Community Characteristics
and Views about Coupled
Social and Ecological Systems
Dr. Tom Safford
University of New Hampshire
AK EPSCoR -Living on Earth II
February 19, 2011
Community and the Environment
in Rural America (CERA) Project
 Team of natural and social scientists affiliated with
UNH’s Carsey Institute
 Investigating links between social and environmental
change in rural communities across the U.S.
 Started in 2007 – surveyed 18,000 people in targeted
counties of 13 states.
 Covered all U.S. regions (NH, ME, MI, KS, CO, KY, MS,
AL, LA, FL, OR, WA, AK)
 Most recent module in Southeast Alaska
 Funded by the Ford and Kellogg Foundations,
USDA – Rural Development Program
"For the future of your community, do you think it is more
important to use natural resources to create jobs, or to conserve
natural resources for future generations – or don’t you have an
opinion on this?"
AK
FL
Use resources/jobs
Use resources/jobs
37
Conserve resources
Conserve resources
35
Both equal
34
47
Both equal
28
19
ME
Use resources/jobs
WA
Use resources/jobs
29
Conserve resources
46
Both equal
Conserve resources
45
Both equal
24
0
30
10 20 30 40 50
Weighted Percent
25
0
10 20 30 40 50
"For the future of your community, do you think it is more
important to use natural resources to create jobs, or to conserve
natural resources for future generations – or don’t you have an
opinion on this?"
Juneau Borough
Use resources/jobs
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Use resources/jobs
31
Conserve resources
47
Both equal
Conserve resources
Sitka Borough
Conserve resources
40
Remaining Southeast Alaska
38
Conserve resources
32
0
27
Use resources/jobs
28
Both equal
24
Both equal
21
Use resources/jobs
49
10 20 30 40 50
Weighted Percent
27
Both equal
34
0
10 20 30 40 50
"For the future of your community, do you think it is more
important to use natural resources to create jobs, or to conserve
natural resources for future generations – or don’t you have an
opinion on this?"
non-Native
49
Use resources/jobs
AK Native
41
non-Native
28
Both equal
AK Native
33
non-Native
23
Conserve resources
AK Native
26
0
10
20
30
40
Weighted Percent
50
“When it comes to deciding how to regulate economic
activities in the ocean, do you think government
authorities should base their decisions….PRIMARILY on..
AK
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Science and Public
Science and Fishermen
Fishermen and Public
FL
25
36
18
8
2
8
2
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Science and Public
Science and Fishermen
Fishermen and Public
35
17
29
9
5
2
2
ME
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Science and Public
Science and Fishermen
Fishermen and Public
WA
37
26
16
9
1
9
2
0
10
20
30
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Science and Public
Science and Fishermen
Fishermen and Public
40
Weighted Percent
24
35
25
8
2
5
2
0
10
20
30
40
“When it comes to deciding how to regulate economic
activities in the ocean, do you think government
authorities should base their decisions….PRIMARILY on..
Juneau Borough
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Sci. and Pub.
Sci. and Fish.
Fish. and Pub.
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
17
44
19
10
1
7
1
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Sci. and Pub.
Sci. and Fish.
Fish. and Pub.
Sitka Borough
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Sci. and Pub.
Sci. and Fish.
Fish. and Pub.
11
6
3
10
0
20
30
40
22
7
2
6
3
Fishermen
Science
General Public
All Three
Sci. and Pub.
Sci. and Fish.
Fish. and Pub.
42
10
29
Remaining Southeast Alaska
28
0
31
50
Weighted Percent
29
30
17
8
4
10
2
0
10
20
30
40
50
“Which of the following three statements do you personally believe?”
“Climate change is happening now, caused mainly by human activities.”
“Climate change is happening now, but caused mainly by natural forces.”
“Climate change is not happening now.”
AK
DK/NA
FL
DK/NA
8
Not now
7
Not now
5
Now/natural
Now/natural
37
Now/human
12
44
Now/human
50
36
NH
DK/NA
WA
9
Not now
4
Now/natural
55
0
20
40
7
Not now
6
Now/natural
32
Now/human
DK/NA
38
Now/human
60
Weighted Percent
49
0
20
40
60
“Which of the following three statements do you personally believe?”
“Climate change is happening now, caused mainly by human activities.”
“Climate change is happening now, but caused mainly by natural forces.”
“Climate change is not happening now.”
Juneau Borough
DK/NA
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
7
Not now
3
Now/natural
DK/NA
8
Not now
8
Now/natural
31
Now/human
58
47
Now/human
37
Sitka Borough
DK/NA
Remaining Southeast Alaska
12
Not now
6
Now/natural
Now/human
Not now
5
40
39
Now/human
51
20
5
Now/natural
30
0
DK/NA
60
Weighted Percent
51
0
20
40
60
“Which of the following two statements do you think is more accurate?”
1)“Most scientists agree that climate change is happening now, caused mainly by
human activities.”
2)“There is little agreement among scientists whether climate change is happening
now, caused mainly by human activities.”
AK
DK/NA
FL
DK/NA
11
Little agreement
13
Little agreement
33
Most agree
56
49
Most agree
38
NH
DK/NA
WA
DK/NA
10
Little agreement
Little agreement
39
Most agree
51
0
20
40
10
43
Most agree
60
Weighted Percent
47
0
20
40
60
“Which of the following two statements do you think is more accurate?”
1)“Most scientists agree that climate change is happening now, caused
mainly by human activities.”
2)“There is little agreement among scientists whether climate change is
happening now, caused mainly by human activities.”
Juneau Borough
DK/NA
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
DK/NA
8
Little agreement
Little agreement
28
Most agree
64
DK/NA
Most agree
60
20
12
Little agreement
25
0
46
Remaining Southeast Alaska
15
Little agreement
41
Most agree
Sitka Borough
DK/NA
13
40
37
Most agree
60
Weighted Percent
52
0
20
40
60
Washington
County
Hancock
County
Downeast ME: Social position, place, and partisanship effects on
seven environmental issues. Significant coefficients (with standard
errors) from weighted logit or ordered-logit regressions
On Going Research
 Examine inter-relationships between place effects and
individual characteristics
 Investigate how views about natural resource use
influences concern about environmental problems
 New research using integrated social and ecological
data to assess social acceptability of restoration
scenarios
 New research comparing urban and rural areas
www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/CERA
Southeast Alaska Module
Southeast Alaska Module