Suchergebnisse

AbstractTrust in science and scientists underlies public support for social and environmental issues, from taking action on climate change to preventing the spread of viruses. Nationally representative Australian survey data show that public trust in university research is higher than that conducted in other institutions. As sources of information, public trust in scientists is considered across potentially polarising and relatively uncontroversial fields of science, with trust varying considerably according to the type of science examined. Public trust is highest in vaccine science and weather forecasting, and lowest for GM crop science, while climate science and forest management fall in between. Social and political background variables are important correlates of trust in science. Younger, tertiary educated, politically progressive Australians are most trusting. Greens party identifiers and environmentalists are more likely than other respondents to trust all types of science examined here—including GM crop science—while institutional trust is positively associated with trust in scientists.

Attitude polarization between conservative and progressive politicians over global warming has an important influence upon public acceptance of action on climate change. Political party identification theorists claim that political elites provide cues that guide party supporters on complex political issues. In Australia, as in the USA, the UK and elsewhere, public attitudes on climate change are deeply divided on the basis of party identification and political ideology. Multivariate analyses of Australian candidate and voter survey data show that coalition candidates and their supporters are far less likely than their Labor or Greens counterparts to believe global warming will pose a serious threat to their way of life. Attitudes toward global warming are also more polarized according to party allegiance among candidates than among voters. Controlling for social background and political ideology, Coalition identifiers are less concerned about the dangers of climate change, far less supportive of the carbon tax and less likely to support renewable energy options than Greens or Labor identifiers are, but much more supportive of nuclear power as an alternative energy source.