I’m sharing the introduction of my final graduate report written for the Conflict and Dispute Resolution Program of the University of Oregon. How would you respond to the questions I raise?
Climate Chain: Exploring the Dynamics of Divided Publics and Environmental Outcomes
Introduction
The Bermuda Triangle of modern society? In a December, 2019 interview President Barack Obama named the three issues that keep him up at night: climate change, political polarization and social media. If those issues are not tackled soon, “we could end up having even greater problems than we do today,” – he warned. He pinpointed social media as an “accelerant to some of these other trends” (Pitrelli, 2019). Do social media ignite a chain reaction? Could Americans end up with a worse climate change problem because of social media?
During my two years in the Conflict and Dispute Resolution Program (CRES) of the University of Oregon, I developed an interest in understanding the effect Obama describes. First, I conducted research concerning the emerging controversies and conflicts of social media. Next, I enrolled in the brand new Climate Change specialization offered by the CRES Program and took a number of classes, amongst them Industrial Ecology, Environmental Sociology and Environmental Conflict Resolution to better understand aspects of the human-environment interaction and issues of sustainability. Finally, my Course Concentration zeroed in on courses that would enhance my understanding of political polarization, the political nature of ecology and the history and theories of new media.
Having worked in the area of Public Relations for over two decades and researched the issues of social media I was concerned about how social media might potentially amplify divisions in society leading to further public polarization, hindering climate policies and action. The question I asked at the start of my Course Concentration was: what role, if any, does social media play in influencing people’s perception of climate change? Is the accelerant effect suggested by President Obama supported by evidence? If so, what can we do to help tackle these issues?