Research Surveys

Project: Survey of Public Attitudes about Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

Research Team: David Reiner, Howard Herzog, Mark de Figueiredo, Thomas Curry, and Stephen Ansolabehere

Sponsors: Carbon Sequestration Initiative and Alliance for Global Sustainability

Year: 2003

Summary:
Through an alliance with University of Tokyo, Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Cambridge, the researchers have developed surveys in the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, and Sweden to assess public attitudes towards carbon dioxide capture and storage. Objectives include gauging public concern for environmental issues and global climate change, understanding the current level of awareness of carbon dioxide capture and storage among the general population, providing data on trends in public understanding, and providing a basis upon which to develop a public outreach strategy.

Specific tasks in this project include:

• Survey of general public - US (completed September 2003)

• Survey of general public - UK (completed October 2004)

• Survey of key industry/NGO stakeholders - US, Europe, Japan (scheduled early 2005)

Publications:
Reiner, D.M., T.E. Curry, M.A. de Figueiredo, H J. Herzog, S.D. Ansolabehere, K. Itaoka, F. Johnsson, and M. Odenberger, "American Exceptionalism? Similarities and Differences in National Attitudes Toward Energy Policy and Global Warming," Environmental Science & Technology, Vol 40:7, pp 2093–2098, Feb (2006). Note: Subscription may be required to view article <Link to online article>

Curry, T.E., D.M. Reiner, S. Ansolabehere and H.J. Herzog, "How Aware is the Public of Carbon Capture and Storage?" Proceedings of 7th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-7), Vancouver, Canada, E.S. Rubin, D.W. Keith and C.F. Gilboy (eds.), Elsevier, pp 1001-1009, September (2005). <PDF>

Curry, T.E., D.M. Reiner, M.A. de Figueiredo, and H.J. Herzog, "A Survey of Public Attitudes towards Energy and Environment in Great Britain," March (2005). <PDF>

Curry, T.E., "Public Awareness of Carbon Capture and Storage: A Survey of Attitudes toward Climate Change Mitigation," M.I.T. Masters Thesis, June (2004). <PDF>