Browsing by Author "Kreiter, Amelia"
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Item Climate Impacts of High-Protein Diets(2013-04-20) Kreiter, AmeliaWith the increasing prevalence of high-protein diets, whether from overconsumption or for improved athletic performance, production and transportation costs are undoubtedly going to increase. Included in those costs are the environmental costs from increased greenhouse gas emissions. In this project, those environmental costs were evaluated using a life cycle assessment framework, and greenhouse gas emissions for high-protein diets were calculated. This study set out to answer the following questions: What are the climate impacts of high protein diets? What protein foods will have the least impact on the climate?Item Communicating risk and increasing civic engagement in water protection in Minnesota(2019-07) Kreiter, AmeliaForty percent of Minnesota lakes and rivers are classified as “impaired bodies.” The extent of water problems is far-reaching; each of Minnesota’s 87 counties has an impaired river, lake, or stream. Despite the magnitude of Minnesota’s water problems, water protection and restoration initiatives primarily have been agency-driven and technology-centered. Though new programs are touting a more collaborative watershed management approach, true civic engagement is needed to identify and solve water issues that span multiple jurisdictions and land uses. Engaging residents in water protection increases the success of a project, builds trust between residents and local agencies, and sets future projects up for greater public support. Despite all these benefits, the question of how to get residents involved in water management persists. Minnesotans value clean water and water provides multiple cultural services on which residents depend. Given these water values and benefits, how do residents perceive water in the state? Do perceptions of water quality and beliefs about water problems influence civic engagement in water? Using an integrated model of the Risk Information Seeking and Processing framework and Norm Activation Theory, I analyze data collected through a statewide survey of Minnesota residents to determine the influence of perceptions of water risk, experience with water, perceived information sufficiency, self-efficacy, socio-demographics, and social and personal norms on civic engagement in water. The integrated model explained 24% of variance in civic engagement in Minnesota residents, with information sufficiency and relevant water experience being the strongest predictors. This suggests that residents may need a stronger personal connection to water issues to get involved in protection efforts. Study findings will help to inform future outreach and risk communication strategies to develop pro-environmental behaviors in Minnesota residents.Item A Model of Risk, Communication, and Environmental Behavior(2023-05) Kreiter, AmeliaThough a vast majority of Americans believe that climate change is real and already underway, climate change consistently ranks low on Americans’ list of important problems facing the country. Is this contradiction a failure of science communication? Or the result of psychological coping mechanisms for a challenge that is so grand that people do not know where to start? Collective and individual actions are needed to stop (or reverse) environmental degradation and related public health impacts, yet there is an incomplete understanding of what motivates people to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. In this dissertation I explore environmental risk perception and its influence across three pro-environmental behaviors: civic engagement, drinking water testing, and agricultural conservation practice adoption. Using a conceptual framework adapted from public health risk models, I examine relationships between different sources of environmental information, perceived efficacy, and social norms on risk perception and pro-environmental and pro-health behaviors. Results indicate that risk perceptions are a strong motivator for pro-environmental behavior, but that communication from government agencies often fails to link environmental problems to actionable solutions. I also found that social norms and efficacy are important in helping make decisions. Findings underscore a need for environmental communication that takes a solutions-oriented approach, and frames pro-environmental behaviors as a pro-social, moral choice that appeals to people’s sense of responsibility.