Transitions in climate and energy discourse between Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy
E. M. Cody, J. Stephens, J. P. Bagrow, P. S. Dodds, and C. M. Danforth
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2016
![](https://pdodds.w3.uvm.edu/research/papers/others/figures//2015/cody2015b_table2_1200px-square.png)
Times cited: 31
Abstract:
Although climate change and energy are intricately linked, their explicit connection is not always prominent in public discourse and the media. Disruptive extreme weather events, including hurricanes, focus public attention in new and different ways, offering a unique window of opportunity to analyze how a focusing event influences public opinion. Simultaneously shaping and reflecting public discourse, media coverage of extreme weather events reflects public opinion of climate issues. Here we analyze climate and energy media coverage of Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) using topic models, mathematical techniques used to discover abstract topics within a set of documents. Our results demonstrate that post-Katrina media coverage does not contain a climate change topic, and the energy topic is limited to discussion of energy prices, markets, and the economy with almost no explicit linkages made between energy and climate change. In contrast, post-Sandy media coverage does contain a prominent climate change topic, a distinct energy topic, as well as integrated representation of climate change and energy.
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BibTeX:
@Article{cody2016a, author = {Cody, Emily M. and Stephens, Jennie and Bagrow, James P. and Dodds, Peter Sheridan and Danforth, Christopher M.}, title = {Transitions in climate and energy discourse between {H}urricanes {K}atrina and {S}andy}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences }, year = {2016}, doi = {10.1007/s13412-016-0391-8}, note = {Published online, April 21, 2016}, }