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Addressing the Challenges in Communicating Climate Change Across Various Audiences pp 599–615Cite as

Communicating Climate Change: Reactions to Adapt and Survive Exhibition and Visitors’ Thoughts About Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region

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Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

This paper examines the content and responses to an art installation addressing climate change in the Pacific, collected at the Adapt and Survive exhibition held at the University of the South Pacific Oceania Centre Gallery in 2014. The artist statement on the exhibition emphasised that it sought to explore the causes and effects of climate change, and to raise awareness of its wider impacts for cultural loss and societal change. As well as conducting a series of interviews with the artist, visitors to the exhibition were invited to complete a short survey concerning their thoughts about climate change and reactions to the exhibition, both before and after they viewed the artworks. The artist’s perspectives emphasised the significance of climate change for the region, in the context of traditional responses to environmental problems. The audience survey results suggest that there were high levels of agreement among visitors that the place where they live is being affected by climate change. While emphasising both negative and positive emotional reactions to the artworks, people for the most part expressed confidence and hope that climate change can be effectively addressed, although there was uncertainty on whether or not Pacific islands had the resources to do so. Our study is limited by the small sample size available, but points to directions for future research in this under-developed field.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geography, School of Humanities, Bishop Grosseteste University, Longdales Rd, Lincoln, LN1 3DY, UK

    Sarah L. Hemstock

  2. Low-Carbon Lifestyles and Behavioural Spillover Project (CASPI), School of Psychology and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK

    Stuart Capstick

Authors
  1. Sarah L. Hemstock
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  2. Stuart Capstick
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah L. Hemstock .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Doctoral Program Climate Change, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    Bettina Lackner

  3. Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Henry McGhie

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Hemstock, S.L., Capstick, S. (2019). Communicating Climate Change: Reactions to Adapt and Survive Exhibition and Visitors’ Thoughts About Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region. In: Leal Filho, W., Lackner, B., McGhie, H. (eds) Addressing the Challenges in Communicating Climate Change Across Various Audiences. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98294-6_36

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