Risky Business: Involving the Public in Environmental Decision Making

2. Risky Business:Involving the Public in Environmental Decision Making Kirk Riley Great Lakes & Mid-Atlantic Center for Hazardous Substance Research Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan

3. TOSC Program • Technical Outreach Services for Communities • Provides assistance at high-profile contaminated sites • Builds public capacity for participating in site cleanup decisions

4. Tonight’s Topics • Public involvement in environmental decision making • Understanding risk perception • Communicating with non-expert audiences • Informing, educating and empowering • And not panicking • Practitioners’ perspective--government, consultant, etc.

5. Risk Communication A science-based approach for communicating effectively in • High-concern • Sensitive or • Controversial situations

6. What is Risk? R = H x P x O Risk equals Hazard x Probability x Outrage

7. The Essential Ingredient:Trust Nothing kills trust like lack of caring Except LOOKING like you don’t care, which kills it exactly the same way

8. The Competence/Empathy Paradox Competence Empathy

9. The Essential Ingredient:Trust • Trust—without it, no communication happens • Trust—without it, small mistakes get magnified • Trust—without it, all your hard work may be rejected • Trust—without it, knowledge and expertise don’t matter • Trust—with it, mistakes may be overlooked or minimized • Trust—with it, community acceptance becomes more likely

10. Why Involve The Public? • The public has more power than you (or I) realize • Public involvement is essential to project success • It may be required by law!

11. Steps to Community Involvement • Understand your community • Understand human nature • Communicate!

12. Understand Your Community: What are the Hot Issues? • Technical issues/concerns • Non-technical issues/concerns • Community goals, attitudes, history, leadership

13. Risk Perception • Public’s views of risk may differ from experts’ views • Public perception of risk affected by factors outside of traditional risk analysis

14. Factors Affecting Public Perception of Risk • Voluntary or involuntary risk (smoking vs. air pollution) • Immediate effects or delayed effects (benzene combustion vs. benzene inhalation; smoking) • Natural or artificial (naturally occurring carcinogens vs. artificial carcinogens) • Controlled by individual or controlled by someone else (driving vs. flying)

15. Factors Affecting Public Perception of Risk (cont’d) • Familiar or unfamiliar (farmer vs. non-farmer with ag chemicals) • The “dread’ factor; usually associated with very complex technologies (e.g., nuclear power) • Risk provides visible benefits or does not provide visible benefits (polluter who provides jobs for community)

16. The Risk Paradox • Technical experts focus on hazard and misperceive (ignore) outrage • Public focuses on outrage and misperceives hazard

17. When To Use Risk Communication High Concern High Trust (essential) High Concern Low Trust (essential) Low Concern High Trust (optional) Low Concern Low Trust (recommended)

18. When To Use Risk Communication (cont’d) • When public input is needed • When the public has the ability to stop a project • When public concern is high • When public trust is low

19. How Do We Know? • Surveys • Case Studies • Experimental field testing of messages/ messenger characteristics • Practitioner experience

20. Three Key Risk Communication Messages P = R Perception = Reality G = T + K Goal = Trust + Knowledge C = C2 Communication = Credibility x Competence

21. Four Main Theories In Risk Communication • Mental Noise Theory • Risk Perception Theory • Trust Determination Theory • Negative Dominance Theory

22. Four Main Theories Mental Noise Theory People who are upset have difficulty hearing and processing information

23. Communication: Processing Effectiveness 0 100 Mental noise can reduce the ability to process communication (i.e., understanding) up to 80% 20%

24. Limited Information Attention/ Retention In High Concern Situations Reasons For 20% Efficiency • Denial of issue • Trauma from issue • Competing agenda • Emotional arousal

25. Implications of Limited Attention/ Retention In High Concern Situations • Limited number of messages are accepted • Time limitations on communications • Message repetition is important

26. Active Listening Skills • Paraphrasing • Feedback • Control of non-verbals

27. Non-Verbal CommunicationLow Trust and/or High Concern • Provides up to 50-75% of message content • Noticed Intensely by audience • Interpreted negatively • Overrides verbal communication

28. Non-Verbal CommunicationBody Language Examples • Eyes • Hands • Posture

29. Four Main Theories Risk Perception Theory Perception equals reality What is perceived as real is real in its consequences

30. Perception Of Risk Weighting Factors FactorWeight Trust………………………..….. 2000 Benefit……………………..….. 1000 Control (Voluntary)…….……. 1000 Fairness (Share)…………….… 500

31. Four Main Theories Trust Determination Theory The goal of risk communication is to earn trust and gain credibility

32. Trust and Credibility Factors • Empathy/Caring • Competence/Expertise • Honesty/Openness • Dedication/Commitment

33. Trust Determination Factors In High Concern Situations

34. Trust Determination Factors In Low Concern Situations

35. Trust/Credibility Credibility Transference “A lower credibility source takes on the credibility of the highest credibility source that agrees with its position on an issue”

36. Trust/Credibility Credibility Reversal “When a lower credibility source disagrees with a higher credibility source, the lower credibility source loses further credibility”

37. Trust /Credibility Credibility Reversal (cont’d) “The only information source that can effectively attack the credibility of another source is one of equal or higher credibility.”

38. Four Main Theories Negative Dominance Theory People who are upset tend to think negatively

39. Negative Communication Boosts Negative Perception N = 3P One negative = three positives

40. Negatives Repetition of a negative A negative repeated (e.g., allegation or accusation), even when refuted, results in reinforcement and affirmation of the negative

41. Negative Words to Avoid • No • Shouldn’t/Don’t/Can’t/Won’t • Never • Nothing • None

42. Consensus-Building Language • Positive • Questioning • Conditional • Appreciative

43. Effective Communication • Sincere • Clear • Admit constraints & uncertainty • Perceived to be all those things • Wanted

44. How Do We Build Trust? • Accept the public as a legitimate partner • Plan carefully and evaluate your efforts • Listen to the public’s specific concerns • Listen again • Be honest, frank and open • Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources

45. How Do We Build Trust?Commitment • Promise only what you can do • Be helpful and go the distance • Be accessible • Speak clearly and with compassion • Develop a thick skin

46. How Do We Build Trust?Demonstrating Knowledge • Let people know your experience • Let people know your background • Let people know what you don’t know

47. How Do We Build Trust?Demonstrating Openness • Know what people may want from you • Think about what you can give • Get agreement internally

48. How Do We Build Trust?Demonstrating Empathy • Put yourself in their surroundings • Listen and acknowledge what people are feeling • Express your reactions or feelings

49. Principles of Risk Communication: the Old View • Decide, announce, defend • All we have to do is get the numbers right • All we have to do is tell them the numbers • All we have to do is explain what we mean by the numbers

50. Principles of Risk Communication: the Old View (cont’d) • All we have to do is show them that they’ve accepted similar risks in the past • All we have to do is treat them nice • All we have to do is make them partners