The influence of information on individuals' reactions to CCS technologies: results from experimental online survey research

The effective engagement of the public in carbon capture and storage (CCS) has become important in recent years. The most basic level of engagement is to inform the public about the characteristics of the technology. It is often assumed that providing more information will increase individuals' acceptance of the technology. However, social research on the effect of information on individuals' attitudes toward CCS has questioned this assumption. This paper reports the results of an experimental online survey aimed at analyzing how additional information on CCS affects individuals' reactions to CCS. Our findings suggest that information can influence individuals' reactions to CCS; specifically, those messages that link CCS to natural processes result in a slightly more positive reaction to CCS among individuals. (c) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd