Semenza Jan C, Hall David E, Wilson Daniel J, Bontempo Brian D, Sailor David J, George Linda A
School of Community Health, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Am J Prev Med. 2008 Nov;35(5):479-87. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.08.020.
Mitigating global climate change requires not only government action but also cooperation from consumers. Population-based, cross-sectional surveys were conducted among 1202 respondents in Portland OR and Houston TX between June and September 2007 regarding awareness, concern, and behavior change related to climate change. The data were subjected to both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Awareness about climate change is virtually universal (98% in Portland and 92% in Houston) with the vast majority reporting some level of concern (90% in Portland and 82% in Houston). A multivariate analysis revealed significant predictors of behavior change: individuals with heightened concern about climate change (p<0.001); respondents with higher level of education (p= 0.03); younger compared with older individuals (p<0.001); and Portlanders more likely to change behavior compared with Houstonians (p<0.001). Of those who changed behavior, 43% reported having reduced their energy usage at home, 39% had reduced gasoline consumption, and 26% engaged in other behaviors, largely recycling. Qualitative data indicate a number of cognitive, behavioral, and structural obstacles to voluntary mitigation. Although consumers are interested in global climate change-mitigation strategies and willing to act accordingly, considerable impediments remain. Government policy must eliminate economic, structural, and social barriers to change and advance accessible and economical alternatives. Individual-level mitigation can be a policy option under favorable contextual conditions, as these results indicate, but must be accompanied by mitigation efforts from industry, commerce, and government.
缓解全球气候变化不仅需要政府采取行动，还需要消费者的合作。2007年6月至9月期间，对俄勒冈州波特兰市和得克萨斯州休斯敦市的1202名受访者进行了基于人口的横断面调查，内容涉及与气候变化相关的认知、关注程度和行为变化。对数据进行了定量和定性分析。对气候变化的认知几乎普及（波特兰市为98%，休斯敦市为92%），绝大多数人表示有一定程度的关注（波特兰市为90%，休斯敦市为82%）。多变量分析揭示了行为变化的显著预测因素：对气候变化关注度较高的个体（p<0.001）；教育程度较高的受访者（p = 0.03）；与年长者相比的年轻人（p<0.001）；与休斯敦人相比，波特兰人更有可能改变行为（p<0.001）。在那些改变行为的人中，43%的人表示减少了家庭能源使用，39%的人减少了汽油消耗，26%的人采取了其他行为，主要是回收利用。定性数据表明了自愿缓解存在的一些认知、行为和结构障碍。尽管消费者对全球气候变化缓解战略感兴趣并愿意据此采取行动，但仍然存在相当大的障碍。政府政策必须消除变革的经济、结构和社会障碍，并推广可行且经济的替代方案。正如这些结果所示，在有利的背景条件下，个人层面的缓解可以成为一种政策选择，但必须辅之以行业、商业和政府的缓解努力。
