The oceans are absorbing large quantities of the carbon dioxide (CO2) which has been emitted into the atmosphere from human activities. This absorption of CO2 is leading to a reduction in the pH of seawater – termed ‘ocean acidification’ (OA) – with consequences for marine ecosystems and the societies which depend upon them. Ocean acidification and climate change are closely related phenomena, however to date OA has received far less attention as a subject of policy and public concern.
We currently know very little about how the British public perceives the problem of ocean acidification. We report the findings of two online representative surveys of the British public (aged 18-80 years) on this topic conducted pre- and then post- the recent round of Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th assessment reporting.
The first fieldwork (Phase 1) took place during September 2013 (n= 1,001) and the second (Phase 2) during May 2014 (n= 1,500). This research was funded as part of the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOA) of the Natural Environment Research Council. (…)
Corner A., Capstick S. & Pidgeon N., 2014. Public perceptions of ocean acidification: Summary findings of two nationally representative surveys of the British public conducted during September 2013 and May 2014. Understanding Risk Research Group Working Paper 14-01, Cardiff University. Report.
