Using the Six Americas Framework to Communicate and Educate about Global Warming

Authors

  • Melissa Taylor UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education
  • Alexa J. Lamm University of Georgia
  • Glenn D. Israel University of Florida
  • Shelli D. Rampold University of Florida

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.02215

Keywords:

climate change, Six Americas, agricultural communication, extension education, global warming

Abstract

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

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2018-06-30

How to Cite

Taylor, M., Lamm, A. J., Israel, G. D., & Rampold, S. D. (2018). Using the Six Americas Framework to Communicate and Educate about Global Warming. Journal of Agricultural Education, 59(2), 215–232. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.02215

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > >>