Climate Change Identities

Abstract

By collecting and analyzing public interviews, this project assisted Landcare Research in its study of responses of New Zealanders to climate change; public reaction is a key component of climate change prediction. Our team developed a framework of four theories for understanding perceptions of climate change among the people of New Zealand. Those theories involve observations about frustration, media coverage, and economic aspects of climate change as well as research questions to further refine Landcare’s understanding of citizens’ perceptions.