Beyond the Climate Debate: Finding Common Ground Through Energy Scarcity
Presentation Type
Short presentation 10-15 minutes
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
Senior Aerospace Engineering
Presentation Description/Abstract
Public discourse around climate change is frequently stuck in ideological gridlock where one side emphasizes scientific evidence while the other distrusts expert and governmental messaging. This polarization prevents meaningful dialogue and collective action on energy transition. This study addresses that problem by proposing a reframing of climate discourse through a scarcity-based perspective on fossil fuels: global energy demand continues to rise even as fossil fuel reserves are finite. By shifting attention from abstract scientific projections to shared economic and psychological realities, this framing may resonate with values across polarized groups. This research will survey the student body of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University using a two-part instrument. In part one, the truncated Six Americas Survey (SASSY) will classify respondents into climate-attitude segments, establishing an ideological baseline. In part two, participants will answer a guided progression of short questions assessing beliefs about fossil fuel availability, global energy demand trends, and price implications – eg., are fossil fuels limited? Are developing nations increasing their energy consumption? Will rising demand raise energy costs? Is fossil fuel reliance viable long term? Comparative analysis across SASSY segments will evaluate whether this economic reasoning pathway fosters convergence in willingness to support energy transition policies. If shared recognition of limited energy resources encourages cooperation, then scarcity-based framing could provide a scalable communication strategy uniting diverse citizens around sustainable energy solutions.
Keywords
Energy Security, Fossil Fuels, Climate Communication, Polarization, Survey Research, Sustainability, Common Ground, Psychology, Framing, Environmental Policy
Beyond the Climate Debate: Finding Common Ground Through Energy Scarcity
Public discourse around climate change is frequently stuck in ideological gridlock where one side emphasizes scientific evidence while the other distrusts expert and governmental messaging. This polarization prevents meaningful dialogue and collective action on energy transition. This study addresses that problem by proposing a reframing of climate discourse through a scarcity-based perspective on fossil fuels: global energy demand continues to rise even as fossil fuel reserves are finite. By shifting attention from abstract scientific projections to shared economic and psychological realities, this framing may resonate with values across polarized groups. This research will survey the student body of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University using a two-part instrument. In part one, the truncated Six Americas Survey (SASSY) will classify respondents into climate-attitude segments, establishing an ideological baseline. In part two, participants will answer a guided progression of short questions assessing beliefs about fossil fuel availability, global energy demand trends, and price implications – eg., are fossil fuels limited? Are developing nations increasing their energy consumption? Will rising demand raise energy costs? Is fossil fuel reliance viable long term? Comparative analysis across SASSY segments will evaluate whether this economic reasoning pathway fosters convergence in willingness to support energy transition policies. If shared recognition of limited energy resources encourages cooperation, then scarcity-based framing could provide a scalable communication strategy uniting diverse citizens around sustainable energy solutions.