Christina Demski
Biographic Data
| ID | 6568663 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Christina Demski |
| GIVEN NAMES | Christina |
| FAMILY NAME | Demski |
| SIGNATURE | DEMSKI C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Cardiff University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9215-452X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 142 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Envisioning low-carbon futures: Exploring the relationship between individual lifestyle change and systemic transformation
Achieving a low-carbon future requires both systemic transformation and individual lifestyle changes, yet public perspectives on what is desirable and achievable remain underexplored. This paper uses deliberative visioning methods to actively engage people in imagining low-carbon futures, offering insights into how they perceive the intersection of individual and systems change. We conducted 14 deliberative visioning workshops with 97 participant…
Examining the relationship between climate concern, climate anxiety and climate action in the UK
The effects of climate change are being felt globally, resulting in increased extreme weather events and mental health challenges. Climate change concern and anxiety are widespread, especially among young people. Currently, little is known about how these responses to climate change may interact with each other to motivate or hinder different types of environmental action. This paper addresses this gap using two nationally representative surveys …
Living with extreme heat: Perceptions and experiences
Climate change is increasing global temperatures, leading to periods of extreme heat in temperate regions, e.g. in the UK. Cooling can mitigate the impacts of heat, with air-conditioning (AC) widely considered the most effective solution. A projected rise in extreme heat events in temperate climates is likely to trigger a growth in AC uptake, with negative implications for carbon emissions and inequality. Research on how heat is experienced and p…
A nation unprepared: Extreme heat and the need for adaptation in the United Kingdom
People centric policy is needed to create a clean cooling pathway for UK homes
As the climate continues to warm, overheating is becoming increasingly common, creating a range of heat-health issues, and leading to a growing demand for space cooling. How that cooling is provided is important, as there are passive and low impact options available, as well as more environmentally damaging active cooling. Without policy intervention, air conditioning (a form of active cooling) could easily become the default solution for cooling…
Leading by example from high-status individuals: Exploring a crucial missing link in climate change mitigation
Behaviour change has great potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly, helping to prevent dangerous global warming. Some of the most impactful changes are: flying less, eating less meat, driving electric cars, improving home energy efficiency, increased use of public transport and active travel. However, these choices have proved elusive at scale and are rarely encouraged or modelled by high-status individuals (“leaders”), despite estab…
We can't be too saintly”: Why members of parliament in the United Kingdom are reluctant to lead by example with low-carbon behaviour
Low-carbon behaviour change from individuals is both essential for meeting climate change targets and highly politically contentious. Shifting away from activities such as flying, driving and meat eating can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet political leaders have avoided introducing policies to stimulate this for fear of alienating voters and confronting political orthodoxies. This article examines low-carbon behaviour change through …
Public perceptions of heat decarbonisation in Great Britain: Awareness, values and the social circle effect
The decarbonisation of domestic heating is essential for the UK to achieve net zero carbon emissions, but requires significant changes in domestic infrastructure. Public participation plays a pivotal role in this transition, yet public attitudes towards decarbonised heating remain under-researched and poorly understood. We report a nationally representative online survey of 2226 individuals in Great Britain. The survey explored attitudes to three…
Discourses of climate inaction undermine public support for 1.5 °C lifestyles
We conducted unique public visioning workshops on radical low-carbon lifestyles. • We found strong public support for many low-carbon lifestyle strategies and futures. • Narratives of inaction create a public discourse of delay, undermining this support. • Narratives of inaction held emotional resonances that evoked defensive responses. • Countering this public discourse of delay is essential for meaningful climate action. Urgent action to tackle…
How Personal Experience Affects Perception of and Decisions Related to Climate Change: A Psychological View
The proportion of the world’s population exposed to above-average monthly temperatures has been rising consistently in recent decades and will continue to grow. This and similar trends make it more likely that people will personally experience extreme weather events and seasonal changes related to climate change. A question that follows from this is to what extent experiences may influence climate-related beliefs, attitudes, and the willingness t…
Energy justice discourses in citizen deliberations on systems flexibility in the United Kingdom: Vulnerability, compensation and empowerment
Beyond climate, culture and comfort in European preferences for low-carbon heat
It is imperative that climate, energy, and sustainability policy researchers and practitioners grapple with the difficulty of decarbonizing heat, which remains the largest single end-use energy service worldwide. In this study, based on a comparative assessment of five original and representative national surveys in Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (N = 10,109), we explore public attitudes of household heat decarbonization in…
Of profits, transparency, and responsibility: Public views on financing energy system change in Great Britain
Using role play to explore energy perceptions in the United States and United Kingdom
Acceptance of energy transitions and policies: Public conceptualisations of energy as a need and basic right in the United Kingdom
Attribution matters: Revisiting the link between extreme weather experience and climate change mitigation responses
Cross-National Comparative Communication and Deliberation About the Risks of Nanotechnologies
This chapter presents some of the methodological and philosophical challenges faced when conducting public engagement with emerging technologies. The intellectual origins and challenges of conducting upstream public engagement for science communication are discussed, illustrated through the case of nanotechnologies. A series of cross-national workshops held simultaneously in the United States and the UK are described. Findings included that benef…
Public values for energy system change
In this paper we discuss the importance of framing the question of public acceptance of sustainable energy transitions in terms of values and a ‘whole-system’ lens. This assertion is based on findings arising from a major research project examining public values, attitudes and acceptability with regards to whole energy system change using a mixed-method (six deliberative workshops, n = 68, and a nationally representative survey, n = 2441), interd…
Creating a national citizen engagement process for energy policy
This paper examines some of the science communication challenges involved when designing and conducting public deliberation processes on issues of national importance. We take as our illustrative case study a recent research project investigating public values and attitudes toward future energy system change for the United Kingdom. National-level issues such as this are often particularly difficult to engage the public with because of their inher…
Public values for energy system change
In this paper we discuss the importance of framing the question of public acceptance of sustainable energy transitions in terms of values and a ‘whole-system’ lens. This assertion is based on findings arising from a major research project examining public values, attitudes and acceptability with regards to whole energy system change using a mixed-method (six deliberative workshops, n = 68, and a nationally representative survey, n = 2441), interd…
Energy justice discourses in citizen deliberations on systems flexibility in the United Kingdom: Vulnerability, compensation and empowerment
Attribution matters: Revisiting the link between extreme weather experience and climate change mitigation responses
Acceptance of energy transitions and policies: Public conceptualisations of energy as a need and basic right in the United Kingdom
Beyond climate, culture and comfort in European preferences for low-carbon heat
It is imperative that climate, energy, and sustainability policy researchers and practitioners grapple with the difficulty of decarbonizing heat, which remains the largest single end-use energy service worldwide. In this study, based on a comparative assessment of five original and representative national surveys in Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (N = 10,109), we explore public attitudes of household heat decarbonization in…
Discourses of climate inaction undermine public support for 1.5 °C lifestyles
We conducted unique public visioning workshops on radical low-carbon lifestyles. • We found strong public support for many low-carbon lifestyle strategies and futures. • Narratives of inaction create a public discourse of delay, undermining this support. • Narratives of inaction held emotional resonances that evoked defensive responses. • Countering this public discourse of delay is essential for meaningful climate action. Urgent action to tackle…
Using role play to explore energy perceptions in the United States and United Kingdom
Of profits, transparency, and responsibility: Public views on financing energy system change in Great Britain
People centric policy is needed to create a clean cooling pathway for UK homes
As the climate continues to warm, overheating is becoming increasingly common, creating a range of heat-health issues, and leading to a growing demand for space cooling. How that cooling is provided is important, as there are passive and low impact options available, as well as more environmentally damaging active cooling. Without policy intervention, air conditioning (a form of active cooling) could easily become the default solution for cooling…
Creating a national citizen engagement process for energy policy
This paper examines some of the science communication challenges involved when designing and conducting public deliberation processes on issues of national importance. We take as our illustrative case study a recent research project investigating public values and attitudes toward future energy system change for the United Kingdom. National-level issues such as this are often particularly difficult to engage the public with because of their inher…
Public values for energy system change
In this paper we discuss the importance of framing the question of public acceptance of sustainable energy transitions in terms of values and a ‘whole-system’ lens. This assertion is based on findings arising from a major research project examining public values, attitudes and acceptability with regards to whole energy system change using a mixed-method (six deliberative workshops, n = 68, and a nationally representative survey, n = 2441), interd…
Cross-National Comparative Communication and Deliberation About the Risks of Nanotechnologies
This chapter presents some of the methodological and philosophical challenges faced when conducting public engagement with emerging technologies. The intellectual origins and challenges of conducting upstream public engagement for science communication are discussed, illustrated through the case of nanotechnologies. A series of cross-national workshops held simultaneously in the United States and the UK are described. Findings included that benef…
Using role play to explore energy perceptions in the United States and United Kingdom
Acceptance of energy transitions and policies: Public conceptualisations of energy as a need and basic right in the United Kingdom
Attribution matters: Revisiting the link between extreme weather experience and climate change mitigation responses
Of profits, transparency, and responsibility: Public views on financing energy system change in Great Britain
Energy justice discourses in citizen deliberations on systems flexibility in the United Kingdom: Vulnerability, compensation and empowerment
Beyond climate, culture and comfort in European preferences for low-carbon heat
It is imperative that climate, energy, and sustainability policy researchers and practitioners grapple with the difficulty of decarbonizing heat, which remains the largest single end-use energy service worldwide. In this study, based on a comparative assessment of five original and representative national surveys in Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (N = 10,109), we explore public attitudes of household heat decarbonization in…
How Personal Experience Affects Perception of and Decisions Related to Climate Change: A Psychological View
The proportion of the world’s population exposed to above-average monthly temperatures has been rising consistently in recent decades and will continue to grow. This and similar trends make it more likely that people will personally experience extreme weather events and seasonal changes related to climate change. A question that follows from this is to what extent experiences may influence climate-related beliefs, attitudes, and the willingness t…
Leading by example from high-status individuals: Exploring a crucial missing link in climate change mitigation
Behaviour change has great potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly, helping to prevent dangerous global warming. Some of the most impactful changes are: flying less, eating less meat, driving electric cars, improving home energy efficiency, increased use of public transport and active travel. However, these choices have proved elusive at scale and are rarely encouraged or modelled by high-status individuals (“leaders”), despite estab…
We can't be too saintly”: Why members of parliament in the United Kingdom are reluctant to lead by example with low-carbon behaviour
Low-carbon behaviour change from individuals is both essential for meeting climate change targets and highly politically contentious. Shifting away from activities such as flying, driving and meat eating can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet political leaders have avoided introducing policies to stimulate this for fear of alienating voters and confronting political orthodoxies. This article examines low-carbon behaviour change through …
Public perceptions of heat decarbonisation in Great Britain: Awareness, values and the social circle effect
The decarbonisation of domestic heating is essential for the UK to achieve net zero carbon emissions, but requires significant changes in domestic infrastructure. Public participation plays a pivotal role in this transition, yet public attitudes towards decarbonised heating remain under-researched and poorly understood. We report a nationally representative online survey of 2226 individuals in Great Britain. The survey explored attitudes to three…
Discourses of climate inaction undermine public support for 1.5 °C lifestyles
We conducted unique public visioning workshops on radical low-carbon lifestyles. • We found strong public support for many low-carbon lifestyle strategies and futures. • Narratives of inaction create a public discourse of delay, undermining this support. • Narratives of inaction held emotional resonances that evoked defensive responses. • Countering this public discourse of delay is essential for meaningful climate action. Urgent action to tackle…
Living with extreme heat: Perceptions and experiences
Climate change is increasing global temperatures, leading to periods of extreme heat in temperate regions, e.g. in the UK. Cooling can mitigate the impacts of heat, with air-conditioning (AC) widely considered the most effective solution. A projected rise in extreme heat events in temperate climates is likely to trigger a growth in AC uptake, with negative implications for carbon emissions and inequality. Research on how heat is experienced and p…
A nation unprepared: Extreme heat and the need for adaptation in the United Kingdom
People centric policy is needed to create a clean cooling pathway for UK homes
As the climate continues to warm, overheating is becoming increasingly common, creating a range of heat-health issues, and leading to a growing demand for space cooling. How that cooling is provided is important, as there are passive and low impact options available, as well as more environmentally damaging active cooling. Without policy intervention, air conditioning (a form of active cooling) could easily become the default solution for cooling…
Envisioning low-carbon futures: Exploring the relationship between individual lifestyle change and systemic transformation
Achieving a low-carbon future requires both systemic transformation and individual lifestyle changes, yet public perspectives on what is desirable and achievable remain underexplored. This paper uses deliberative visioning methods to actively engage people in imagining low-carbon futures, offering insights into how they perceive the intersection of individual and systems change. We conducted 14 deliberative visioning workshops with 97 participant…
Examining the relationship between climate concern, climate anxiety and climate action in the UK
The effects of climate change are being felt globally, resulting in increased extreme weather events and mental health challenges. Climate change concern and anxiety are widespread, especially among young people. Currently, little is known about how these responses to climate change may interact with each other to motivate or hinder different types of environmental action. This paper addresses this gap using two nationally representative surveys …
Political science (14 works) · Climate Change Communication and Perception (11 works) · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance (10 works) · Psychology (9 works) · Climate change (8 works) · Environmental Education and Sustainability (8 works) · Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy (8 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Business (7 works) · Perception (6 works)