Using the Six Americas Framework to Communicateand Educate about Global Warming

摘要

Agricultural communicators and extension educators need to make scientific information aboutglobal warming, a critical component of climate change, more salient to the general public toincrease knowledge and to encourage people to take action to mitigate its effect; however, viewson global warming are diverse. Scientists have repeatedly shown human activity is directlyimpacting the Earth’s climate. Despite this, a segment of the U.S. population (including politicianswith a large amount of influence) are very vocal about their mistrust of climate science and lack ofbelief in global warming. States located on the coasts are affected by climate change the mostwhere extreme weather events impact the safety of residents and agricultural production more oftenthan those located inland. This research used the Six Americas framework to identify the diversesegments of believers/nonbelievers in Florida. Findings revealed 87% of respondents believed inclimate change but are not actively engaged in its mitigation. Recommendations are offered onhow agricultural communicators can reach diverse segments of the population and the roleextension educators can play in their communities to turn difficult to understand climate scienceinto something the public can understand and get behind.