The document summarizes the findings of a statewide climate change survey in Oregon. It found that while there is strong support among progressives for climate initiatives, conservatives are more skeptical. However, there are shared objectives across political views around renewable energy goals, conservation initiatives, and preferences around domestic energy production and personal cost controls. As a result, incentives may be most effective if they focus on these areas of shared interests, which could build a "supermajority" in support rather than just appealing to a narrow progressive base.

1. Climate Change Beliefs of Oregonians
A Call for Better Communications and Smarter Incentives
July, 2011

2. The purpose of conducting a statewide
climate change survey was threefold:
1. Deeply understand attitudes about climate
change
2. Test recommendations of theOregon Global
Warming Commission Roadmap to 2020
3. Identify levels of support for climate change
initiatives

3. OGWC reached out to over 2,000 Oregonians
with help from various groups

4. Respondents were from urban & rural
parts of Oregon

5. Overall, there exists strong support for
climate change initiatives …

6. We looked at support of initiatives
based on political view

7. We found two fundamentally different
views of climate change

8. Most conservatives don’t see evidence
of climate change, yet when they do…

9. Evidence for climate change attributed to
different causes based on political views

10. As a result, only about 20% of
conservatives see a need for action

11. This reality caused us to ponder the
future of carbon reduction incentives
Should incentives focus
on appealing to a
simple majority of like-
minded people who Should incentives be built
care about the around areas of greatest
environment? shared interest, regardless
of worldview?

12. Simple majority of
the environmentally
“aware”

13. Identifying the “others” is not difficult
Based on the Climate Leadership Initiative and the Social Capital Project’s study, “Climate Communications and
Behavior Change” report, we know that, when discussing attitudes about climate change, people can be grouped
into 3 major groups &10 subgroups:
Green-hued:
• The Greenest Americans (9%) Everything is connected, and our daily actions have an impact on the environment.
• Idealists (3%) Green lifestyles are part of a new way of being
• Traditionalists (24%) Healthy families need a healthy environment.
Undecided:
• Traditionalists (20%) Religion and morality dictate actions in a world where humans are superior to nature.
• Driven Independents (7%) Protecting the earth is fine as long as it doesn’t get in the way of success.
• Murky Middles (17%) Indifferent to most everything, including the environment.
Uninterested:
• Fatalists (5%) Getting material and status needs met on a daily basis trumps worries about the planet.
• Materialists (7%) Little can be done to protect the environment, so why not get a piece of the pie.
• Cruel Worlders (6%) Resentment and isolation leave no room for environmental concerns.
• UnGreens (3%) Environmental degradation and pollution are inevitable parts of America’s prosperity.
Simple majority of
the the base + others

14. To identify this “other/undecided”
group, we first identified skeptics
Simple majority of
the the base + others

15. Over one quarter of respondents are
“skeptical witnesses” of climate change
Simple majority of
the the base + others

16. About 15% of skeptics approve of some
form of carbon mitigation
Simple majority of
the the base + others

17. Over 20% of skeptics believe in
incentives to reduce emissions
Simple majority of
the the base + others

18. Over 20% of skeptics interested in
more expensive alternative transport
Simple majority of
the the base + others

19. Over 30% interested in installing
renewables with a feed-in tariff
Simple majority of
the the base + others

20. Larger base of
support focused on
popular incentives

21. There are shared objectives that hold
the promise of significant support
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

22. Within energy roadmap, agreement on
renewables & conservation goals
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

23. Domestically-produced energy
supported by all political views
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

24. Preferred energy sources differ by
view, but renewable nonetheless
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

25. More utility bill cost control desired by
a majority of political points of view
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

26. Costs associated with transportation
are also a significant unifying issue
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

27. Energy efficiency projects that lower
bills appreciated by everyone
Supermajority based
on shared objectives

28. Summary
Simple majority of the Supermajority of the political
progressive base plus those spectrum focused on shared
movable “others” goals
Interest in: Interest in:
•Emission reduction •Limiting utility emissions
•Incentives to reduce GHGs •Increasing renewables
•Alternative vehicles •More efficiency
•Feed-in tariffs •Domestic energy (not coal or
•Plus, everything in the bio-based)
Supermajority list (to the right) •Personal energy cost controls
•Home utilities
•Transportation