Constantine Alexander's blog

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton & Harrison Ford Lead Provocative Conversation on Conservation

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Harrison Ford on stage for Conservation International. Credit: Conservation International

Conservation International Board member Harrison Ford and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took the stage May 15 at Conservation International's 16th Annual New York Dinner to discuss the urgent need to preserve our natural capital. The conversation, which ranged from illegal wildlife trade in Africa to the effects of a changing climate on the Arctic, underscored the direct connection between conservation and our economic and security interests.

 

Emotional response to climate change influences whether we seek or avoid further information

People with negative feelings toward climate change seek out more information, study finds

Sixty-two percent of Americans now say they believe that global warming is happening, but 46 percent say they are "very sure" or "extremely sure" that it is not. Only 49 percent know why it is occurring, and about as many say they're not worried about it, according to the April report of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.

Because information about climate change is ubiquitous in the media, researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Texas, Austin, looked at why many Americans know so little about its causes and why many are not interested in finding out more.

The study, "What, Me Worry? The Role of Affect in Information Seeking and Avoidance" was conducted by Z. Janet Yang, PhD, assistant professor of communication at UB, and Lee Ann Kahlor, PhD, associate professor of public relations and advertising at UT Austin. It was published in the April 2013 issue of the journal Science Communication and is available at this address.

Yang says, "Our key variables of interest were 'information seeking' and 'information avoidance.'

"We found that emotions have different impacts on both behaviors and that those with whom we socialize also are an important influence on our communication behaviors."

In particular, according to Yang, the study found:

• Those who had negative feelings toward climate change – feelings marked by states of fear, depression, anxiety, etc., – actively sought more information about climate change. They also saw climate change as having serious risks, and considered their current knowledge about it insufficient.
• Those driven by a positive affect toward climate change – an emotional state marked by hopefulness, excitement, happiness, etc. – actively avoided exposure to additional information on the issue. They also said climate change presented little risk to nature and humans, and they viewed their knowledge about climate change as sufficient.
• Our social environment has the potential to strongly influence whether we seek or avoid climate change information. This, the researchers say, may be because we are most often around people who agree with us about important issues, reinforce our perception of risk and support or discourage further action.

The study involved an online survey of 736 undergraduates from two large U.S. universities (61.3 percent female, 62.5 percent white, median family income, $90,000).

The research survey was developed and executed using Qualtrics software and was designed to ascertain:

• The subjects' general affect in relation to climate change – positive (excited, hopeful, happy) or negative (concerned, worried, anxious)
• How much information about climate change they thought they had and how much more they thought they needed
• How severe they found the threat of climate change to be to themselves and to nature, and its impact around the world
• How valuable they thought seeking information on the subject would be to them
• How much they valued others' opinions toward seeking information about climate change
• The confidence each had in his or her ability to find information about climate change

"Earlier research in social psychology has found that emotion, both positive and negative, is motivational and involves action tendency and action readiness," Yang explains.

"Those with a negative affect may seek out information, even if it includes negative predictions, in order to reduce their uncertainty and perhaps reassert control over the situation," says Yang.

"On the other hand, those with a positive affect who say they avoid seeking information may do so because they want to maintain their uncertainty – and their emotional equilibrium – from negative information that might upset them as well as contradict the attitudes of their social support group."

The researchers say the study results present several ways to improve the communication of risk information related to climate change. They say the data on subjects' reported information sufficiency suggests that risk communication about climate change might benefit from these approaches:

• Arousing a sense of curiosity and debunking false beliefs about ecological risks so people are not complacent about what they already know
• Highlighting potential negative consequences and fostering a positive attitude toward learning about climate change
• Monitoring the audience's social environment and its perceived ability for finding and understanding information about climate change
• Promoting optimism that human action, such as reducing greenhouse gas, could actually combat the consequences of climate change.

Yang conducts research centered on the communication of risk information related to science, health and environmental issues, and on social cognitive variables that influence information seeking and processing, health decision making and public perception of environmental and health risks.

Kahlor's research is centered on health and environmental risk communication with an emphasis on mass communication of complex science and information seeking.

Contact: Patricia Donovan
pdonovan@buffalo.edu
716-645-4602
University at Buffalo

Why Bears? (Video)

Credit: Emmanuel Keller (CC)

"What if we could preserve wild spaces simply by protecting one family of animals?"

This film is for teachers, scientists, non-profits and people interested in bears and preserving wild spaces. This film was made possible by an anonymous donation and was produced in partnership with Wildlife Media.

What's good for bears is good for people and the planet.

Written by Chris Morgan & Aaron Straight.

Why Bears

 

"I care about nature, but ..."

Self-assured entrepreneurs are more likely to act against their own pro-environmental values

Many entrepreneurs claim that they care about sustainability, yet they make decisions that are harmful to the environment. Economic researchers from Germany and the USA have discovered that many bosses do indeed have firm convictions when it comes to the environment – but that they then unconsciously disengage their values from their business actions. The type of entrepreneur most likely to fall into this category are those who perceive themselves as highly influential or who are operating in a challenging industry environment. The researchers’ findings have shed new light on the significance of moral values and the subconscious in the context of making business decisions. The study could influence environmental legislation and the training of the next generation of entrepreneurs.

They promise to do their bit for the environment and stick eco labels on their products. But sooner or later someone will point out that they sell products that are pesticide-ridden or that contain palm oil sourced from endangered rainforests. Did the entrepreneurs reach their decision after a rational cost/benefit analysis? Or does unconscious behavior play a bigger role in entrepreneurial decision-making than is often assumed? What are the triggers that cause entrepreneurs to act against their own values? To find the answers to these questions, economic researchers from Technische Universität München (TUM), Indiana University, and Oklahoma State University presented a range of scenarios to around 100 German business founders.

For the task, the entrepreneurs were asked to assess a variety of business opportunities against a number of attributes. They were asked first of all to assess the attractiveness of a particular business opportunity. They were also asked to make a set of judgments in the context of environmental impact, respect for nature, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived business climate. Using the interconnected variables of this conjoint experiment, the researchers were able to draw conclusions on how various cognitive processes influence decision-making.

No conscious process

The research team found that even entrepreneurs with a strong respect for nature made decisions with a harmful effect on the environment. These decisions were not reached on the basis of any conscious process, however. “We found that the research subjects unconsciously adjusted the relationship between their values and their actions – with the effect that their actions seemed to coincide once more with their values,” explains Prof. Holger Patzelt of the Chair of Entrepreneurship at TUM.

The researchers noted, however, that not all of the entrepreneurs displayed this disengagement of pro-environmental values. What these entrepreneurs had in common was a high level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and a challenging business climate. According to the received theory up to now, entrepreneurs with low self-efficacy were thought more likely to experience a conflict with their own values.

Undesired consequences of young entrepreneur's training

Holger Patzelt comments further on the findings of the “I care about nature, but ...” study: “Entrepreneurs with very high entrepreneurial self-efficacy want to exert influence. This makes them more likely to disengage from values that limit their options. The same principle applies to an unfavorable industry environment, for example if the company is facing sharp competition. In such situations, too, company bosses believe that everything hinges on their decisions.”

Meanwhile, the researchers’ findings could be used to good effect in environmental legislation. “Law-makers could pass stronger regulations in industries prone to challenging economic climates with a view to protecting the environment,” suggests Patzelt. For the entrepreneurs themselves, the findings on unconscious decision-making mechanisms could help them gain more insight into their own business strategies. Last but not least, the researchers hope that their work will help to improve the structure of training. “Up to now, economics courses have placed an emphasis on turning out budding entrepreneurs with a high degree of entrepreneurial self-efficacy,” remarks Patzelt. “Now we know that this strategy can also have undesired consequences.”

Citation:  Shepherd, D. A., Patzelt, H., & Baron, R. A. Early Online Publication. "I care about nature, but ...": Disengaging values in assessing opportunities that cause harm. Academy of Management Journal.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Dr. Holger Patzelt
Technische Universität München
Chair of Entrepreneurship
T: +49 89 289 26749
E: patzelt@tum.de

European Day of Parks 2013

This year’s European Day of Parks has the motto "My Park. My Passion. My Story."

Inaugurated in 1999, the European Day of Parks is organised by the Europarc Federation, and held on or around 24 May each year. The aim of the event is to bring people closer to nature and to raise public awareness about the importance of conservation and sustainable management of protected areas.

In keeping with this year’s motto, protected areas’ employees, visitors and other stakeholders are being invited to share their experiences of and passion for nature in some art form, such as stories, songs, pictures, films or plays.

Activities may be held well ahead of 24 May, as well as on the day itself, and be linked to the European Day of Parks. The Europarc Federation has suggestions on possible activities and ways to explore creatively people’s passion for nature on its website.

 

Markets erode moral values

Researchers from the Universities of Bamberg and Bonn present causal evidence on how markets affect moral values

Many people express objections against child labor, exploitation of the workforce or meat production involving cruelty against animals. At the same time, however, people ignore their own moral standards when acting as market participants, searching for the cheapest electronics, fashion or food. Thus, markets reduce moral concerns. This is the main result of an experiment conducted by economists from the Universities of Bonn and Bamberg. The results are presented in the latest issue of the renowned journal "Science".

Prof. Dr. Armin Falk from the University of Bonn and Prof. Dr. Nora Szech from the University of Bamberg, both economists, have shown in an experiment that markets erode moral concerns. In comparison to non-market decisions, moral standards are significantly lower if people participate in markets.

In markets, people ignore their individual moral standards

"Our results show that market participants violate their own moral standards," says Prof. Falk. In a number of different experiments, several hundred subjects were confronted with the moral decision between receiving a monetary amount and killing a mouse versus saving the life of a mouse and foregoing the monetary amount. "It is important to understand what role markets and other institutions play in moral decision making. This is a question economists have to deal with," says Prof. Szech.

"To study immoral outcomes, we studied whether people are willing to harm a third party in exchange to receiving money. Harming others in an intentional and unjustified way is typically considered unethical," says Prof. Falk. The animals involved in the study were so-called "surplus mice", raised in laboratories outside Germany. These mice are no longer needed for research purposes. Without the experiment, they would have all been killed. As a consequence of the study many hundreds of young mice that would otherwise all have died were saved. If a subject decided to save a mouse, the experimenters bought the animal. The saved mice are perfectly healthy and live under best possible lab conditions and medical care.

Simple bilateral markets affect moral decisions

A subgroup of subjects decided between life and money in a non-market decision context (individual condition). This condition allows for eliciting moral standards held by individuals. The condition was compared to two market conditions in which either only one buyer and one seller (bilateral market) or a larger number of buyers and sellers (multilateral market) could trade with each other. If a market offer was accepted a trade was completed, resulting in the death of a mouse. Compared to the individual condition, a significantly higher number of subjects were willing to accept the killing of a mouse in both market conditions. This is the main result of the study. Thus markets result in an erosion of moral values. "In markets, people face several mechanisms that may lower their feelings of guilt and responsibility," explains Nora Szech. In market situations, people focus on competition and profits rather than on moral concerns. Guilt can be shared with other traders. In addition, people see that others violate moral norms as well.

"If I don't buy or sell, someone else will."

In addition, in markets with many buyers and sellers, subjects may justify their behavior by stressing that their impact on outcomes is negligible. "This logic is a general characteristic of markets," says Prof. Falk. Excuses or justifications appeal to the saying, "If I don't buy or sell now, someone else will." For morally neutral goods, however, such effects are of minor importance. Nora Szech explains: "For goods without moral relevance, differences in decisions between the individual and the market conditions are small. The reason is simply that in such cases the need to share guilt or excuse behavior is absent."

Citation: Morals and Markets,  Science 10 May 2013: Vol. 340 no. 6133 pp. 707-711  DOI: 10.1126/science.1231566

Contact: Dr. Armin Falk
armin.falk@uni-bonn.de
49-228-739-240
University of Bonn

Networking for migratory birds - World Migratory Bird Day 2013

Whooper Swans returning to the WWT reserve at Welney on the Ouse Washes in Norfolk after migration from Iceland. Photo Credit: Nick Ford (CC)

“How do you know but every bird that cuts the airy way

is an immense world of delight, closed by your senses five?”

William Blake

Bird migration is so extraordinary that there seems something almost supernatural about it: the more we find out about the feats of navigation and endurance performed by migratory birds, the more amazing they seem. Tiny hummingbirds whirring across the Gulf of Mexico, Bar-tailed Godwits covering eleven thousand kilometres in non-stop flight, soaring birds spiralling in their tens of thousands over land-bridges, songbirds dropping down to hidden desert oases just in time… the abilities of migratory birds are awe-inspiring.

Coming down to earth, however, the threats that migrants face are all too real – and very often migrant birds are under huge pressure at the exact points where they are most vulnerable. Birds battling to reach the sea-shore descend into a limitless line of nets. Tiny falcons funnel through forests to be trapped in their thousands. Exhausted shorebirds find that the mudflats where they once refuelled are now a sea of concrete, or circle wearily because their roosting sites have vanished. These are just some examples that have caught attention in the last few months – indicative of the increasing challenges that migrants now face on their journeys all over the world.

The theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, networking for migratory birds, resonates particularly strongly for BirdLife. BirdLife itself is a network, of people and Partner organisations connected up and down all the globe’s flyways – taking action together for conservation. And BirdLife has devoted much effort, through the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Programme, to identifying, mapping, monitoring and safeguarding the networks of sites most important for migratory birds.

However, as the examples above show, networks are only as strong as their weakest links. Migratory birds use sites and habitats along the length of their flyways: they need looking after along the length of their flyways too. BirdLife’s Migratory Birds and Flyways Programme, one of nine key conservation programmes in the new BirdLife strategy, brings together the actions of BirdLife Partners at a flyways scale. Within the programme, Partners are working with national governments and others through focused projects, such as the Migratory Soaring Birds Project, working to integrate bird conservation within key economic sectors along the Great Rift Valley flyway; or Living on the Edge, working to address threats to migrant songbirds in the Sahel.

On 11-12 May, members and supporters of BirdLife Partners around the world will once again be out raising awareness and taking action for the world’s amazing and inspiring migratory birds. Thanks to all involved in co-ordinating this year’s event, and especially to CMS and AEWA – and come and join the celebrations!

Dr. Marco Lambertini,

Chief Executive, BirdLife International

November date for global event on natural capital

A revolution is taking place in how businesses and governments account for natural capital.

Against a backdrop of increasing international interest in how we value the economic benefits we derive from our natural environment, business leaders, policy makers and sustainability leaders from around the world will come together in Edinburgh in November for the inaugural World Forum on Natural Capital.

Since the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio last June, there has been a groundswell of private sector interest in the concept of natural capital accounting. As the first major global conference devoted to turning the emerging debate into action, the World Forum on Natural Capital aims to widen understanding of the implications for businesses and the risks of ignoring ‘invisible’ assets.

Delegates from throughout the world are expected to attend the event, which is supported by major business and environmental organisations including the United Nations Environment Programme; World Business Council for Sustainable Development; International Union for Conservation of Nature; TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) for Business Coalition; and The Wildlife Trusts. The event organiser is the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

The World Forum on Natural Capital will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 21-22 November 2013. 

 

IUCN says EU countries must do more to protect biodiversity

European Union countries should step up their conservation efforts and fully implement the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 to prevent species from going extinct, according to a recent analysis of the European Red List coordinated by IUCN.  

European Mink (Mustela lutreola). Critically Endangered. Photo by: Nicolai Meyer (CC)

The analysis presents a detailed overview of species threatened at the European level in all 27 EU Member States. It shows that the highest share of species threatened in the European Union can be found in the Mediterranean region which hosts most of Europe’s biodiversity.

“Thanks to its bioclimatic conditions, the Mediterranean region is a recognized global hotspot for biodiversity, hosting a large number and extraordinary variety of species,” says Antonio Troya, Director of IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. “The survival of many of these species is at risk as their habitats are being negatively impacted by human activities. This is a major challenge that European policy-makers shall address. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ can be an important tool to analyse species population trends to guide effective policy and action at different levels”.

Spain, Portugal and Greece host the highest proportion of species threatened with extinction at the European level and should act with the greatest urgency. Of the 2,032 species assessed which occur in Spain, 21% are considered threatened at the European level. Fifteen percent of the 1,215 European species occurring in Portugal are threatened, and the same is true for 14% of the 1,684 European species found in Greece.

Of the species assessed so far, freshwater species – including fishes, molluscs and amphibians – are at the highest risk, with species such as the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) and the Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) being particularly threatened. The status of terrestrial molluscs, dragonflies and mammals, such as the European Mink (Mustela lutreola) also raises significant concern. Species are mainly threatened by the loss, fragmentation and degradation of their habitat, due in large part to agricultural and urban expansion, construction of dams and water pollution.

While effective conservation action in the Mediterranean is needed urgently, the study calls on all EU Member States to take adequate measures to reverse the current population declines, in order to avoid species going extinct.

“Species can be saved from extinction, but this requires a combination of sound research and greater coordinated efforts,” says Ana Nieto, Regional Biodiversity Conservation Officer at IUCN. “All EU Heads of State and Government have committed to halting biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services by 2020. Considerable conservation investment is needed from these countries and the EU to achieve this target and assure a long-term improvement in the status of European species.”

EU nature conservation policies are among the most advanced globally. The Birds and Habitats Directives have led to successful recovery of many species.

“Conservation works,” says Simon Stuart, Chair of IUCN Species Survival Commission. “The increase in the population of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Southern Spain from 94 individuals in 2002 to 312 in 2011 is a case in point. The EU and Member States need to continue to act to protect Europe’s invaluable natural heritage. IUCN stands ready to provide the science and support needed to scale up these efforts.”

About the analysis:

The study is based on the data from the European Red List supported by the European Commission. It presents the proportion of species which are threatened at the European level for each EU Member State. The present analysis does not provide information on the status of the species at the national level (i.e. in each individual country), but rather on the level of threat for species groups at the European level (i.e. across the whole European continent, but excluding the EU overseas entities). National and sub-national Red Lists can be cross-checked to identify the status of species at the national level. More detailed information and all 27 country fact sheets can be found here.

Which EU Member State hosts the highest proportion of species threatened at the European level?

The above graph shows the proportion of species threatened at the European level for each EU Member State, based upon the ten European Red Lists produced so far. See here the results of the assessments conducted until 2011. Overall, the most threatened species groups assessed so far in Europe are freshwater fishes, freshwater molluscs and amphibians.

Related Links:

• All 27 Fact Sheets per EU Member State
• European Red List
• IUCN's work on species
• IUCN's work in Europe
• IUCN's work in the Mediterranean
• IUCN Species Survival Commission
• A new view of The IUCN Red List

Contact: Liza Drius, Communications Officer, IUCN European Union Representative Office, Tel: +32 2 739 0318.

Environmental labels may discourage conservatives from buying energy-efficient products

When it comes to deciding which light bulb to buy, a label touting the product's environmental benefit may actually discourage politically conservative shoppers.

Dena Gromet and Howard Kunreuther at The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and Rick Larrick at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business conducted two studies to determine how political ideology affected a person's choice to buy energy-efficient products in the United States.

The authors suggest that financial incentives or emphasizing energy independence may be better ways to get people to buy energy-efficient products than appealing to environmental concerns because these represent unifying concerns that cross political boundaries. Their paper, "Political Ideology Affects Energy-Efficient Attitudes and Choices," is published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1218453110)

"A popular strategy for marketing energy efficiency is to focus on its environmental benefits," said Gromet, the lead author on the studies. "But not everyone values protecting the environment. We were interested in whether promoting the environment could in fact deter some individuals from purchasing energy efficient options that they would have otherwise selected."

The first study surveyed 657 U.S. adults, 49 percent men, ranging in age from 19-81. Participants were given a short description of energy efficiency and answered questions about the psychological value they placed on reducing carbon dioxide emissions to protect the environment, reducing dependence on foreign oil and reducing the financial cost of energy use. They also indicated how much they favored investing in energy-efficient technology. Participants were asked about their political ideology, and how much they identified with different political parties.

The more conservative the participant, the less likely that person was to support investing in energy-efficient technology. The study found that this divide was primarily driven by the lower value that conservatives placed on reducing carbon emissions. The values of energy independence and reducing energy costs had more universal appeal.

The second study involved 210 participants, 61 percent female, who ranged in age from 18 to 66. Again, all participants gave information about their political ideologies. Participants were given $2 to spend on a light bulb and could keep whatever they did not spend. They were then educated about the benefits of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs over incandescent bulbs. (CFL bulbs last 9,000 more hours and reduce energy costs by 75 percent). Some of the CFL bulbs came with a sticker that said "Protect The Environment" while the others had a blank sticker.

In some cases, the CFL bulb was priced at $1.50, while the incandescent bulb was 50 cents. When the more expensive CFL came with no environmental label, liberals and conservatives selected it at roughly the same high frequency. However, when the more expensive CFL bulb also was accompanied by a "protect the environment" sticker, participants who identified as more politically moderate or conservative were less likely to buy it.

For other participants, both incandescent and CFL bulbs were priced at 50 cents. All but one of these participants bought the CFL bulb regardless of the sticker, indicating that everyone was attracted to a good economic deal regardless of their political leanings.

"The environmental aspect of energy efficiency has an ideologically polarizing impact that can undermine demand for energy-efficient technology, specifically among more politically conservative individuals," Kunreuther said. "On a more positive note, the results of the second study indicate that focusing on the nature of the message coupled with economic incentives should promote investment in energy-efficient products."

"These findings demonstrate that a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be successful for making energy-efficient products appealing to consumers," Larrick said. "People have different energy-related values which can influence their choices, including leading them to reject options that they recognize as having long-term economic benefits. In many cases, a tailored message may be needed to reach different market segments."

CITATION: "Political Ideology Affects Energy-Efficiency Attitudes And Choices," Dena M. Grometa, Howard Kunreuther, and Richard P. Larrick. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS 2013 ; published on April 29, 2013, doi:10.1073/pnas.1218453110

Contact: Erin Medlyn
erin.medlyn@duke.edu
919-660-8090
Duke University