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Title: The genesis of climate change activism: From key beliefs to political action Authors: Roser-Renouf, C., Maibach, E. W., Leiserowitz, A., & Zhao, X. Publication Year: 2014

Summary:

In this study, Roser-Renouf et al. explored the factors that contribute to climate change activism by examining the relationships between key beliefs and political action. The authors conducted a survey of a nationally representative sample of American adults, gathering data on demographics, issue-specific beliefs, and political activism related to climate change.

The results revealed that certain key beliefs significantly influenced an individual's likelihood of engaging in political action. These beliefs included the perception of climate change as a risk, the attribution of climate change to human activity, the belief in the efficacy of individual and collective action, and trust in scientists. Additionally, the authors found that demographic factors such as age, education, and political ideology played a role in shaping climate change activism.

The study concluded that individuals who held these key beliefs were more likely to participate in political actions such as contacting government representatives, attending rallies, or joining climate change organizations. The findings suggest that efforts to increase public engagement in climate change activism should focus on promoting these key beliefs to encourage political action.