Kreiter, Amelia2023-11-282023-11-282023-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/258780University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2023. Major: Natural Resources Science and Management. Advisor: Mae Davenport. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 125 pages.Though 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.enThesis or Dissertation