Research On Public Risk Perception Of Climate Change

Nowadays, not only political leaders regard climate change as an important problem, but also the public all over the world take it as a hot issue. In 2007, IPCC announced the fourth appraisal report on climate change, which disclosed the fact that the earth was suffering an obvious change of climate warming. In the light of the research, the scientists had found the the average temperature of the earth was raised to 0.74℃, and the global warming will continue in the The 21st century The major reason of climate warming is that the human being has released greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution.The global warming mainly caused by human being, has being brought about a great deal of negative impact on the society. Extreme weather coming about frequently, sea levels rising, Typhoon raging, high tempreture appearing frequently, which seriously affect the security of argriculture and foods, water, energy, ecosystem, public health. Climate change has being a significant and far-reaching influence on global economic and social development, even jeopardizing the survival of human society.Risk of climate change exists on the Nature and the society, which needs to be handled by the world and the various strata of society. There is no doubt that the government, enterprises, media, non-governmental organizations and the public are the main power to deal with the risk of climate change, and they play a great role on the mitigation and adaption of climate warming.This research is based on the viewpoint of sociology, and comprehensively reviews the research foundation of risk and risk perception. From the theory of risk society, the study has deeply inquired into the concept of climate change risks and their innate characteristics. In this research, we also can see the concept of climate change risks perception and their research into operation. As examples of questionnaire survey among Guangzhou citizens, Using of quantitative and qualitative study of a combination of methods, the research has given detailed descriptions on public risk perception on climate change's risk events, risk source, risk consequences and risk responsibility. Also it has descripted the willingness and choice of the public to deal with climate change risk.This research focuses on the the analysis and explanation of relationship among individual factors, subjective value factors and social environmental factors to public risk perception of climate change. On the ground of these analysis and explanation, the dissertation has built the structure equation model of public perceprtion of climate change, by using the software of Amos, SPSS, and STATA. According to the structure equation model, the research has disclosed the extent of inter influence among individual factors, subjective value factors and social environmental factors to public risk perception of climate change. This research has put forward some measures and advices from the government, social, public levels, due to strengthen public risk perception and precautions on climate change, which makes the research strong practical and realistic significance.