Publications by year
In Press
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Lorenzoni I (In Press). Climate change or social change? Debate within, amongst and beyond disciplines.
Environment and Planning A(43), 258-261.
Abstract:
Climate change or social change? Debate within, amongst and beyond disciplines
In ‘Beyond the ABC: climate change policy and theories of social change’, Shove (2010) acknowledges her position to be ‘deliberately provocative’: and as (social) scientists of all description interested in climate change, an openness and questioning of the methodologies and epistemology underlying our research should be welcomed. Shove aims to explain how all social science disciplines contain theoretical understandings that can constructively contribute to improving the management of huge societal challenges such as climate change, and ultimately, sustainability. Shove’s article is enlightening in many ways, highlighting the need to give greater attention to structural dimensions of unsustainability and social change, to the limitations of individualistic models of behaviour, and to the value of socio-technical and practice approaches to address climate change. One of Shove’s main critiques, we find, lies in the suggestion that the ABC (‘attitude-behaviour-choice’) model remains prevalent in policy circles, as it tailors with “the dominant paradigms of economics and psychology” (p 1274). Our reading suggests that her paper is restricted in its simplistic portrayals of psychological models of behaviour, and wholesale dismissal of non-sociological approaches to social or behavioural change. It is frustrating - especially in relation to sustainability where there has been some success in bringing together different disciplines towards similar aims and goals - that different disciplinary perspectives continue to be perceived both as necessarily opposed and in opposition.
Abstract.
Kurz T, Prosser A, Rabinovich A, O'Neill S (In Press). Could vegans and lycra cyclists be bad for the planet? Theorising the role of Moralised Minority Practice Identities in processes of societal-level change. Journal of Social Issues
Devine-Wright P, Whitmarsh L, Gaterslaben B, O’Neill S, Hartley S, Burningham K, Sovacool B, Barr S, Anable J (In Press). Placing people at the heart of climate action. PLOS Climate
2023
Prosser AMB, O'Neill S, Whitmarsh L, Bolderdijk JW, Kurz T, Blackwood L (2023). Overcoming (vegan) activist burnout: Mass-gatherings can rekindle shared identity and activism efforts in minority groups.
Abstract:
Overcoming (vegan) activist burnout: Mass-gatherings can rekindle shared identity and activism efforts in minority groups
Minority actors can play an important role in social change processes, by refuting the majority social norm and modelling alternative pathways for society. However, acting in the minority can be difficult, and minority actors may encounter several obstacles on their path to social change. These obstacles might become so great that they experience ‘activist burnout’ and social isolation from their practices and may stop acting in pursuit of social change altogether. Here, we explore an event-based intervention that may encourage and help maintain minority-driven social change in the environmental context. Through on-site field interviews at an identity-centring event, we outline how ‘The Vegan Campout’, acts to validate and empower vegans to act in pursuit of social change. Our analysis demonstrates that the Vegan Campout functioned as a space where vegan identity, food and action was centred and celebrated. It was an important space for vegans to gain strength and ‘rekindle’ their vegan and activist identities and their activism efforts. Overall, these interviews show how attending an identity-centring event is an empowering experience for moralised minority groups working towards social change, which might protect their mental health, and bolster collective efficacy and motivation to engage in activism in the future.
Abstract.
Cann TJB, Dennes B, Coan T, O'Neill S, Williams HTP (2023). Using Semantic Similarity and Text Embedding to Measure the Social Media. Echo of Strategic Communications.
Abstract:
Using Semantic Similarity and Text Embedding to Measure the Social Media. Echo of Strategic Communications
Online discourse covers a wide range of topics and many actors tailor their
content to impact online discussions through carefully crafted messages and
targeted campaigns. Yet the scale and diversity of online media content make it
difficult to evaluate the impact of a particular message. In this paper, we
present a new technique that leverages semantic similarity to quantify the
change in the discussion after a particular message has been published. We use
a set of press releases from environmental organisations and tweets from the
climate change debate to show that our novel approach reveals a heavy-tailed
distribution of response in online discourse to strategic communications.
Abstract.
Author URL.
2022
O'Neill S (2022). Defining a visual metonym: a hauntological study of polar bear imagery in climate communication. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 47(4), 1104-1119.
Treen K, Williams H, O’Neill S, Coan TG (2022). Discussion of Climate Change on Reddit: Polarized Discourse or Deliberative Debate?. Environmental Communication, 16(5), 680-698.
Lee K, O'Neill S, Blackwood L, Barnett J (2022). Perspectives of UK adolescents on the youth climate strikes.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE,
12(6), 528-+.
Author URL.
Morrison TH, Adger WN, Agrawal A, Brown K, Hornsey MJ, Hughes TP, Jain M, Lemos MC, McHugh LH, O’Neill S, et al (2022). Radical interventions for climate-impacted systems. Nature Climate Change, 12(12), 1100-1106.
O'Neill S, Hayes S, Strauβ N, Doutreix M, Steentjes K, Ettinger J, Westwood N, Painter J (2022). Visual portrayals of fun in the sun in European news outlets misrepresent heatwave risks.
The Geographical Journal,
189(1), 90-103.
Abstract:
Visual portrayals of fun in the sun in European news outlets misrepresent heatwave risks
AbstractThe ways in which news media communicate about heatwaves can influence how society conceptualises and addresses heatwave risks. We examined visual news coverage of the 2019 heatwaves in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, using content and visual critical discourse analyses. Many visuals were positively valenced (in contrast to article texts), framing heatwaves as ‘fun in the sun’. The most prevalent type of images in all countries were photographs of people having fun in or by water. When images did depict the danger of heat extremes, people were largely absent. We conclude that this visual framing of heatwaves is problematic: first, by displacing concerns of vulnerability, it marginalises the experiences of those vulnerable to heatwaves; and second, it excludes opportunities for imagining a more resilient future. We conclude with suggestions to diversify the visual discourse on climate change and heatwaves in the news media.
Abstract.
O'Neill S, Hayes S, Strauß N, Doutreix M-N, Steentjes K, Ettinger J, Westood N, Painter J (2022). Visual portrayals of fun in the sun misrepresent heatwave risks in European newspapers.
Abstract:
Visual portrayals of fun in the sun misrepresent heatwave risks in European newspapers
Communication of heatwave risks is an important part of effective adaptation, with news media images playing an important role in the framing process. We examined visual news coverage of the 2019 heatwaves in France, Germany, the Netherlands and UK, using content and visual critical discourse analyses. Many visuals were positively valenced (in contrast to article texts), framing heatwaves as ‘fun in the sun’. The most prevalent type of images in all countries were photographs of people having fun in or by water. When images did depict the danger of heat extremes, people were largely absent. We conclude that this visual framing of heatwaves is problematic: first, by displacing concerns of vulnerability, it marginalises the experiences of those vulnerable to heatwaves; and second, it excludes opportunities for imagining a more resilient future. We conclude with suggestions to diversify the visual discourse on climate change and heatwaves in the news media.
Abstract.
Prosser AMB, Hueng LNM, Blackwood L, O'Neill S, Bolderdijk JW, Kurz T (2022). ‘Talk amongst yourselves’: Designing and evaluating a novel remotely-moderated focus group methodology for exploring group talk.
Abstract:
‘Talk amongst yourselves’: Designing and evaluating a novel remotely-moderated focus group methodology for exploring group talk
The use of a moderator has become ubiquitous when using focus groups for social science research. While a skilled moderator can facilitate discussion, we argue that, in some instances, moderators can potentially hinder the generation of the types of group discussions that academic researchers may seek to access. In this paper we outline some of the challenges associated with moderated focus groups and propose a complimentary methodology: a remotely-moderated focus group that can help overcome some of the problems a physically present moderator might create, while still incorporating many of the benefits of moderation. Using two remotely-moderated focus group designs - one exploring dietary identity and the other exploring gendered experiences of sexual harassment - we provide evidence for the efficacy of this design in multiple contexts. We evaluate its ability to produce high quality conversational data and suggest directions for future research exploring the utility of this methodology.
Abstract.
2021
Manktelow C (2021). Inside the Forecast Factory: the Communication of UK Met Office's 3-Month Outlook.
Abstract:
Inside the Forecast Factory: the Communication of UK Met Office's 3-Month Outlook
Seasonal climate forecasts (SCF) provide information about future climate variability from a month up to a year ahead. These forecasts could help organisations mitigate seasonal climatic risks, such as the impact of temperature on the consumption of energy or of severe winter weather upon road, rail and aviation infrastructure. Yet empirical research into the uptake of seasonal climate forecasts suggests that they are not always understood, trusted or used in decision-making. Geographers, other social scientists and climate scientists have tried to improve the communication of SCF either by identifying presentation formats that are easier to understand or by customising the message of a forecast to a stakeholder’s decision-making needs. However, both efforts to improve the communication of seasonal climate forecasts focus on how stakeholders interpret and use SCF, rather than on following the people, texts and data that constitute the message of a SCF. This thesis therefore argues that the message of a SCF is not a product that is delivered to an end-user but a web of relations between things (materials) and meanings (semiotics). Drawing upon work within science and technology studies (STS) and geography, I develop an ethnography that follows the relations that form the 3-month outlook, which is based on SCF issued by the UK Met Office. I argue that the 3-month outlook is simultaneously a bounded region in time (3-month averages) and space (for the whole of the UK), a stable network of documents and graphs and a fluid mixture of conversations and emails. The successful communication of 3-month outlook depended on UK Met Office staff holding these elements together so that the message remained the same when it was communicated in different circumstances. I conclude by suggesting that climate scientists need to find ways of adapting the content or style of the message they communicate, so that their messaging remains continuous across stakeholders who have different understandings of what a ‘normal’ climate is and ought to be like.
Abstract.
O'Neill S, Pidcock R (2021). Introducing the Topical Collection: 'Climate change communication and the IPCC'.
CLIMATIC CHANGE,
169(3-4).
Author URL.
Hayes S, O'Neill S (2021). The Greta effect: Visualising climate protest in UK media and the Getty images collections. Global Environmental Change, 71, 102392-102392.
Lee K, O'Neill S, Blackwood L, Barnett J (2021). “The right to have a say”: UK adolescent strikers and non-strikers’ perspectives on the youth climate strikes.
2020
Mortreux C, O'Neill S, Barnett J (2020). Between adaptive capacity and action: new insights into climate change adaptation at the household scale.
Environmental Research Letters,
15(7).
Abstract:
Between adaptive capacity and action: new insights into climate change adaptation at the household scale
Research on social vulnerability and adaptation to climate change assumes that increasing amounts of adaptive capacity increase the likelihood of actions to adapt to climate change. We test this assumption as it applies at the scale of households, through a study of the relationship between adaptive capacity and household actions to adapt to wildfire risk in Mount Dandenong, Australia. Here we show a weak relationship exists between adaptive capacity and adaptation, such that high adaptive capacity does not clearly result in a correspondingly high level of adaptation. Three factors appear to mediate the relationship between household adaptive capacity and adaptation: their attitude to risk, their experience of risk, and their expectations of authorities. The findings suggest that to understand the adaptation practices of households, greater attention needs to be paid to socio-psychological factors that trigger people to apply their available capacities.
Abstract.
Treen KMD, Williams HTP, O'Neill SJ (2020). Online misinformation about climate change.
WIREs Climate Change,
11(5).
Abstract:
Online misinformation about climate change
AbstractPolicymakers, scholars, and practitioners have all called attention to the issue of misinformation in the climate change debate. But what is climate change misinformation, who is involved, how does it spread, why does it matter, and what can be done about it? Climate change misinformation is closely linked to climate change skepticism, denial, and contrarianism. A network of actors are involved in financing, producing, and amplifying misinformation. Once in the public domain, characteristics of online social networks, such as homophily, polarization, and echo chambers—characteristics also found in climate change debate—provide fertile ground for misinformation to spread. Underlying belief systems and social norms, as well as psychological heuristics such as confirmation bias, are further factors which contribute to the spread of misinformation. A variety of ways to understand and address misinformation, from a diversity of disciplines, are discussed. These include educational, technological, regulatory, and psychological‐based approaches. No single approach addresses all concerns about misinformation, and all have limitations, necessitating an interdisciplinary approach to tackle this multifaceted issue. Key research gaps include understanding the diffusion of climate change misinformation on social media, and examining whether misinformation extends to climate alarmism, as well as climate denial. This article explores the concepts of misinformation and disinformation and defines disinformation to be a subset of misinformation. A diversity of disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature is reviewed to fully interrogate the concept of misinformation—and within this, disinformation—particularly as it pertains to climate change.This article is categorized under:Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Communication
Abstract.
Lee K, Gjersoe N, O'Neill S, Barnett J (2020). Youth perceptions of climate change: a narrative synthesis.
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change,
11(3).
Abstract:
Youth perceptions of climate change: a narrative synthesis
Despite the scale of the predicted impact of climate change on future generations, most of the academic literature investigating perceptions of climate change relates to adults or young adults rather than children and adolescents. In this review, we synthesize literature relating to 8- to 19-year-old's perceptions and understandings of climate change, in order to identify trends and inconsistencies, potential gaps in knowledge, and directions for future research. A comprehensive search strategy identified 51 international studies, using quantitative (n = 36), qualitative (n = 9), and mixed methods (n = 6). The included studies date from 1993 to 2018. The analysis outlines levels of reported belief and concern about climate change and perceptions of its causes and consequences. It also details reported perceptions of viable solutions to climate change and notions of responsibility for implementing these. Scientifically accurate knowledge generally increased with age, although misconceptions persisted across the age range. In some studies, younger children expressed greater concern and were more willing to take action than older adolescents. Levels of belief, concern, and willingness to take action were lower in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia than in other countries. In conclusion, we discuss potential explanations for these age and place-related differences, examining the age-related findings in the context of concepts and theories in developmental psychology. We outline the limitations of our review and the reviewed studies, and note potential avenues for future research and implications for educational policy and practice. This article is categorized under: Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Perceptions of Climate Change.
Abstract.
2019
O'Neill S (2019). Longitudinal print imagery raw newspaper metadata.
O’Neill S (2019). More than meets the eye: a longitudinal analysis of climate change imagery in the print media.
Climatic Change,
163(1), 9-26.
Abstract:
More than meets the eye: a longitudinal analysis of climate change imagery in the print media
AbstractImages are ubiquitous in everyday life. They are a key part of the communication process, shaping peoples’ attitudes and policy preferences on climate change. Images which have come to dominate visual portrayals of climate change (and conversely, those that are marginalised or excluded) influence how we interact with climate change in our everyday lives. This paper presents the first in-depth, cross-cultural and longitudinal study of climate change visual discourse. It examines over a thousand images associated with articles about climate change in UK and US newspapers between 2001 and 2009, a pivotal decade for climate change engagement. Content, frame and iconographic analyses reveal a remarkably consistent visual discourse in the UK and US newspapers. The longitudinal analysis shows how the visual representation of climate changed mid-decade. Before 2005, a distancing frame was common. Imagery of polar landscapes acted as a visual synecdoche for distant climate risk. After 2005, there was a rapid increase in visual coverage, an increase in use of the contested visual frame, alongside an increase in climate cartoons, protest imagery and visual synecdoches. These synecdoches began to be subverted and parodied, particularly in the right-leaning press. These results illustrate the rise of climate change scepticism during the mid-2000s. This study has implications for public engagement with climate change. It shows that the contested and distancing visual frames are deeply and historically embedded in the meaning-making of climate change. Additionally, it showcases the importance of visual synecdoches, used by newspapers in particular circumstances to engage particular audiences. Knowing and understanding visual use is imperative to enable an evidence-based approach to climate engagement endeavours.
Abstract.
Handmer J, Van der Merwe M, O'Neill S (2019). The risk of dying in bushfires: a comparative analysis of fatalities and survivors.
Progress in Disaster Science,
1Abstract:
The risk of dying in bushfires: a comparative analysis of fatalities and survivors
A limitation in disaster risk reduction research is the lack of comparative analysis between those who die and those who survive in the same event. This makes it difficult to determine factors that increase or decrease the risk of dying in a disaster. In this paper, we begin to address this research gap by using published data from the 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires in Victoria, Australia. One set of data comes from a representative postal survey of those who survived the fires, and a second from data on the 172 civilian fatalities in the same fires. The aim is to examine what differences exist between those who died and those who survived the fires. Are there identifiable differences between the two groups, and if so, why might this be – and what does this mean for fire policy and planning? Two major differences were found between the two groups. First, the demography differed between fatalities and survivors: disproportionately more older people (over 50s) died than younger people (under 18s); and men were much more likely to die than women. Second, the behaviour between the two groups differed: most survivors reported carrying out their intended actions, whereas most fatalities did not (or were unable to) carry out their intended actions; and, most fatalities sheltered, while very few survivors did so. There are caveats to this analysis as the datasets were not intended for comparative analysis of this sort. These differences hold important lessons for bushfire policy and planning. The analysis highlights the dangers of sheltering passively within a building or structure, emphasising the importance of communicating this particular bushfire safety message.
Abstract.
2016
O'Neill SJ, Graham S (2016). (En)visioning place-based adaptation to sea-level rise. Geo: Geography and Environment, 3(2), e00028-e00028.
Handmer J, O'Neill S (2016). Examining bushfire policy in action: Preparedness and behaviour in the 2009 Black Saturday fires.
Environmental Science and Policy,
63, 55-62.
Abstract:
Examining bushfire policy in action: Preparedness and behaviour in the 2009 Black Saturday fires
An important part of reducing the risk of disaster is the preparedness of the people at risk. Australian bushfire authorities have policies and publicity about what households should do to be prepared - which include knowledge about fire risk, awareness of one's own risk, taking specific steps to reduce risk including having an emergency plan. Yet, there is sparse empirical evidence about the link between preparedness and actual behaviour in the face of a major disaster.The authors had an opportunity to examine the circumstances surrounding the 172 civilian fatalities which occurred in the 2009 Victorian 'Black Saturday' bushfires, through the examination of a detailed fatality dataset compiled by the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. This dataset allows detailed examination of Victorian bushfire safety policy ('Stay or go') in action on a day of extreme fire danger: from preparedness (both before and on the day of the fire) to behaviour on the day of the fire itself.This analysis presents three overarching findings. First, some aspects of 'Stay or go' appear to be supported: being well-prepared to evacuate remains the safest option in a bushfire; sheltering passively is very dangerous. Second, successful implementation of 'Stay or go' depends on a multitude of factors, which can challenge even the most capable householders. Third, events like Black Saturday challenge the 'Stay or go' approach, and indicate the need for a different approach on extreme fire danger days. We conclude by reflecting on the findings from this research in terms of the most recent changes to bushfire policy in Victoria.
Abstract.
Butler C, Walker-Springett K, Adger WN, Evans L, O'Neill S (2016). Social and Political Dynamics of Flood Risk, Recovery and Response.A Report of the Findings of the Winter Floods Project. Exeter, University of Exeter.
2015
O'Neill S, Williams HP, Kurz T, Wiersma B, Boykoff M (2015). Dominant frames in legacy and social media
coverage of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.
Nature Climate Change,
5, 380-385.
Abstract:
Dominant frames in legacy and social media
coverage of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report
The media are powerful agents that translate information across the science–policy interface, framing it for audiences. Yet frames are never neutral: they define an issue, identify causes, make moral judgements and shape proposed solutions. Here, we show how the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) was framed in UK and US broadcast and print coverage, and on
Twitter. Coverage of IPCC Working Group I (WGI) was contested and politicized, employing the ‘Settled Science, Uncertain Science, Political or Ideological Struggle and Role of Science’ frames. WGII coverage commonly used Disaster or Security.
More diverse frames were employed forWGII andWGIII, including Economics and Morality and Ethics. Framing also varied by media institution: for example, the BBC used Uncertain Science, whereas Channel 4 did not. Coverage varied by working group, with WGIII gaining far less coverage than WGI or WGII. We suggest that media coverage and framing of AR5 was influenced
by its sequential three-part structure and by the availability of accessible narratives and visuals. We recommend that these communication lessons be applied to future climate science reports.
Abstract.
2014
O'Neill SJ, Smith N (2014). Climate change and visual imagery.
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change,
5(1), 73-87.
Abstract:
Climate change and visual imagery
Many actors-including scientists, journalists, artists, and campaigning organizations-create visualizations of climate change. In doing so, they evoke climate change in particular ways, and make the issue meaningful in everyday discourse. While a diversity of climate change imagery exists, particular types of climate imagery appear to have gained dominance, promoting particular ways of knowing about climate change (and marginalizing others). This imagery, and public engagement with this imagery, helps to shape the cultural politics of climate change in important ways. This article critically reviews the nascent research area of the visual representations of climate change, and public engagement with visual imagery. It synthesizes a diverse body of research to explore visual representations and engagement across the news media, NGO communications, advertising, and marketing, climate science, art, and virtual reality systems. The discussion brings together three themes which occur throughout the review: time, truth, and power. The article concludes by suggesting fruitful directions for future research in the visual communication of climate change. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract.
Guy S, Kashima Y, Walker I, O'Neill S (2014). Investigating the effects of knowledge and ideology on climate change beliefs.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
44(5), 421-429.
Abstract:
Investigating the effects of knowledge and ideology on climate change beliefs
The divergence of public opinion and climate science in the English-speaking world, particularly the United States and Australia, has attracted a variety of explanations. One of the more interesting accounts, from a psychological perspective, is the influence of ideology on climate change beliefs. Previous work suggests that ideology trumps knowledge in shaping climate change beliefs. However, these studies have typically examined the influence of proxy measures of knowledge rather than specific climate change knowledge. The goal of the present research was to provide some clarification on the different influences of knowledge and ideology on beliefs about climate change. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between specific climate change knowledge, hierarchical and individualistic ideology, and climate change belief in a national sample (N=335) of the Australian public. Contrary to research involving proxy knowledge measures, we found that people who had greater knowledge of climate change causes were more willing to accept that climate change is occurring. Furthermore, knowledge of causes attenuated the negative relationship between individualistic ideology and belief that climate change exists. Our findings suggest that climate change knowledge has the potential to positively influence public discourse on the issue. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract.
2013
Ockwell D, O’Neill S, Whitmarsh L (2013). Behavioural insights. In (Ed) Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society, Taylor & Francis.
Guy S, Kashima Y, Walker I, O'Neill S (2013). Comparing the atmosphere to a bathtub: Effectiveness of analogy for reasoning about accumulation.
Climatic Change,
121(4), 579-594.
Abstract:
Comparing the atmosphere to a bathtub: Effectiveness of analogy for reasoning about accumulation
Understanding the process of accumulation is fundamental to recognising the magnitude and speed of emissions reduction required to stabilise atmospheric CO2 and, hence, global temperature. This research investigated the effectiveness of analogy for building understanding of accumulation among non-experts. Two studies tested the effects of analogy and graphical information on: (1) performance on a CO2 stabilisation task; and (2) preferred level of action on climate change. Study 1 was conducted with a sample of undergraduate students and Study 2, with a sample of the Australian public. In the student sample, analogical processing significantly improved task performance when information about emission rates was presented in text but not when it was presented in graph format. It was also associated with greater preference for strong action on climate change. When tested with the public, analogy and information format independently influenced task performance. Furthermore, there was a marginal effect of education such that the analogy especially might have helped those with at least high school attainment. Our results show that analogy can improve non-experts' understanding of CO2 accumulation but that using graphs to convey emissions rate information is detrimental to such improvements. The results should be of interest to climate change communicators, advocates, and policy-makers. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
Abstract.
O'Neill SJ (2013). Image matters: Climate change imagery in US, UK and Australian newspapers.
Geoforum,
49, 10-19.
Abstract:
Image matters: Climate change imagery in US, UK and Australian newspapers
Images act to draw in audiences through vivid and emotive portrayals, and in doing so, they facilitate both cognitive and affective processing. Yet images are not neutral - they can portray highly ideological messages, and act as normative statements portraying a particular way of viewing the world. Whilst climate imagery proliferates, media analysis of climate to date has focused almost exclusively on textual representations. Here, a two-part study was designed to explore climate change imagery in newspapers. First, a content analysis of visual images attached to online articles about climate change during 2010 from 13 US, UK and Australian newspapers, was undertaken. Analysis of the image concourse (n= 1603) shows broad patterns across all newspapers in the visualization of climate change, and sheds light on how multinational media ownership influences climate imagery portrayals. Second, a frame analysis was undertaken, by examining the composition and tone of particularly salient images in their cultural and political contexts. Together, these analyses indicate that two visual frames are prominent, a 'contested' visual frame and a 'distancing' visual frame; with Australian newspapers particularly relying on the 'contested' visual frame. These visual framings support particular interactions with the issue of climate change whilst marginalizing others, actively shaping the cultural politics of climate change in important ways. © 2013 the Authors.
Abstract.
Barnett J, O'Neill SJ (2013). Minimising the risk of maladaptation: a framework for analysis.
, 87-93.
Abstract:
Minimising the risk of maladaptation: a framework for analysis
The author, in this chapter, hypothesises that the risk of maladaptation increases with the cost of the action, precisely because in these situations the returns to the 'winners' are so great as to outweigh consideration of losses to those who may be on the margins of society, and/or distant in space and/or time. The chapter proposes some rules of thumb to guide an analysis of the risk of maladaptation. Strategies that seek to reduce exposure to climate risks carry with them the largest risk of maladaptation, those that seek to decrease sensitivity to climate change carry with them modest risks of being maladaptive, and those that seek to increase adaptive capacity are the least likely to be maladaptive. The chapter explains this simple framework with reference to the case of migration and resettlement as a response to sea-level rise (SLR) in the South Pacific. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract.
O'Neill SJ, Boykoff M, Niemeyer S, Day SA (2013). On the use of imagery for climate change engagement.
Global Environmental Change,
23(2), 413-421.
Abstract:
On the use of imagery for climate change engagement
This article answers calls from scholars to attend to a research gap concerning the visual representation of climate change. We present results from three Q-methodology workshops held in Melbourne (Australia), Norwich (UK) and Boulder (USA) investigating engagement with climate change imagery drawn from mass media sources. Participants were provided with a concourse of climate change images drawn from a newspaper content analysis carried out across all three countries, and asked to carry out two Q-sorts: first, for salience ('this image makes me feel climate change is important') and second, for efficacy ('this image makes me feel I can do something about climate change'). We found results remarkably consistent both across and within country cohorts. This may indicate the presence of a dominant, mainstream discourse around climate imagery. We found that imagery of climate impacts promotes feelings of salience, but undermines self-efficacy; that imagery of energy futures imagery promotes self-efficacy; and that images of politicians and celebrities strongly undermine saliency, and undermine self-efficacy for the Australian cohort. These results, if widely replicable, have implications for climate change communication and engagement. Our results suggest that imagery plays a role in either increasing the sense of importance of the issue of climate change (saliency), or in promoting feelings of being able to do something about climate change (efficacy) - but few, if any, images seem to do both. Communications strategies should assess the purpose of their messages, considering these findings regarding salience and efficacy in this study, and choose to employ images accordingly. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Abstract.
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Lorenzoni I (2013). Public engagement with climate change: What do we know and where do we go from here?.
International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics,
9(1), 7-25.
Abstract:
Public engagement with climate change: What do we know and where do we go from here?
Climate change is an issue with fundamental implications for societies and individuals. These implications range from our everyday choices about resource use and lifestyles, through how we adjust to an unprecedented rate of environmental change, to our role in debating and enacting accompanying social transitions. This article outlines the various ways in which members of society ('publics') may be engaged in efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and then provides a synthesis of lessons about public engagement which span both theoretical and practical insights. These include the diverse drivers of, and barriers to, engagement; the importance of multiple forms of engagement and messages; and a critical need to evaluate and identify successful examples of engagement. We conclude by outlining priorities for future research, policy and practice. © 2013 Intellect Ltd Article. English language.
Abstract.
Barnett J, O’Neill S, Waller S, Rogers S (2013). Reducing the risk of maladaptation in response to sea-level rise and urban water scarcity. , 37-49.
2012
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Lorenzoni I (2012).
Engaging the public with climate change: Behaviour change and communication.Abstract:
Engaging the public with climate change: Behaviour change and communication
Abstract.
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S (2012). Introduction: Opportunities for and barriers to engaging individuals with climate change.
Barnett J, O'Neill S (2012). Islands, resettlement and adaptation. Nature Climate Change 2, 8-10.
O'Neill S, Handmer J (2012). Responding to bushfire risk: the need for transformative adaptation.
Environmental Research Letters(7).
Abstract:
Responding to bushfire risk: the need for transformative adaptation
The 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires led to 172 civilian deaths, and were proclaimed as one of Australia’s worst natural disasters. The Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission was set up in the wake of the fires to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of each fatality. Here, results from an analysis undertaken for the Commission to examine the household preparedness policy ‘Prepare, Stay and Defend, or Leave Early’ (‘Stay or Go’), plus an examination of the Commission’s recommendations, are explored in the broader context of adaptation to bushfire. We find Victoria ill-adapted to complex bushfire risk events like Black Saturday due to: changing settlement patterns and the known vulnerabilities of populations living in fire prone areas; and increasingly into the future due to the influence of climate change extending fire seasons and their severity. We suggest uncertainty needs to be better acknowledged and managed in fire risk situations, and that the responsibility for fire preparedness should be more justly distributed. We suggest a transformation in adaptation is required to effectively manage complex bushfire risk events like Black Saturday, and provide four key ways in which transformation in bushfire preparedness could take place.
Abstract.
O'Neill S, Boykoff M (2012). The role of new media in engaging the public with climate change. In (Ed) Engaging the Public with Climate Change: Behaviour Change and Communication, 233-251.
2011
Hulme M, O'Neill SJ, Dessai S (2011). Climate change. Is weather event attribution necessary for adaptation funding?.
Science,
334(6057), 764-765.
Author URL.
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Lorenzoni I (2011). Commentary. Environment and Planning A, 43(2), 258-261.
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Lorenzoni I (2011).
Engaging the public with climate change: Communication and beahviour change., Earthscan / James & James.
Abstract:
Engaging the public with climate change: Communication and beahviour change
Abstract.
Whitmarsh L, Seyfang G, O'Neill S (2011). Public engagement with carbon and climate change: to what extent is the public 'carbon capable'?.
Global Environmental Change,
21(1), 56-65.
Abstract:
Public engagement with carbon and climate change: to what extent is the public 'carbon capable'?
The relevance of climate change for society seems indisputable: scientific evidence points to a significant human contribution in causing climate change, and impacts which will increasingly affect human welfare. In order to meet national and international greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, there is an urgent need to understand and enable societal engagement in mitigation. Yet recent research indicates that this involvement is currently limited: although awareness of climate change is widespread, understanding and behavioral engagement are far lower. Proposals for mitigative 'personal carbon budgets' imply a need for public understanding of the causes and consequences of carbon emissions, as well as the ability to reduce emissions. However, little has been done to consider the situated meanings of carbon and energy in everyday life and decisions. This paper builds on the concept of 'carbon capability', a term which captures the contextual meanings associated with carbon and individuals' abilities and motivations to reduce emissions. We present empirical findings from a UK survey of public engagement with climate change and carbon capability, focusing on both individual and institutional dimensions. These findings highlight the diverse public understandings about 'carbon', encompassing technical, social, and moral discourses; and provide further evidence for the environmental value-action gap in relation to adoption of low-carbon lifestyles. Implications of these findings for promoting public engagement with climate change and carbon capability are discussed. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Abstract.
O'Neill S, Boykoff M (2011). The role of new media in engaging individuals with climate change. In Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Lorenzoni I (Eds.)
Engaging the public with climate change: Communication and behaviour change, London: Earthscan, 233-251.
Abstract:
The role of new media in engaging individuals with climate change
Abstract.
2010
Ockwell D, O'Neill S, Whitmarsh L (2010). Behavioural insights: motivating individual emissions cuts through communication. In Lever-Tracy C (Ed)
Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society, Routledge, 341-350.
Abstract:
Behavioural insights: motivating individual emissions cuts through communication
Abstract.
O'Neill SJ, Boykoff M (2010). Climate denier, skeptic, or contrarian?. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(39).
Rabinovich A, Morton TA, Duke C (2010). Collective self and individual choice: the role of social comparisons in promoting public engagement with climate change. In Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S (Eds.) Engaging the public with climate change: Communication and behaviour change, Earthscan.
O'Neill SJ, Hulme M, Turnpenny J, Screen JA (2010). Disciplines, geography, and gender in the framing of climate change.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
91(8), 997-1002.
Abstract:
Disciplines, geography, and gender in the framing of climate change
The areas that were focused in the Climate Change Congress, held in March 2009, are discussed. One of the findings emphasizes on the geography of knowledge. Annex 1 countries those that have responsibilities under the Kyoto Protocol for mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions are considerably overrepresented, while non-Annex 1 representatives presented just 12% of all contributions. The IPCC Third Assessment Report included more social science research, Bjurström and Polk's analysis found that such representation remained minimal. The three working groups (WG) contributing to the IPCC Assessment Reports includes WG I, which focuses on physical science, WG II on the vulnerability of socioeconomic and natural systems, and WG III on mitigation options. The structural linearity of knowledge exhibits that better climate change science leads to better knowledge of potential impacts and would necessarily lead to actions required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt political, social, and economic systems.
Abstract.
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S (2010). Green identity, green living? the role of pro-environmental self-identity in determining consistency across diverse pro-environmental behaviours.
Journal of Environmental Psychology,
30(3), 305-314.
Abstract:
Green identity, green living? the role of pro-environmental self-identity in determining consistency across diverse pro-environmental behaviours
Policy-makers are interested in cost-effective and socially acceptable ways of encouraging the public to adopt more environmentally-friendly lifestyles. One area which UK policy-makers are focussing on is 'catalyst behaviour', the notion that taking-up a new behaviour (such as recycling) may cause people to adopt other pro-environmental behaviours. Yet, evidence for such 'spill-over' effects is so far limited, and it is unclear when and how cross-situational motivations (e.g. pro-environmental identity) may predict behaviour and when contextual factors are more important. We report on a postal survey (N = 551) of pro-environmental behaviours amongst the UK public. We assess the influence of pro-environmental self-identify on consistency across a range of behaviours. Pro-environmental values, perceived behavioural control, subjective norm, attitudes, and demographic factors were also measured. Findings show self-identity to be a significant behavioural determinant over and above theory of planned behaviour variables for carbon offsetting behaviour. However, pro-environmental self-identity was only a significant predictor for certain other pro-environmental behaviours; background variables were also important predictors. Limitations of the study, and implications for theory and policy, are discussed. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Abstract.
Barnett J, O'Neill S (2010). Maladaptation. Global Environmental Change, 211-213.
Handmer J, O'Neill S, Killalea D (2010).
Review of fatalities in the February 7th 2009 bushfires: a report prepared for the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, Centre for Risk and Community Safety, RMIT University and Bushfire CRC.
Abstract:
Review of fatalities in the February 7th 2009 bushfires: a report prepared for the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission
Abstract.
2009
O'Neill S, Nicholson-Cole S (2009). "fear won't do it": Promoting positive engagement with climate change through visual and iconic representations.
Science Communication,
30(3), 355-379.
Abstract:
"fear won't do it": Promoting positive engagement with climate change through visual and iconic representations
Fear-inducing representations of climate change are widely employed in the public domain. However, there is a lack of clarity in the literature about the impacts that fearful messages in climate change communications have on people's senses of engagement with the issue and associated implications for public engagement strategies. Some literature suggests that using fearful representations of climate change may be counterproductive. The authors explore this assertion in the context of two empirical studies that investigated the role of visual, and iconic, representations of climate change for public engagement respectively. Results demonstrate that although such representations have much potential for attracting people's attention to climate change, fear is generally an ineffective tool for motivating genuine personal engagement. Nonthreatening imagery and icons that link to individuals' everyday emotions and concerns in the context of this macro-environmental issue tend to be the most engaging. Recommendations for constructively engaging individuals with climate change are given. © 2009 SAGE Publications.
Abstract.
O'Neill SJ, Hulme M (2009). An iconic approach for representing climate change.
Global Environmental Change,
19(4), 402-410.
Abstract:
An iconic approach for representing climate change
International and national greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals implicitly rely in part on individuals undertaking voluntary emissions reductions through lifestyle decisions. Whilst there is widespread public recognition of climate change as an issue, there are many barriers - cognitive, psychological and social - preventing individuals from enacting lifestyle decarbonisation. More effective climate change communication approaches are needed which allow individuals to engage meaningfully with climate change, thus opening new prospects for lifestyle decarbonisation. This study presents an iconic approach to engagement, tested in the UK context, which allows individuals to approach climate change through their own personal values and experiences. The iconic approach harnesses the emotive and visual power of climate icons with a rigorous scientific analysis of climate impacts under a different climate future. Although some climate icons already exist - for example the Thermohaline Circulation shutdown - these 'expert-led' icons fail to effectively engage 'non-experts'. We demonstrate that the non-expert-led iconic approach helps overcome some of the cognitive and affective barriers that impede action towards lifestyle decarbonisation. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abstract.
Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S, Seyfang G, Lorenzoni I (2009). Carbon capability. In Stibbe A (Ed)
The handbook of sustainability literacy, UK: Green Books, 124-129.
Abstract:
Carbon capability
Abstract.
O'Neill S, Whitmarsh L (2009). Encouraging climate change engagement through affective connections.
O'Neill S, Nicholson-Cole S (2009). Fear won't do it: promoting positive engagement with climate change through imagery and icons. Science Communication, 355-379.
Ockwell D, Whitmarsh L, O'Neill S (2009). Reorienting climate change communication for effective mitigation: Forcing people to be green or fostering grass-roots engagement?.
Science Communication,
30(3), 305-327.
Abstract:
Reorienting climate change communication for effective mitigation: Forcing people to be green or fostering grass-roots engagement?
Climate communication approaches expend significant resources promoting attitudinal change, but research suggests that encouraging attitudinal change alone is unlikely to be effective. The link between an individual's attitudes and subsequent behavior is mediated by other influences, such as social norms and the "free-rider" effect. One way to engender mitigative behaviors would be to introduce regulation that forces green behavior, but government fears a resulting loss of precious political capital. Conversely, communication approaches that advocate individual, voluntary action ignore the social and structural impediments to behavior change. The authors argue that there are two crucial, but distinct, roles that communication could play in engaging the public in low carbon lifestyles: first, to facilitate public acceptance of regulation and second, to stimulate grass-roots action through affective and rational engagement with climate change. The authors also argue that using communication to stimulate demand for regulation may reconcile these ĝ€top-down" and ĝ€bottom-upĝ€ approaches. © 2009 SAGE Publications.
Abstract.
2008
O'Neill SJ, Osborn TJ, Hulme M, Lorenzoni I, Watkinson AR (2008). Using expert knowledge to assess uncertainties in future polar bear populations under climate change.
Journal of Applied Ecology,
45(6), 1649-1659.
Abstract:
Using expert knowledge to assess uncertainties in future polar bear populations under climate change
1. Polar bear Ursus maritimus population dynamics under conditions of climate change has become a controversial topic. A survey of expert opinion based on modelled sea-ice data was performed in order to quantify the trends and variance surrounding possible impacts of climate change on polar bear populations. 2. Polar bears have become an iconic species in the communication of climate change. Negative impacts of climatic warming on polar bears have been suggested, but cannot be fully quantified as no Arctic-wide models yet exist to analyse the relationship between polar bear population dynamics and climate change. 3. Ten polar bear experts participated in an expert opinion survey in early 2007, quantifying the trends and variance surrounding possible impacts of climate change on polar bear populations. The experts were provided with maps and time-series of sea-ice extent and duration to 2050, simulated under a mid-range emissions scenario. Expert projections of future polar bear habitat range and population size across the Arctic, and for population size in five regions, were obtained. Experts were asked to define 'best conservation practice', and to re-evaluate the total Arctic population projection if this best practice was implemented. 4. Most experts project a substantial decline in polar bear range and population size across the Arctic and in population size across each region. Expert best estimates for total Arctic polar bear population size lie from no change to a 70% decrease by 2050 relative to today; with half the experts projecting at least a 30% decrease. The median best estimates show the Barents Sea, Hudson Bay and the Chukchi Sea populations experiencing the greatest population decline under this scenario. There is much uncertainty both within and between expert responses, especially in little-researched regions such as the Chukchi Sea. 5. Synthesis and applications. Based on projected changes in sea-ice extent, experts suggest that polar bear populations will undergo significant declines by 2050, even implementing best management practices, under the scenario of climatic warming outlined here. The expert survey approach could be applied to a wide range of species for which there is a lack of available data and considerable uncertainty surrounding all aspects of the problem that prevent quantification with more formal modelling approaches. © 2008 the Authors.
Abstract.
