… Worldwide, anger has been brewing towards politicians, banking executives, and corporate leaders, with over 10 million people protesting to express their dissatisfaction with current efforts to address climate change. Surveys suggest anger among young adults is particularly acute, with a majority (58%) of those polled in 10 nations reporting that they feel “betrayed” when they think about their government’s response to climate change. Amidst rising temperatures and need for immediate action, is growing public outrage about the climate crisis a constructive response?
Although often viewed as an antisocial and destructive emotion, our research suggests displays of public anger like these may have hidden perks for mobilising public responses to tackling climate change.
In a series of survey experiments with a politically diverse online sample of US adults, we found that simple messages conveying growing public anger about climate inaction within the US can lead people across the political spectrum to shift their thinking on the issue in important ways. CONTINUED
Anandita Sabherwal (LSE), Adam Pearson (Pomona) & Gregg Sparkman (Princeton), LSE Business Review
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