by Larry Perez
Since 2014, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications has conducted periodic national surveys to track the evolving attitudes and beliefs of the American public around climate change. The results of the latest sampling effort in 2019 are notable: nearly 60% of all respondents were "concerned" or "alarmed" over the issue, the latter being at an all-time high. More about the latest findings
can be found here.
At a time when many of our parks and offices are in various states of closure due to COVID-19, its also worth noting the general level of concern over the disease.
A recent poll by the Associated Press and University of Chicago finds that two-thirds of the American public are either somewhat or extremely worried about the impact of coronavirus on their family. Furthermore, respondents indicated they are changing their behavior accordingly by washing hands more frequently, avoiding large groups, changing travel plans, etc.
On the surface, it appears both climate change and coronavirus elicit a similar level of concern among the general public. And yet, the degree of personal and public action taken in response to each appears wildly different. So what drives our national response to coronavirus? The immediacy of the threat? The potential impact to the health of loved ones? The disruption to critical societal systems? The relative ease of behavior change necessary (washing your hands, staying home, etc.)? Understanding the context for action can help inform how we more effectively engage on critical park issues going forward.
There are, of course, significant differences between coronavirus and climate change. Still, some have recently drawn
interesting connections
between our relative responses to both. From our current reality we may yet draw valuable lessons on what is to come, insight into what might be possible, and inspiration to act in the face of global crisis.