This article was downloaded by: [74.215.70.80] On: 09 July 2012, At: 10:43 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/venv20 Communicating Climate Change: Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement Matthew C. Nisbet a a AU's Center for Social Media, American University's School of Communication Version of record first published: 07 Aug 2010 To cite this article: Matthew C. Nisbet (2009): Communicating Climate Change: Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 51:2, 12-23 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/ENVT.51.2.12-23 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Communicating Climate Change Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement BY MATTHEW C. NISBET Downloaded by [74.215.70.80] at 10:43 09 July 2012 12-25 Nisbet ma09.indd 12 2/11/09 12:30:34 PM Communicating Climate Change Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement Downloaded by [74.215.70.80] at 10:43 09 July 2012 ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/XAVIARNAU; INSETS: THREE MILE ISLAND: A. L. SPANGLER/SHUTTERSTOCK; ICEBERG: TERENCE MENDOZA/SHUTTERSTOCK © 12-25 Nisbet ma09.indd 13 2/11/09 12:30:38 PM ptimists hope that the time trade bill, carbon tax, or new international tion efforts have focused on increasing the has finally arrived in the climate treaty. amount of quality news coverage about United States for major More importantly, democratic prin- climate science. Many scientists and advo- Opolicy action on climate ciples are at stake. Policies to address cates expected this increased news attention change. Fueling expectations, U.S. Presi- climate change will bear directly on the to promote wider public understanding of dent Barack Obama has assembled a future of Americans, impacting their the problem’s technical nature, leading the team of climate experts who are working pocketbooks, lifestyles, and local com- public to view it with the urgency that they with Congress, states, and foreign govern- munities. These decisions are therefore do. Communication is therefore defined ments to propose legislation and broker too significant to leave to just elected as a process of transmission—that is, the international agreements. Although the officials and experts; citizens need to be scientific facts are assumed to speak for Obama administration is committed to actively involved. themselves with their relevance and policy addressing climate change, the necessary Reframing the relevance of climate significance interpreted by all audiences in level of public engagement with the issue change in ways that connect to a broader similar ways.3 still appears to be missing. coalition of Americans—and repeated- Unfortunately, quality news coverage U.S. presidents, especially newly elect- ly communicating these new meanings is only likely to reach a small audience ed ones, are often given discretion to pur- through a variety of trusted media sources of already informed and engaged citizens. sue their preferred legisla- and opinion leaders—can Just as in other debates, such as stem cell tive priorities. Yet research generate the level of pub- research, abortion, or gun control, the rest shows that presidential lic engagement required of the public either ignores the coverage popularity is not enough for policy action. Suc- or reinterprets competing claims based on to pass policy initiatives. cessfully reframing cli- partisanship or self-interest, a tendency confirmed across several decades by pub- lic opinion research.4 Although the Obama administration Predictably, on climate change, poll analyses reveal politically polarized opin- is committed to addressing climate ions, resulting in two Americas divided along ideological lines. Over the past change, the necessary level of public decade, an increasing majority of Republi- engagement with the issue still appears cans question the validity of climate science and dismiss the urgency of the problem, to be missing. while an increasing majority of Democrats accept climate science and express concern about the issue.5 This deep partisan division The efforts of recent administrations to mate change means remaining true to remains even after factoring in education pass health care, welfare, or immigration the underlying science of the issue, while and knowledge.6 In fact, the persistent gap reforms have depended on generating applying research from communication in perceptions over the past decade sug- Downloaded by [74.215.70.80] at 10:43 09 July 2012 widespread public support and mobiliza- and other fields to tailor messages to the gests that climate change has joined a short tion while effectively countering the com- existing attitudes, values, and percep- list of issues such as gun control or taxes munication efforts of opponents of these tions of different audiences, making the that define what it means to be a Republi- reforms.1 When these conditions are not complex policy debate understandable, can or Democrat. met, as in health care and immigration relevant, and personally important.2 This A closer look at polling results shows reforms, presidents have suffered major approach to public outreach, however, a more troubling trend for those trying policy defeats. will require a more careful understanding to convey the urgency of climate change. There is no reason to suspect that of U.S. citizens’ views of climate change Prioritization and opinion intensity on other climate change policy will be any differ- as well as a reexamination of the assump- issues eclipse general concern about cli- ent, especially given the long history of tions that have traditionally informed cli- mate change among the public.7 For exam- partisan gridlock in U.S. politics. In the mate change communication efforts. ple, when asked what should be the top context of two wars and an economic cri- priority in 2009 for President Obama and sis, absent a shift in the polls and a surge Congress in a December 2008 poll, just 1 in input from a diversity of constituents, Two Americas of Climate percent of respondents cited climate change it is unlikely over the next four years that Perceptions or the environment compared with more a strong majority in Congress will accept than 40 percent of respondents who cited the political risks needed to pass mean- Historically, as a way to muster public the economy.8 Surveys over the past three ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/CHARCOA1 ingful policy actions such as a cap-and- resolve, most climate change communica- years also show that when asked to rate the © 14 ENVIRONMENT WWW.ENVIRONMENTMAGAZINE.ORG VOLUME 51 NUMBER 2 12-25 Nisbet ma09.indd 14 2/11/09 12:30:39 PM perceived priority of 20 policy problems, cusses the issue with friends or coworkers; Bhopal, India; the Exxon Valdez oil spill in climate change consistently ranked at the attends or speaks up at a public meeting; Alaska; or the iconic images of the ozone bottom of the list, with just 30 percent of joins an advocacy group; or participates in hole, helped trigger collective concern.11 respondents naming it a “top priority” in a public demonstration.10 However, the complex nature of climate a January 2009 Pew Research Center for The tendency to dismiss the urgency change means no single news headline The People & The Press poll9 (see Table 1 of climate change is exacerbated given or visual image will catalyze widespread below). These findings are significant, since the problem’s complexity and its lack of public attention or policy action. research concludes that opinion intensity is immediate, visible impacts. Past envi- Another barrier to public communica- a central driver of participation on policy ronmental events centered on a particular tion is the increasingly fragmented nature issues, predicting whether a citizen calls place or striking visual, such as the toxic of the U.S. media system. With so many or writes to his or her elected official; dis- disasters of Love Canal, New York, and different content choices via cable televi- sion and the Internet, an individual unin- terested in science or public affairs news Table 1. Top domestic priorities for Obama and Congress can easily avoid such coverage, paying Percent considering each as a January January January 2008–09 attention to entertainment genres or, per- “top priority” 2007 2008 2009 change haps more problematically, his or her pre- ferred ideological source of commentary. Strengthening nation’s economy 68 75 85 +10 Although attention to climate change at Improving the job situation 57 61 82 +21 news outlets such as the New York Times and Washington Post reached a record Defending U.S. against terrorism 80 74 76 +2 high in the past few years, because of increasing media fragmentation, this cov- Securing Social Security 64 64 63 —1 erage may actually reach a proportionally Improving educational system 69 66 61 —5 smaller audience than a decade ago.12 Dealing with U.S.