This Special Report from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) is a synthesis of key findings from a cluster of PICS funded Social Mobilization research projects, conducted in British Columbia (BC) during 2010 – 2014. This report explains “what works” and “what doesn’t work” in engaging the public and motivating people to act on climate change solutions. Included in...
If you have ever struggled with the communication of uncertainty, then this handbook is for you. It distills the most important research findings and expert advice into a few pages of practical, easy- to-apply techniques providing scientists, policy-makers and campaigners with the tools they need to communicate more effectively around climate change…. This handbook offers some strategies for closing the...
This study investigated what kind of photos of farm animals and farm animal cruelty are most compelling in prompting people to want to reduce consumption of animal products. In addition, as indirect measures of investigating how likely such photos are to drive diet change, the study looked at what kinds of photos were most likely to prompt people to say...
Public opinion research demonstrates widespread support for energy efficiency among Americans. Yet, research also shows that in the context of broader energy issues, energy efficiency emerges as a relatively low priority compared to energy sources like wind, solar, natural gas and more. Those working to advance energy efficiency policies and practices have struggled to capitalize on positive views of energy...
The goal of this study was to determine what kind of cover photo would make a person most likely to pick up a vegetarian starter guide or accept a vegetarian leaflet. We report our analyses in two stages: we present analyses of the full sample spanning all ages first, followed by analyses including only data from respondents 24 years of...
The guide, which includes research from a range of social science fields including psychology, anthropology, communications, and behavioral economics, is designed to be useful for experienced and novice communicators alike. Included in the guide are strategies to boost engagement, common mistakes to avoid, and best practices that organizations have used to meaningfully engage individuals and groups on climate change.
In January of 2013, The Humane League ran a series of online advertisements to see which farm animal cruelty video was more effective at inspiring young women to want to change their diet: What Came Before or Farm To Fridge. A total of 83,000 viewers were tracked. A smaller-scale comparison, reaching 19,000 viewers, included two additional farm animal cruelty videos...
