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The Effects of Public Education on Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behavior Results from Nashville’s Campaign. Amanda Carrico National Air Quality Conference April 9, 2008. The Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee. Represents Nashville and eight surrounding counties
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The Effects of Public Education onPro-Environmental Attitudes and BehaviorResults from Nashville’s Campaign Amanda Carrico National Air Quality Conference April 9, 2008
The Clean Air Partnership of Middle Tennessee • Represents Nashville and eight surrounding counties • Representatives from state and local government, private sector, non-profit sector, universities, etc. • Responsible for implementing the air alert program and coordinating public education efforts.
Nashville’s Pollution Problem • Designated as non-attainment for ozone in 2004 • 60% of Tennesseans live in non-attainment regions • Contributing factors • Local climate • City infrastructure • 10th worst pedestrian city (STTP, 1999) • 35th most congested city (STTP, 1999) • Local Culture • Urban sprawl • Top five in the US in VMT/day (38) • 23% in the city are obese
Outreach Program • Objectives • Increase awareness about poor air quality in Nashville • Motivate voluntary behavior change • Self-protection (avoiding harmful pollution) • Pollution prevention • Development • Literature review • Baseline evaluation/Needs assessment • Consultations with public relations firm
Campaign Development - Literature Review • Effects of environmental education campaigns are mixed (Costanzo et al., 1986; Samuelson, 1990; etc.) • Important findings • Removing barriers • Attitude-behavior connection remains small unless situational barriers are removed (Wall, 1995) • Normative influence • Perceived social norms predicts to recycling, littering, water conservation etc. (Cialdini et al., 1990, 1991; Aronson & O’Leary, 1982).
Campaign Development - Baseline Evaluation • Goals: • To direct the development of public outreach efforts. • To measure program successes and failures. • To provide information about the effectiveness of outreach to the public and media. • To determine the cost-effectiveness outreach efforts.
Campaign Development - Baseline Evaluation • Conducted 1,508 phone interviews in 2003 and 2004. • Participants were adults (18+) living in Middle Tennessee. • Measured: • Awareness of local air quality issues • Beliefs about causes and effects of pollution • Concern • Behavior
Campaign Development - Baseline Evaluation • General awareness about poor air quality in Nashville was low. • Air quality seen as a relatively low priority among other local issues. • Lack of social and community support • Less than 15% perceived issues related to air quality to be “gaining ground in the community” • Perceived as more harmful to other people and the environment than to oneself and one’s family. • Much room for behavior change • Average participant took over 5 car trips and drove 51 miles within a 24-hour period. • 92%of the sample drove to work alone during the past 24 hours. • 20% had reported changing a behavior in response to poor air quality, the majority stayed indoors more.
2007 Public Education Campaign • Variety of mediums • Billboards, street-level signs • Radio • TV • Community events • Variety of target behaviors • Mode of transport • Trip-chaining • Idling • Brown-bagging • Vehicle maintenance
2007 Public Education Campaign - News Coverage • Nashville’s area hazy air seen growing unhealthy. The Tennessean, July 31, 2007 • Going to work via MTA a breeze.The Tennessean, July 7, 2007 • Clean Air Partnership launches air quality campaign.The Messenger, February 7, 2007 • County’s traffic woes likely to worsen and there’s no quick fix. Nashville Business Journal, February 9, 2007 • Cars pass factories as polluters.The Tennessean, January 6, 2007. • Bus service to Nashville in the works.Daily News Journal, December, 13, 2006. • Nashville’s area air is healthier.The Tennessean, February 20, 2008.
2007 Public Education Campaign - Events • “Canoe-T” to Work Day
2007 Public Education Campaign - Events • Middle Tennessee Asthma Walk
Follow-up Evaluation • 575 Middle Tennessee residents surveyed in September of 2007. • Identical to baseline: • Awareness • Concern • Behavior • Additions: • Perceived barriers to behavior change • Additional behaviors • Idling • Brown-bagging • Analyses control for sample differences between baseline and follow-up • Sex, age, education, and political ideology
Follow-up Evaluation - Campaign Exposure • Compared those who who were exposed to the campaign to those who weren’t across years to look for unique effects of the campaign.
Follow-up Evaluation - Campaign Exposure • Comparison across years to investigate changes over time.
Follow-up Evaluation - Campaign Exposure • Comparison across exposure groups to investigate changes associated with outreach efforts.
Follow-up Evaluation - Campaign Exposure • Comparisons between four cells to investigate unique effects of recent outreach efforts compared to past outreach efforts.
Follow-up Evaluation - Behavior • On air alert days during the 2007 campaign individuals reported: • Going outdoors less • Using mass transit more • Walking more • Reducing discretionary vehicle trips.
Conclusions • Evidence suggests our campaign was effective at promoting awareness and some behavioral changes: • Responses on air alert days • Reductions in vehicle miles traveled • Increase in use of alternative transportation • Outreach softened the effects of declining concern within the community.
Lessons and Moving Forward • Develop stronger relationship with TV personalities. • Earned media • Air alert coverage • Employer outreach programs • Obtain non-profit status • More flexible funding options • Target more behaviors in addition to rideshare • Greater autonomy • Partner with local organizations • Transit agencies • Local universities
