring and only 31% thought climate change represented a major threat to the future of their farm businesses. Results also showed that only 33% of all respondents (N =411) found climate change information easy to understand. In addition, results indicated that generally respondents had concerns with the credibility of science and low levels of trust in government, which contributed to their attitudes to climate change.
These results suggested the barriers to climate change communication resided with the very structures that sought to communicate with rural people and were embedded in the comprehensibility, relevancy and saliency of climate change information. The results indicated that science and government may need to consider utilising alternative strategies to distribute climate change knowledge within the rural sector. The results suggest that a better approach to distributing climate change information would be to frame the information within the local socio-cultural, economic and biophysical environment of the people it was intended to influence.
How to Cite
Evans, C. ., Storer, C. . and Wardell-Johnson, A. . (2011) “Rural Farming Community Climate Change Acceptance: Impact of Science and Government Credibility ”, The International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food. Paris, France, 18(3), pp. 217–235. doi: 10.48416/ijsaf.v18i3.246.
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References
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358–377.
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Evan s, C.A., Storer, C.E. and Wardell-Johnson, A. (2009) Climate Change Response in Rural WA: Rural
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Kokic, P., Heaney, A., Pechey, L., Crimp, S. and Fisher, B. (2005) Climate change: predicting the impacts on
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Krosnick, J.A., Holbrook, A.L. and Visser, P.S. (2000) The impact of the fall 1997 debate about global
warming on American public opinion, Public Understanding of Science, 9, pp. 239–260.
Langley, O., Syred, C., Leeson, G. and Crook, J. (2007) Grain Marketing Courses, report to C Storer for Agribusiness
Marketing Analysis 301. Perth: Muresk Institute, Curtin University.
McCarthy. J.J., Canziani, O.F., Leary, N.A., Dokken, D.J. and White, K.S. (eds) (2001) Climate Change 2001:
Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C. and Leiserowitz, A. (2009) Global Warming’s Six Americas: An Audience Segmentation
Analysis. New Haven, CT:Yale University and Fairfax, VA : George Mason University.
Margolis, H. (1996) Dealing with Risk: Why the Public and Experts Disagree on Environmental Issues. Chicago:
Chicago University Press.
Milne, M., Russell, J. and Stenekes, N. (2008) Climate Risk and Industry Adaptation. Canberra, ACT: Bureau
of Rural Sciences.
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2009. Canberra City, ACT: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Parry, M.L., Canziani, O.F., Palutikof, J.P, van der Linden, P.J. and Hansen, C.E. (eds) (2007) Impacts, Adaptation
and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Potter, E. and Oster, C. (2008) Communicating climate change: public responsiveness and matters of
concern, Media Information Australia, 127, pp. .
Stedman, R.C. (2003) Is it really just a social construction? the contribution of the physical environment to
sense of place, Society and Nat ural Resources, 16, pp. 671–685.
Stoll-Kleemann, S., O’Riordan, T. and Jaeger, C. (2001) The psychology of denial concerning climate mitigation
measures: evidence from Swiss focus groups, Global Environmental Change, 11, pp. 107–117.
Storer, C. (2010) Labour Shortage in Rural Industries. Curtin University.
Unger, S. (2000) Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: climate change versus the ozone hole,
Public Understanding of Science, 9, pp. 297–312.
Vanclay, F. (2004) Social principles for agricultural extension to assist in the promotion of natural resource
management, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 44, pp. 213–222.
Wardell-Johnson, A. (2005) Social Relationships in Landscape Systems: Identifying Values and Variables That
Drive Social Interactions. Paper presented to 11th Annual ANZSYS Conference ‘Systems Thinking and
Complexity Science’, Christchurch, New Zealand, 5–7 December.
Wardell-Johnson, A. (2007) People in Context, Critical Social Dimensions in Complex Landscape Systems.
Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Environmental Sociology, Murdoch University.
Wat son, R.T., Zinyowera, M.C. and Moss, R.H. (eds) (1996) Climate Change 1995: Impacts, Adaptations and
Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses, Contribution of Working Group II to the Second
Assessment Report: of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Whiteley, A.M. and Whiteley, J. (2006) The familiarization study in qualitative research: from theory to
practice, Qualitative Research Journal, 6, pp. 69–85.
Wreford, A. (2008) Are there social limits to adaptations to climate change?, Climatic Change, 93, pp.
335–354.
Anable, J., Kelay, T. and Lane, B. (2006) An Evidence Base Review of Public Attitudes to Climate Change and
Transport Behaviour. Published online
ABS (Australian Bureau of Stat istics) (2006) National Regional Profiles of Western Australian Rural Regions.
Belconnen, ACT: ABS.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Stat istics) (2008) Farm Management and Climate 2006–2007. Belconnen, ACT:
ABS.
ANRA (Australian Nat ural Resources Atlas) (2011) Land Use in Western Australia. Published online
Berk, R.A. and Schulman, S. (1995) Public perceptions of global warming, Climatic Change, 29, pp 1–33.
Bord, R.J., Fisher. A. and O’Conner, R.E. (1998) Public perceptions of global warming: United States and
international perspectives, Climate Research, 11, pp. 75–84.
Borgida, E. and Campbell, B. (1982) Belief relevance and attitude-behaviour consistency, the moderating
role of personal experience, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, pp. 239–247.
Botterill, L. and Mazur, N. (2004) Risk and Risk Perception. Kingston, ACT: RIRDC.
Brossard, D., Shanahan, J. and McComas, K. (2004) Are issues cycles culturally constructed, a comparison
of french and american coverage of global climate change, Mass Communication and Society, 7, pp.
358–377.
Cary, J., Webb, T. and Barr, N. (2001) The Adoption of Sustainable Practices: Some New Insights: An Analysis
of Drivers and Constraints for the Adoption of Sustainable Practices Derived from Research, Canberra: Land
and Water Australia.
COMPON (Comparing Climat e Change Policy Networks) (2011) The COMPON Project. Published online
Cohen, B.R. (2009) The once and future georgic: agricultural practice, environmental knowledge, and the
place for an ethic of experience, Agriculture and Human Values, 26, pp. 153–165.
Connections Research (2010) Residential Energy Management in Australia. Published online
Dengat e, J., Hardy, M., Twyford, V., Vaartjes, V. and Wat ers, S. (2006) Beyond Public Meetings: Connecting
Community Engagement with Decision-making. Wollongong: Vivien Twyford Communication.
DAFWA (Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia) (2006) Climate Change and Adaptation in
South West Western Australia. Perth: Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia.
Department of Training and Workforce Development (2011) Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Industry Profile.
Published online
Evan s, C.A., Storer, C.E. and Wardell-Johnson, A. (2009) Climate Change Response in Rural WA: Rural
Peoples’ Attitudes and the Role of Government and Scientists in Adaptation. Paper presented at ‘Climate
21: Understanding Climate Change and How to Manage It’, Burswood, 29 March, published online
Fleming, A. and Vanclay, F. (2009) Submission to the Inquiry into the Role of Government in Assisting
Australian Farmers to Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change. Hobart: Rural Social Research Group,
Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania.
Fortner, R.W., Lee, J.Y., Corney, J.R., Romanello, S., Bonnell, J., Luthy, B., Figuerido, C. and Ntsiko, N.
(2000) Public understanding of climate change: certainty and willingness to act, Environmental Education
Research, 6, pp. 127–141.
Garvin, T. (2001) Analytical paradigms. the epistemological distances between scientists, policy makers,
and the public, Risk Analysis, 21, pp. 443–455.
Gore, A. (2006) An Inconvenient Truth, D. Gugenheim (dir.). Hollywood: Paramount Pictures.
Gough, N. and Price, L. (2004) Rewording the world: post-structuralism, deconstruction and the ‘real’ in
environmental education, Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 21, pp. 23–36.
Gutteling, J.M. and Kuttschreuter, M. (2002) The roll of expertise in risk communication: laypeople’s and
expert’s perception of the millennium bug risk in the Netherlands, Journal of Risk Research, 5, pp. 35–47.
Hennessy, K., Fitzharris, B., Bat es, B.C., Harvey, N., Howden, S.M., Hughes, L., Salinger J. and Warrick,
R. (2007) Australia and New Zealand, in: M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden
and C.E. Hanson (eds) Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working
Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Published online
Hollowa y, L. (1999) Understanding climate change and farming: scientific and farmers constructions of
‘global warming’ in relation to agriculture, Environment and Planning A, 31, pp. 2017–2032.
Kasperson, R.E. (1986) Six proposition on public participation and their relevance for risk communication,
Risk Analysis, 6, pp. 275–281.
Kempton, W. (1993) Will public environmental concern lead to action on global warming, Annual Review
of Energy Environment, 18, pp. 217–245.
Kleining, G. and Witt, H. (2001) Discovery as basic methodology of qualitative and quantitative research,
Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 2(1), art. 16.
Kokic, P., Heaney, A., Pechey, L., Crimp, S. and Fisher, B. (2005) Climate change: predicting the impacts on
agriculture: a case study, Australian Commodities, 12, pp. 161-170,
Krosnick, J.A., Holbrook, A.L. and Visser, P.S. (2000) The impact of the fall 1997 debate about global
warming on American public opinion, Public Understanding of Science, 9, pp. 239–260.
Langley, O., Syred, C., Leeson, G. and Crook, J. (2007) Grain Marketing Courses, report to C Storer for Agribusiness
Marketing Analysis 301. Perth: Muresk Institute, Curtin University.
McCarthy. J.J., Canziani, O.F., Leary, N.A., Dokken, D.J. and White, K.S. (eds) (2001) Climate Change 2001:
Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C. and Leiserowitz, A. (2009) Global Warming’s Six Americas: An Audience Segmentation
Analysis. New Haven, CT:Yale University and Fairfax, VA : George Mason University.
Margolis, H. (1996) Dealing with Risk: Why the Public and Experts Disagree on Environmental Issues. Chicago:
Chicago University Press.
Milne, M., Russell, J. and Stenekes, N. (2008) Climate Risk and Industry Adaptation. Canberra, ACT: Bureau
of Rural Sciences.
Nat ural Resource Ministerial Council (2006) National Agriculture and Climate Change Action Plan 2006–
2009. Canberra City, ACT: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Parry, M.L., Canziani, O.F., Palutikof, J.P, van der Linden, P.J. and Hansen, C.E. (eds) (2007) Impacts, Adaptation
and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Potter, E. and Oster, C. (2008) Communicating climate change: public responsiveness and matters of
concern, Media Information Australia, 127, pp. .
Stedman, R.C. (2003) Is it really just a social construction? the contribution of the physical environment to
sense of place, Society and Nat ural Resources, 16, pp. 671–685.
Stoll-Kleemann, S., O’Riordan, T. and Jaeger, C. (2001) The psychology of denial concerning climate mitigation
measures: evidence from Swiss focus groups, Global Environmental Change, 11, pp. 107–117.
Storer, C. (2010) Labour Shortage in Rural Industries. Curtin University.
Unger, S. (2000) Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: climate change versus the ozone hole,
Public Understanding of Science, 9, pp. 297–312.
Vanclay, F. (2004) Social principles for agricultural extension to assist in the promotion of natural resource
management, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 44, pp. 213–222.
Wardell-Johnson, A. (2005) Social Relationships in Landscape Systems: Identifying Values and Variables That
Drive Social Interactions. Paper presented to 11th Annual ANZSYS Conference ‘Systems Thinking and
Complexity Science’, Christchurch, New Zealand, 5–7 December.
Wardell-Johnson, A. (2007) People in Context, Critical Social Dimensions in Complex Landscape Systems.
Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Environmental Sociology, Murdoch University.
Wat son, R.T., Zinyowera, M.C. and Moss, R.H. (eds) (1996) Climate Change 1995: Impacts, Adaptations and
Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses, Contribution of Working Group II to the Second
Assessment Report: of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Whiteley, A.M. and Whiteley, J. (2006) The familiarization study in qualitative research: from theory to
practice, Qualitative Research Journal, 6, pp. 69–85.
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