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As the scientific evidence for climate change becomes more convincing, the public appears to show a paradoxical decline in interest and recognition of the problem, according to a researcher from The University of Western Australia.

Associate Professor Kerrie Unsworth from the UWA Business School is the only Western Australian researcher to have been awarded funding by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet.  She will use it to understand this phenomenon.

Professor Unsworth's is one of nine projects sharing $2.6 million in grants for priority research into the social, economic and institutional dimensions of climate change across Australia.  The research will be managed by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility .

Her project is entitled:  "What about me?  Factors affecting individual adapting coping capacity across different population groups".

"There has been little research to look at how people adapt to climate change information and initiatives," she said.  "The project will examine how individual values, beliefs and goals affect adaptive coping goals and behaviours.  It will also look at positive climate change adaptive behaviour as well as those that may have other negative impacts."

One aspect of the project will be an examination of the competing goals that employees and managers hold within a hospital context.

"The final phase of the project will test the effectiveness of the program delivery," she said.

The other researchers in the project are, from UWA, Winthrop Professors David Morrison, Stephan Lewandowsky and Carmen Lawrence from the School of Psychology; from Griffith University Dr Sally Russell; and from the University of Queensland, Dr Kelly Fielding.

Media references

Associate Professor Kerrie Unsworth (UWA Business School)  (+61 8)  6488 7224
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716