How are coastal households responding to climate change?
Abstract
In Australia, shared responsibility is a concept advocated to promote collective climate change adaptation by multiple actors and institutions. However, a shared response is often promoted in the absence of information regarding actions currently taken; in particular, there is limited knowledge regarding action occurring at the household scale. To address this gap, we examine household actions taken to address climate change and associated hazards in two Australian coastal communities. Mixed methods research is conducted to answer three questions: (1) what actions are currently taken (mitigation, actions to lobby for change or adaptation to climate impacts)? (2) why are these actions taken (e.g. are they consistent with capacity, experience, perceptions of risk); and (3) what are the implications for adaptation? We find that households are predominantly mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and that impact orientated adaptive actions are limited. Coping strategies are considered sufficient to mange climate risks, proving a disincentive for additional adaptive action. Influencing factors differ, but generally, risk perception and climate change belief are associated with action. Furthermore, the likelihood of more action is a function of homeownership and a tendency to plan ahead. Addressing factors that support or constrain household adaptive decision-making and action, from the physical (e.g.more »
- Authors:
-
[1];
- Univ. of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland (Australia)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Griffith Univ. (Australia)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1326534
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1328506
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Science and Policy
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 63; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 1462-9011
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; vulnerability; resilience; risk; decision-making; environmental hazards
Citation Formats
Elrick-Barr, Carmen E., Smith, Timothy F., Preston, Benjamin L., Thomsen, Dana C., and Baum, Scott. How are coastal households responding to climate change?. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2016.05.013.
Elrick-Barr, Carmen E., Smith, Timothy F., Preston, Benjamin L., Thomsen, Dana C., & Baum, Scott. How are coastal households responding to climate change?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2016.05.013
Elrick-Barr, Carmen E., Smith, Timothy F., Preston, Benjamin L., Thomsen, Dana C., and Baum, Scott. Mon .
"How are coastal households responding to climate change?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2016.05.013. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1326534.
@article{osti_1326534,
title = {How are coastal households responding to climate change?},
author = {Elrick-Barr, Carmen E. and Smith, Timothy F. and Preston, Benjamin L. and Thomsen, Dana C. and Baum, Scott},
abstractNote = {In Australia, shared responsibility is a concept advocated to promote collective climate change adaptation by multiple actors and institutions. However, a shared response is often promoted in the absence of information regarding actions currently taken; in particular, there is limited knowledge regarding action occurring at the household scale. To address this gap, we examine household actions taken to address climate change and associated hazards in two Australian coastal communities. Mixed methods research is conducted to answer three questions: (1) what actions are currently taken (mitigation, actions to lobby for change or adaptation to climate impacts)? (2) why are these actions taken (e.g. are they consistent with capacity, experience, perceptions of risk); and (3) what are the implications for adaptation? We find that households are predominantly mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and that impact orientated adaptive actions are limited. Coping strategies are considered sufficient to mange climate risks, proving a disincentive for additional adaptive action. Influencing factors differ, but generally, risk perception and climate change belief are associated with action. Furthermore, the likelihood of more action is a function of homeownership and a tendency to plan ahead. Addressing factors that support or constrain household adaptive decision-making and action, from the physical (e.g. homeownership) to the social (e.g. skills in planning and a culture of adapting to change) will be critical in increasing household participation in adaptation.},
doi = {10.1016/j.envsci.2016.05.013},
journal = {Environmental Science and Policy},
number = C,
volume = 63,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 13 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Jun 13 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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