CLIMATE EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES: A SURVEY OF PARTICIPANTS AND VIEWERS OF THE 2020 SOUTH CAROLINA 7 EXPEDITION

The South Carolina 7 Expedition is a program that promotes outdoor recreation and awareness of how interaction with the state’s natural spaces can promote both individual and community wellbeing. The annual program brings together educators, policymakers, and adventurers from all over South Carolina to experience the state’s natural wonders through outdoor activities and lay the groundwork for policy change through discussion and sentiment analysis of climate change among participants. During the inaugural expedition in 2020, the team of volunteers worked with Coastal Carolina University and the Dyer Institute for Leadership and Public Policy to survey over 400 South Carolina residents who either participated in the activities or followed on social media. Survey participants answered a range of questions about climate, such as their belief in anthropogenic climate change, whether they have been personally affected by severe weather events, and how they believe South Carolina schools should approach the topic of climate change. Individual question results were recorded, the relationship between responses and demographic factors was examined using univariate analysis, and two reliability items were evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. The purpose of the survey was to understand public opinion on how climate change is affecting South Carolina’s residents and assess the desire- and demand- for public outreach regarding climate. Respondents represented a wide range of ages, education levels, and income levels, but the most significant predictor of belief in anthropogenic climate change and interest in education was whether respondents had been personally affected by severe weather events; respondents who reported experience with extreme weather were more likely to believe in anthropogenic climate change, support climate change education in public schools, and express personal interest in further climate education. While a lack of racial diversity among respondents indicates a need for further outreach for a more comprehensive view of South Carolina’s population, the results of this survey offer initial insight into public perception of South Carolina’s changing climate and the need for accessible educational resources, both for K-12 students and the general public.