Public Perception Climate Change

Public Perception, Politics, and Policy Response

Public perception of climate change is extremely important when it comes to the policy’s that are created in response to it. Without public support, it is very difficult to implement any real change in the fight against climate change. Schneider et al., (2013) states that “public risk perceptions can fundamentally compel or constrain political, economic, and social action to address particular risks. For example, public support or opposition to climate policies will be greatly influenced by public perceptions of the risks and dangers of climate change” (Schneider et al., 2013, p. 177). If the public, and political leaders, are not properly educated on climate change and the potential risks

In today’s political and media-rich environment, this could prove to be extremely difficult. Media, as mentioned earlier has created a false idea of what climate change truly is. Many of the officials who create policy’s have been taken by this false ideology—or are of the skeptic’s camp and do not believe in climate change at all. This is one of the largest hurdles that would have to be faced in order to create an effective policy regarding climate

“Clearly defining a federal climate policy allows companies to integrate regulatory expectations into traditional business strategy frameworks in order to develop appropriate climate strategies” (Schneider et al., 2013, p. 379). Without a federal policy, it would be extremely difficult to regulate the way that various entities were handling climate change in their own companies. Or even if they had a policy in place at all. Without a government force leading the attack on climate change, it is highly unlikely that companies would pay money to do so—save for if they wanted a better ‘face’ for the public who may care about climate change. This is the case with some companies who are trying to reduce their carbon emission in order to have better public