Transcript Indiana University Dean’s Council Meeting September 2010

Public Perceptions of Carbon
Capture and Storage: Survey
Evidence from Indiana
30th USAEE/IAEE North American Conference
David C. Warren
Washington, DC
Sanya Carley
October 10, 2011
John D. Graham
John A. Rupp
Rachel M. Krause (UTEP)
Contact: [email protected]
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Vattenfall CCS Plant, Germany
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Flier from CCS opponents, Linden, New Jersey
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Why Indiana?
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Why study public perception of CCS?
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What might affect public perception of CCS?
Connection to
the land
Trust in
institutions
Risk profile
Public
Perceptions
Attitudes about
climate change
Perceptions about
energy
technologies
General
demographics
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To explore these questions, we conducted a
two-wave telephone survey
First wave: Collected demographic
data and attitudes on risk, climate
change, trust, etc.
Respondents then were sent a CCS
fact sheet
Second wave: Collected data on
perceptions of CCS
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The survey was
administered to 1,001
residents across the state
Stratified sample to ensure
representation by residents in
coal mining, agricultural, and
urban regions
Bloomington
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Initial impressions: Respondents believe
climate change is real and problematic
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Initial impressions: Respondents are
supportive of CCS
Storing carbon
dioxide
underground is a
good approach to
protecting the
environment
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Initial impressions: Respondents are
supportive of CCS
Would you support
the operation of a
CCS facility
somewhere in the
U.S.?
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Initial impressions: Support for a CCS
facility decreases with increased proximity
Support for a CCS facility in U.S., Indiana, and near home
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Twenty percent of respondents had heard
of CCS prior to the survey
Support for CCS appears lower for those who had
heard of CCS, but differences are not statistically
significant
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CCS supporters are different from those
who oppose CCS in several ways
Climate change
is caused
by human activities
Reducing greenhouse
gasses is important
Believe technical
Risk score (higher
information provided number = perception
by environmental orgs of riskier world)
Agree that storing carbon
is good approach
Disagree that storing carbon
is good approach
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Those who strongly oppose CCS are also quite
different from others in several ways
Climate change
is caused
by human activities
Reducing greenhouse
gasses is important
Strongly disagree that storing
carbon is good approach
Risk score (higher
number = perception
of riskier world)
Politically
conservative
All other respondents
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Logistic regression analysis suggests potential
factors impacting CCS support
Dependent variable: “Storing carbon dioxide underground
is a good approach to protecting the environment”
Positive correlation
Negative correlation
•Agree that energy and
environmental problems require
lifestyle change
•Perceive a higher degree of risk
in the world
•High income
•Politically conservative
•Fear of CCS in community
•Prior awareness of CCS
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Next steps
Shorter term:
Further multivariate
analysis exploring both
support of and
opposition to CCS
Longer term:
Follow-up surveys to
explore how impressions
change over time
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Questions / Comments?
For more questions, comments, and drafts of our paper,
please contact Dave Warren at [email protected]