Climate Change Perceptions at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract

This study seeks to explore perceptions of climate change of students at UW-Madison by gauging demographics, political leanings, media influence, and exposure to climate change education. UW-Madison students tend to believe that climate change will be felt on a more global scale, but in greater percentages than non-students which is supported by the literature, that writes that people tend to see climate change as a phenomena that is spatially distant. Political affiliation tended to have more of an impact on perceptions of white respondents, but did not seem to reflect non-white respondents. Overall, this study found that students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have more critical and concerned perceptions of climate change that vary slightly.