Clara Fang asks: who are climate activists and what do they do?

Clara Fang’s study of diversity in the U.S. climate movement was published in a special DEIJ issue of the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. Clara presented a preliminary look at her survey results in a webinar for the Switzer Network, Climate Change’s Equity Challenge in May 2022. 

Abstract: 

The U.S. climate movement has undergone rapid growth in the early decades of the twenty-first century. However, there is very little publicly available research on the demographics of the U.S. climate movement, including its racial diversity. This study explores the demographics of the U.S. climate movement through a survey of 1003 climate activists in the USA, including race, age, gender, political ideology, and socioeconomic status. The study also compares the demographics of White and BIPOC climate activists and their engagement with climate actions. The results show that climate activists in the U.S. are predominantly White, female, progressive, age 50 and above, and middle class. BIPOC climate activists tend to be younger, lower socioeconomic class, less likely to contact elected officials about climate change, and less likely to discuss climate change with their friends and family. Organizations looking to diversify the climate movement can use insights from this study to better engage their target audiences.

The article is available without a paywall for members of Oasis: A Green Equity Collective, and via SpringerLink with a subscription. 

Citation: 

Fang, C.C. Who are climate activists and what do they do? A study of diversity in the U.S. climate movement. J Environ Stud Sci 14, 594–606 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-024-00911-7