Extreme weather events around the world are increasing in both their frequency, intensity and the costs they leave behind. While research on how these events shape climate attitudes is growing, there is still no consensus on whether exposure to such events changes public opinion. The mixed results are often traced to correlational designs and how exposure is measured.

However, in this seminar, Sofia Henriks, PhD candidate from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, argues that they also reflect the questions we ask. To address this, Sofia conducts a survey experiment in Windhoek, Namibia, which combines randomised temporal risk information with a spatial risk measure based on riverbed proximity to causally identify how experience and perceived exposure shape support for near-term protection versus long-term emission cuts.

About the speaker:

Sofia Henriks is a second-year PhD candidate in political science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She studies political behaviour in the context of extreme weather due to climate change. In her dissertation, she asks how people respond politically when they are materially exposed to both climate risks and the perceived costs of climate policy. Her dissertation is grounded in theories of self-interest and cross-pressure, and combines spatial analysis, survey experiments, and registry-based sampling in Sweden. She is also launching a comparative component in Namibia, using fieldwork to examine how recent extreme weather shapes attitudes toward new offshore oil discoveries and adaptation policies.