Using virtual simulations of future extreme weather events to communicate climate change risk

Autor: Terry van Gevelt, Brian G. McAdoo, Jie Yang, Linlin Li, Fiona Williamson, Alex Scollay, Aileen Lam, Kwan Nok Chan, Adam D. Switzer
Rok vydání: 2023
Zdroj: PLOS Climate. 2:e0000112
ISSN: 2767-3200
Popis: Virtual simulations of future extreme weather events may prove an effective vehicle for climate change risk communication. To test this, we created a 3D virtual simulation of a future tropical cyclone amplified by climate change. Using an experimental framework, we isolated the effect of our simulation on risk perceptions and individual mitigation behaviour for a representative sample (n = 1507) of the general public in Hong Kong. We find that exposure to our simulation is systematically associated with a relatively small decrease in risk perceptions and individual mitigation behaviour. We suggest that this is likely due to climate change scepticism, motivation crowding, geographical and temporal distance, high-risk thresholds, feelings of hopelessness, and concerns surrounding the immersiveness of the virtual simulation.
Databáze: OpenAIRE