Changing minds about climate change policy can be done -- sometimes

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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Contact: Erik Nisbet
Nisbet.5@osu.edu
614-247-1693
Ohio State University

Simply communicating the benefits is not enough

COLUMBUS, Ohio Some open-minded people can be swayed to support government intervention on climate change but only if they are presented with both the benefits and the costs, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that those who were open-minded didn't change their view if they heard arguments for only one side of the issue.

People who are relatively more closed-minded did not change their mind regardless of the messages they received, or what their original views were. There was also no evidence of open-minded people becoming less supportive of government intervention, no matter if they heard both sides of the argument or only one.

"Climate change is such a polarizing issue that has received so much attention, so it is very difficult to influence people to change their opinion," said Erik Nisbet, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University.

"But our results suggest there are ways to approach the issue that may have some impact, at least for a segment of the public."

The study appears online in the Journal of Communication and will be published in a future print edition.

The study involved a nationally representative sample of people who participated online. First, participants filled out a questionnaire asking a variety of questions and seeing where they stood on government intervention in climate change.

Four weeks later, the participants watched either one or two short videos that took sides on whether the government should take action to reduce the effects of climate change. Some saw only a video for or against government action, while others saw both pro and con videos. (See the videos here, here and here.)

"In the real world, people are getting multiple competing messages on all kinds of important issues. We wanted to have an experiment where we could compare people who are exposed to one side of an argument to those who saw two sides in our videos," Nisbet said.

But it is not just the messages themselves that determine people's attitudes. Nisbet and his colleagues also measured a key individual difference in people how open- or closed-minded they are when grappling with an issue like climate change.

The researchers used several questions from an often-used and validated psychological test to determine open-mindedness. Participants were asked how much they agreed with statements like "Even after I have made up my mind about something, I am always eager to consider a different opinion."

After viewing either one or two videos, the participants were asked again as they were four weeks earlier about their views on government intervention on climate change.

Nisbet said it wasn't surprising that there wasn't much change in most people's views on the issue. But there was that interesting interaction in which open-minded people became more supportive of government intervention if they saw videos both for and against intervention.

"I think a lot of people would expect seeing both the pro and con videos would leave viewers unchanged in their views, because the messages would cancel each other out," Nisbet said.

"But that wasn't true for open-minded people. Seeing both videos seemed to stimulate them to think more about both sides of the issue, and lead them to the side they thought had the better argument."

The results suggest that climate change denialists may be less effective in swaying public opinion than many scientists and advocates fear, and may even hurt their own cause among those who are most open-minded, according to Nisbet.

"Some people, when they hear both sides, will more carefully deliberate the tradeoffs of climate change policies and actually become more supportive of government efforts to mitigate the problem."

However, some findings of the study suggest changing the minds of closed-minded people may not be hopeless, Nisbet said.

The researchers asked participants how they viewed the costs versus the benefits of government action on climate change, both before and after they watched the video or videos.

The results showed that open-minded people are willing to consider the benefits of changing the status quo, while closed-minded people focus on the dangers of changing and were more likely to support maintaining the status quo.

This suggests that closed-minded people may be influenced by messages that focus on how government approaches to climate change may preserve the status quo by, for instance, protecting our lifestyle or nation's economic status.

"That approach still needs to be tested, but there is promise there," he said.

###

Nisbet conducted the study with P.S. Hart of American University, Teresa Myers of George Mason University and Morgan Ellithorpe of Ohio State.

The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact: Erik Nisbet, (614) 247-1693; Nisbet.5@osu.edu
Written by Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Erik Nisbet
Nisbet.5@osu.edu
614-247-1693
Ohio State University

Simply communicating the benefits is not enough

COLUMBUS, Ohio Some open-minded people can be swayed to support government intervention on climate change but only if they are presented with both the benefits and the costs, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that those who were open-minded didn't change their view if they heard arguments for only one side of the issue.

People who are relatively more closed-minded did not change their mind regardless of the messages they received, or what their original views were. There was also no evidence of open-minded people becoming less supportive of government intervention, no matter if they heard both sides of the argument or only one.

"Climate change is such a polarizing issue that has received so much attention, so it is very difficult to influence people to change their opinion," said Erik Nisbet, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University.

"But our results suggest there are ways to approach the issue that may have some impact, at least for a segment of the public."

The study appears online in the Journal of Communication and will be published in a future print edition.

The study involved a nationally representative sample of people who participated online. First, participants filled out a questionnaire asking a variety of questions and seeing where they stood on government intervention in climate change.

Four weeks later, the participants watched either one or two short videos that took sides on whether the government should take action to reduce the effects of climate change. Some saw only a video for or against government action, while others saw both pro and con videos. (See the videos here, here and here.)

"In the real world, people are getting multiple competing messages on all kinds of important issues. We wanted to have an experiment where we could compare people who are exposed to one side of an argument to those who saw two sides in our videos," Nisbet said.

But it is not just the messages themselves that determine people's attitudes. Nisbet and his colleagues also measured a key individual difference in people how open- or closed-minded they are when grappling with an issue like climate change.

The researchers used several questions from an often-used and validated psychological test to determine open-mindedness. Participants were asked how much they agreed with statements like "Even after I have made up my mind about something, I am always eager to consider a different opinion."

After viewing either one or two videos, the participants were asked again as they were four weeks earlier about their views on government intervention on climate change.

Nisbet said it wasn't surprising that there wasn't much change in most people's views on the issue. But there was that interesting interaction in which open-minded people became more supportive of government intervention if they saw videos both for and against intervention.

"I think a lot of people would expect seeing both the pro and con videos would leave viewers unchanged in their views, because the messages would cancel each other out," Nisbet said.

"But that wasn't true for open-minded people. Seeing both videos seemed to stimulate them to think more about both sides of the issue, and lead them to the side they thought had the better argument."

The results suggest that climate change denialists may be less effective in swaying public opinion than many scientists and advocates fear, and may even hurt their own cause among those who are most open-minded, according to Nisbet.

"Some people, when they hear both sides, will more carefully deliberate the tradeoffs of climate change policies and actually become more supportive of government efforts to mitigate the problem."

However, some findings of the study suggest changing the minds of closed-minded people may not be hopeless, Nisbet said.

The researchers asked participants how they viewed the costs versus the benefits of government action on climate change, both before and after they watched the video or videos.

The results showed that open-minded people are willing to consider the benefits of changing the status quo, while closed-minded people focus on the dangers of changing and were more likely to support maintaining the status quo.

This suggests that closed-minded people may be influenced by messages that focus on how government approaches to climate change may preserve the status quo by, for instance, protecting our lifestyle or nation's economic status.

"That approach still needs to be tested, but there is promise there," he said.

###

Nisbet conducted the study with P.S. Hart of American University, Teresa Myers of George Mason University and Morgan Ellithorpe of Ohio State.

The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact: Erik Nisbet, (614) 247-1693; Nisbet.5@osu.edu
Written by Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/osu-cma062413.php

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94% Blancanieves

All Critics (55) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (3)

The Brothers Grimm would have been surprised, possibly amused.

A sensual and sophisticated retelling of a beloved fairytale re-imagined as a homage to European silent cinema, Spanish writer-director Pablo Berger's black-and-white Blancanieves will leave you transfixed.

Most films are experiences to be ignored or at best forgotten. "Blancanieves" is a little classic to be treasured.

It is a full-bodied silent film of the sort that might have been made by the greatest directors of the 1920s, if such details as the kinky sadomasochism of this film's evil stepmother could have been slipped past the censors.

Blancanieves, which won 10 Goyas (Spain's equivalent of the Oscars) and was a smash hit in its native Spain, has traces of a kinky undertone and an uncommon willingness to embrace the darkness inherent in this fairy tale.

As if bewitched, the legend of Snow White is transferred to Seville in the early twentieth century and transformed into high melodrama.

Blancanieves is painstakingly crafted, emotionally gripping at times, and more authentically Grimm than most interpretations, and it puts a slightly unsettling new spin on Prince Charming and the proverbial happily-ever-after ending.

The film is -- to understate the matter -- overconceptualized.

Like The Artist, Blancanieves is delightfully novel, but it also feels trapped by its innovative gimmickry.

A boldly conceived fairy tale from Spain

Succeeds in all its cinematic experiments

The story might be familiar, but Berger's film is so beautifully shot and so wonderfully scored - and so distinctively Spanish - that it stands as its own film.

Blancanieves holds to the structure, but not strictures, of the source fairy tale.

A new, purely silent movie from Spain that never once speaks and doesn't need to speak. What's more, it seems to get the infinite possibilities of silence, and how much passion can come from it.

Berger's film doesn't show loyalty to any traditional version of Snow White. Berger's Blancanieves takes a darker approach, which seems appropriate.

A completely enchanting fairy tale about the vicissitudes of fate, in live action and glorious black and white.

The fun in the Spanish "Blancanieves" is the way it plays with our expectations.

May not have much depth to its characters or particular surprise, but its lovely depiction of family's ability to harm and mend has the flair of flamenco and the sorrow of opera.

No, "Blancanieves" isn't subtle, but it's an unforgettable time at the movies.

Inspired filmmaking steeped in the imagery of silent film history, a dark Iberian strain of Roman Catholicism and the magic of fairy tales.

... lusty and heartfelt, fiery flamenco and spirited country jig. Don't go expecting a Disney-fied fable. Berger seasons with S&M and the kind of macabre touches you'd expect in vintage Browning or Bunuel.

If not for some faintly disturbing imagery and a pleasingly feminist heroine, you could mistake this for a movie actually made in the 1920s (and even those two factors weren't utterly unknown then).

No quotes approved yet for Blancanieves. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blancanieves/

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Supermoon: Why it's the best lunar show in the solar system

Supermoon peaked Sunday morning, but good viewing will continue for the next few days. The unusual relationship between Earth and the moon makes supermoon a particularly good show.

By Mark Sappenfield,?Staff writer / June 23, 2013

Supermoon rises behind the Home Place clock tower in Prattville, Ala., Saturday.

Dave Martin/AP

Enlarge

"Supermoon" officially arrived at about 7 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Sunday morning, with the moon making its closest swing by Earth this year. About a half hour later, the moon reached full status, making it appear 12 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a regular full moon.

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Don't worry if you missed it. The effect should still linger for a few nights, meaning Sunday, Monday, and even Tuesday should give a good sense of this year's supermoon.

And social media was alight with the event, with pictures of Saturday night's supermoon making an appearance from Facebook to Instagram.

The show is the product of a cosmic quirk. Since planets and moons orbit in ellipses, not circles, there are times when they are closer to what they're orbiting and times when they're farther away. For moons, the point when they're closest to their planet is called perigee, the point farthest away is called apogee.

For Earth and the moon, perigee and apogee happen once each month, since the moon orbits the Earth once every 27 days. But because of small inconsistencies in the orbits, the moon's closest approach and its farthest distance are always slightly different.

The moon hit its monthly perigee Sunday morning, but what makes it worthy of the name "supermoon" was that it was the closest perigee of 2013. Moreover, since it coincided almost perfectly with a full moon, the effect was enhanced.

The moon's farthest apogee this year has already happened and is set to repeat itself next year during the Jan. 15, 2014, full moon. To see the visual difference in size between a perigee and apogee moon, click here.?

But what makes the moon so special? If everything in the solar system orbits in an ellipsis, shouldn't we have a "supersun," too.

In fact, we do. Since we orbit the sun once a year, supersuns only happen once a year. Our closest swing to the sun, called perihelion, also already happened this year, and will happen again on Jan. 4, 2014. (An "un-supersun," when the sun seems smallest at aphelion, is just around the corner: July 5.)

But will there be this much buzz next January with sungazers filling Twitter with pictures of a gigantic sun? Don't count on it.

The reason? the sun is obviously much farther away from Earth than is the moon, so the effect is not so noticeable. For Earth, the distance between aphelion and perihelion is about 3 million miles. But even at perihelion, the Earth is still 91 million miles from the sun.?

In addition, Earth's orbit around the sun is more nearly circular than is the moon's orbit around us, with only Venus and Neptune having more circular orbits than Earth. Mercury has the most eccentric orbit ? ranging from a perihelion of 29 million miles to an aphelion of 43 million miles ? meaning it has a truly dramatic supersun (if you can stand the 800 degree Fahrenheit temperatures on the sun-side surface).

By contrast, the moon's orbit around Earth is the most elliptical orbit of any major moon in the solar system. Combine that with the fact that the moon is comparatively close to Earth, so it looks large in our skies, and supermoon earns its name.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/SsDvvcz68gY/Supermoon-Why-it-s-the-best-lunar-show-in-the-solar-system

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Police again search home of Patriots' Hernandez

AAA??Jun. 22, 2013?4:53 PM ET
Police again search home of Patriots' Hernandez
AP

In this image taken from video, police search a car outside the home of New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, Saturday, June 22, 2013, in North Attleboro, Mass. State police officers and dogs searched Hernandez's home as they investigate the killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/ESPN)

In this image taken from video, police search a car outside the home of New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, Saturday, June 22, 2013, in North Attleboro, Mass. State police officers and dogs searched Hernandez's home as they investigate the killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/ESPN)

In this image taken from video, police officers talk outside the home of New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, Saturday, June 22, 2013, in North Attleboro, Mass. State police officers and dogs searched Hernandez's home as they investigate the killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/ESPN)

In this image taken from video, a state police officer and dog arrive outside the home of New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, Saturday, June 22, 2013, in North Attleboro, Mass. State police searched Hernandez's home as they investigate the killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/ESPN)

In this image taken from video, police officers talk outside of the home of New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, Saturday, June 22, 2013, in North Attleboro, Mass. State police officers and dogs searched Hernandez's home as they investigate the killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/ESPN)

Aaron Hernandez returns to his home at Friday, June 21, 2013 in North Attleboro, Mass. At least one company yanked an endorsement deal from New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Friday as puzzled family members of a friend found slain a mile from Hernandez's home sought answers about how he died. (AP Photo/The Boston Herald, Ted Fitzgerald) BOSTON GLOBE OUT; METRO BOSTON OUT; MAGS OUT; ONLINE OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) ? State police officers and dogs are searching the home of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez as they investigate the killing of a semi-pro football player whose body was found nearby.

Saturday's search of Hernandez's sprawling home in North Attleboro involved several officers.

Police have previously searched in and around the home as they try to figure out who killed Odin Lloyd, whose body was found about a mile from Hernandez's home.

Lloyd's family says the two men were friends and together the night he died. Authorities have ruled Lloyd's death a homicide.

A spokeswoman for the Bristol District Attorney's office declined to comment on the investigation Saturday.

An attorney for Hernandez has said he would not comment on the searches.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-22-Hernandez-Police/id-b618206d55924d9b9980c06087173c1d

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Nationals' Harper uncertain about rehab timeline

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is not convinced he can begin a rehab assignment as quickly as his manager believes.

Davey Johnson had said Friday that he expects Harper to start a rehab stint Tuesday at Class A Potomac. Harper, who has been sidelined since May 26 with left knee bursitis, said he thought he needed an extra day or two.

"It just depends how I feel today and tomorrow," Harper said before Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies. "Monday is an off day, which is good. Tuesday, that's kind of early. I'm thinking Wednesday or Thursday, maybe."

Reporters later informed Johnson of Harper's comments during the manager's pregame media session.

"I'll have a conversation with him about that," Johnson said. "When a player starts playing, it's really up to me, what I think they need. Not up to the player. I'm always trying to do what's best for the player. But at the same time, it's my job to know when they're ready and when they're not."

Entering Saturday, Harper has missed 29 of the Nationals' 73 games. The NL Rookie of the Year ran in the outfield and took swings in the indoor batting cage the previous two days.

"Running after a ball and running on the bases and hitting, I'm full speed, every single day," Harper said. "It's going to be hard playing at 70 percent if they want me to play at 70 percent. I'm not going to do that. I want to come back 100 percent and get back as quick as I can."

Johnson: "The most I'm concerned about is is (Harper) going to be able to bounce back after playing a nine-inning game? He's probably worried about timing and everything being letter-perfect. All that changes from if you're in Potomac. You may never get your timing there because it's a whole new ballgame there, guys don't have command as well as they do up here, and there's a big variation in how they pitch to guys.

"So I'm more concerned about just how they recover from when they come off the DL than I am about what they hit. Since he's never really been on the DL or done rehab, I think his concept might be different from mine."

Before his managerial career, the 70-year-old Johnson played in the majors for 13 seasons.

"I trust players too. They know more about their body than the medical staff," Johnson said. "But when you come back from injury, are you ever 100 percent? But the body has a wonderful ability to heal itself. The more you get the blood flowing, the more you have to heal. Let's get off the DL, guys."

Despite the missed games, Harper, batting .287, remains tied with Ian Desmond for the team lead in home runs with 12.

"It's still going to be sore the whole year, I feel like," Harper said of his left knee. "But daily, it's getting better. I have no pain, which is good. I'm a little sore everywhere else, but that's common. It's good to have no pain finally. To run with zero pain is going to feel great."

Washington has struggled without its left fielder, but their current three-game winning streak has moved the Nationals one game above .500 at 37-36.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-22-BBN-Nationals-Harper-1st-Ld-Writethru/id-ad1db32c02a64ac8bca554e48f817180

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Obama to nominate McSweeny to Federal Trade Commission

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama plans to nominate Terrell McSweeny, a veteran of Vice President Joe Biden's staff, to be a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, the White House said on Friday.

McSweeny, now chief counsel for competition policy at the Justice Department's antitrust division, would fill a Democratic slot on the five-member commission, which enforces antitrust law and laws against deceptive advertising.

The FTC normally has five commissioners, and no more than three can be from the same party.

The current vacancy was created when Edith Ramirez, a law school classmate of Obama and a Democrat, was elevated to the chairmanship after Jon Leibowitz departed in February.

The commission's other Democrat is Julie Brill. Rounding out the group are Republicans Maureen Ohlhausen and Joshua Wright.

The position requires Senate confirmation.

Because of the vacancy, there has been concern about deadlocks leading to inaction. In the case of a 2-2 vote by commissioners, the FTC takes no action.

The commission is in the process of considering several key mergers, including the proposed Office Depot Inc deal to buy rival OfficeMax Inc; and the television ratings company Nielsen Holdings NV plan to buy Arbitron Inc, which dominates radio ratings.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz and Jeff Mason; Editing by Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-nominate-mcsweeny-federal-trade-commission-232806425.html

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France threatens Google with privacy fines

PARIS (AP) ? France is giving Google three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users ? or be fined. Other European countries aren't far behind.

Now it's up to Google to decide whether the relatively small fines are enough of an incentive to rethink its privacy rules ? the Internet giant risks a ?300,000 euro ($402,180) penalty in France.

Europe's a big market, but one where Google has no serious competition.

However, the company does have a reputation problem when it comes to protecting user privacy. Thursday's legal action puts new pressure on Google, which is smarting from criticism over providing customer data to the U.S. government as part of its fight against foreign terrorists.

The French agency that regulates information technology says that five other European countries are taking similar steps in a staggered offensive against Google's privacy policy between now and the end of July. It says Google largely ignored earlier recommendations from European regulators.

Spain's Data Protection Agency said Thursday that it had initiated sanction proceedings after initial investigations showed Google Spain and Google Inc. may be committing six infractions against the country's data protection law. It said the company could also face fines of up to 300,000 euros.

The French National Commission on Computing and Freedom, known as CNIL, said Britain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands will join the procedures in the coming weeks.

The legal action accelerates a long-running European fight against Google over privacy, which is more rigorously protected in many European countries than in Google's homeland, the United States.

A spokesman for Google said Thursday that it believes its privacy practices respect European laws.

"We have engaged fully with the authorities involved throughout this process, and we'll continue to do so going forward," said Al Verney.

Paris' formal warning gives the company three months to make changes to its privacy practices. They include specifying to users what it is using personal data for, and how long it's held.

Regulators also want Google to let users opt out of having their data centralized ? for example, when data from online searches, Gmail and YouTube are crunched into a single location.

If not, Google risks a fine of up to 300,000 euros by France, which could eventually mean millions of euros in penalties across all six countries. By comparison, Google's revenues were $14 billion in the first quarter of this year, much of that from advertising ? which is boosted by the Internet giant's ability to target users based on what they read, watch and buy online.

In Britain, the Information Commissioner's Office said its investigation into whether Google's privacy policy complies with UK law is still underway and it will soon contact Google about its preliminary findings.

The Dutch privacy watchdog, the College for the Protection of Personal Data, said it is investigating Google's "privacy conditions" but spokeswoman Lysette Rutgers declined further comment while the investigation is ongoing.

France's data protection agency led a European investigation last year into Google's privacy policy.

"French law demands that when you're collecting information about someone, you need to collect it for a precise reason," said CNIL president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin.

She said the outcry about the role of Google and other online players in government surveillance illustrates that users want transparency about where their data goes.

Google's image has suffered since it was identified this month as one of nine U.S. Internet companies that gave the National Security Agency data on its customers, as part of the agency's efforts to track foreign threats to U.S. national security. Revelations about the program, known as PRISM, by a former NSA contractor has opened a debate about the privacy of Americans' communications.

In the European privacy dispute, Nick Pickles of Britain-based watchdog Big Brother Watch said, "There's a real worry that (the European fines) won't be a particularly strong deterrent, that Google may see it as a price of doing business."

"People shouldn't be able to ignore people's rights and the law, make huge profits and then continue acting as if nothing was amiss," he said.

Pickles noted that many European countries are limited by laws on data protection that date from before Google was even born 15 years ago.

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding proposed last year that the maximum penalties for privacy matters be raised from the current ?600,000 to 2 percent of a company's global sales.

The legal action could also impact huge trans-Atlantic trade negotiations that President Obama announced on Monday.

In the wake of the NSA data snooping scandal, several EU officials and politicians want data protection issues to be at the heart of the trade talks. The U.S. Ambassador to the EU expressed concern Thursday that privacy issues shouldn't dominate the talks.

___

Raf Casert in Brussels, Ciaran Giles in Madrid, Greg Katz in London and Mike Corder in Amsterdam contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/france-threatens-google-privacy-fines-082911582.html

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