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| George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication | |
|---|---|
| Name | Center for Climate Change Communication |
| Established | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Fairfax, Virginia |
| Parent organization | George Mason University |
| Director | Anthony Leiserowitz |
| Focus | Public opinion research, risk communication, behavior change |
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication is a research center at George Mason University that studies public perceptions of climate change, risk communication, and strategies to increase engagement on climate policy. Founded in the late 2000s, the center conducts large-scale surveys, experimental studies, and translational work aimed at informing practitioners in environmental advocacy, public health, and energy policy. Its staff collaborate with academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and governmental agencies across the United States and internationally.
The center was created amid increasing public attention to global warming and the role of social science in shaping responses to environmental crises. Early development involved partnerships with scholars from Yale University, Columbia University, and the University of Colorado Boulder, and drew on methodologies from social psychology, communication studies, and survey research. Founding leadership included researchers with backgrounds at Pew Research Center, National Science Foundation, and the Ipsos polling network, which helped establish a program of nationally representative polling and experimental interventions. Over time the center expanded its staff and facilities on the George Mason University Fairfax Campus and launched collaborations with policy organizations in Washington, D.C. and state agencies in Virginia.
The center's mission emphasizes measurable changes in public understanding of climate change and support for climate mitigation and climate adaptation policies. Research priorities include public perceptions of climate risk related to events such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and heat waves, the influence of media outlets like The New York Times and Fox News on beliefs, and the role of demographic groups identified with Democratic Party, Republican Party, and independents. The center applies experimental methods popularized by teams at Stanford University and Harvard University to test message framing, visual communication used by organizations such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and behavioral nudges employed by Brookings Institution analysts. It also studies intersections with public health concerns highlighted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and disaster response frameworks from Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Major projects include nationally representative surveys tracking trends similar to work by Pew Research Center and longitudinal studies that mirror methodologies used by American National Election Studies. Initiatives include climate communication training for staff from Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and state departments modeled on capacity-building programs from United Nations Environment Programme workshops. The center has run message-testing campaigns involving ad experiments analogous to those used in political campaigns and worked on community engagement pilots informed by examples from Rockefeller Foundation and Kresge Foundation initiatives. Special projects examined media ecosystems by analyzing coverage from outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, and The Wall Street Journal.
The center publishes peer-reviewed articles in journals like Nature Climate Change, Climatic Change, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and releases white papers similar to reports from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Data resources include national polling datasets comparable to those produced by Gallup and methodological appendices influenced by standards from American Association for Public Opinion Research. The center's briefs often inform testimony to committees in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives and are cited by think tanks such as Resources for the Future and World Resources Institute.
Collaborators have included universities such as University of Michigan, University of California, Berkeley, and Oxford University; research centers including Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy; and NGOs like World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and The Nature Conservancy. The center has worked with governmental organizations including Environmental Protection Agency projects, National Science Foundation grants, and advisory roles for state-level entities in California and New York. International collaborations have engaged networks around European Commission initiatives and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change outreach.
Funding sources have included federal research grants from National Science Foundation, philanthropic support from foundations such as MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and project-based contracts with organizations like The Rockefeller Foundation. Governance involves oversight by the George Mason University Board of Visitors and academic review consistent with procedures at College of Humanities and Social Sciences (George Mason University). Leadership integrates academic faculty from departments akin to Department of Communication (George Mason University) and advisory input from experts who have served on panels for National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The center's work has influenced communication practices among advocacy groups including 350.org and Climate Reality Project and informed public messaging used by city governments such as City of New York and City of Los Angeles in climate action planning. Media citations have appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and BBC News. Training programs have reached practitioners from state environmental agencies, municipal planners, and staff from utilities like Dominion Energy and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Critics have questioned framing choices and the potential for partisan effects paralleling debates involving Climategate and disputes over IPCC communications. Some advocacy groups and scholars have raised concerns about funding transparency similar to controversies around think tanks such as Heartland Institute and about the limits of survey methods highlighted in critiques of polling after the 2016 United States presidential election. Debates continue over balancing neutral research practices with advocacy for specific climate policy outcomes.
Category:George Mason University Category:Climate communication centers