Dr. Feng Hao (left) with Daniel Hinkle (middle) and Ron Hans (right)
Dr. Feng Hao, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of South Florida (USF), recently worked with two Sarasota-Manatee campus undergraduate students, Daniel Hinkle and Ron Hans, and a colleague from Nankai University in China, Yan Wang, to study the public perception of climate change after Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in September 2017.
The article, titled "The Connection Between Hurricane Impact and Public Response to Climate Change–A Study of Sarasota Residents One Year After Hurricane Irma", has been published in the journal Environmental and Sustainability Indicators.
“In this study, the students and I conducted a mail survey of Sarasota residents and aim to test whether the perceived impact of the hurricane has brought the psychological distance of climate change closer and increased one’s belief regarding climate change,” said Hao.
The study also investigates the connection between the belief and action of reducing climate change impact. The structural equation modeling results reveal that the perceived damage from Hurricane Irma is positively related to the public embrace of the existence and human cause of climate change. Increased belief regarding climate change can then promote activities of environmental protection.
“We believe this study is among the first of its kind to investigate the perspective of local residents post Hurricane Irma. These findings contribute to the existing literature concerning public understanding of climate change after communities experience major climate extreme events. The findings also carry important policy implications about how to mobilize individual’s belief in climate change and translate that belief into action,” explained Hao.
The two students involved in the research both received awards at the spring commencement ceremony held for the Sarasota-Manatee campus graduates. Ron Hans is continuing his work as researcher at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Daniel Hinkle has begun his M.A. degree at Vanderbilt University this fall.