Date
Abstract
A Synthesis of Knowledge
The resolution of environmental issues depends on many things—scientific knowledge, technological developments, economic incentives, etc.—but perhaps most importantly, it depends on the public’s awareness, interest, and capacity to act.
What are the ingredients for successful action? Economists offer tools for examining costs, benefits, trade-offs, incentives, and their relationship to public and private institutions. Political scientists assess governance, public attitudes, and decision making by both the public and its representatives. Sociologists and psychologists probe the “people factor”—why do people think what they think, how do values and attitudes form, and how do they affect choices and actions? There is also the looming presence of communications—understanding how people respond to different messages and media, targeting messages to specific audiences, and tracking how messages spread.
This seminar will summarize insights from multiple social and behavioral science research disciplines to shed light on environmental attitudes and corresponding behaviors.
Presenters
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James Boyd
Director of Social Science & Policy
Dr. James Boyd was SESYNC's Director of Social Science and Policy from 2011 to 2022, while also a Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future in Washington, DC, holding the Thomas Klutznick Chair in Environmental Policy. James earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and has been a visiting professor at Stanford University and Washington University in St Louis. James’ research emphasizes collaboration between ecologists and economists to guide decisions that affect natural resources. His work considers how natural systems contribute to economic wealth and social well...
Image
James Boyd
Director of Social Science & Policy
Dr. James Boyd was SESYNC's Director of Social Science and Policy from 2011 to 2022, while also a Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future in Washington, DC, holding the Thomas Klutznick Chair in Environmental Policy. James earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and has been a visiting professor at Stanford University and Washington University in St Louis. James’ research emphasizes collaboration between ecologists and economists to guide decisions that affect natural resources. His work considers how natural systems contribute to economic wealth and social well-being and how policies can be designed to protect and enhance valuable ecosystem goods and services. James has worked with diverse partners from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private-sector institutions, emphasizing close collaboration between decision makers and academic researchers to generate science that is useful and practical in real-world settings. He has served on government and private advisory panels, including the National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board, the Ecological Society of America, and others, including the U.S. EPA’s Committee on Valuing Ecological Systems and Services. As a consultant, he has advised the World Bank, European Commission, numerous federal and state agencies, and NGOs concerned with conservation and environmental protection.
External Links:
https://www.rff.org/people/james-w-boyd/
Presenters
Time
12:30 p.m. ET
Location
SESYNC – 1 Park Place, Suite 300 Annapolis, MD 21401
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