Does "500 g of CO2 for a 5-mi trip" Mean Anything? Toward More Effective Presentation of CO2 Information

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions information is being presented to people in the hope that they will adjust their behaviour to reduce outputs. However, many might not fully understand or appreciate CO2 information when presented as a mass; this might affect the interpretation and application of such information, and the individual motivation to travel in a more sustainable way. Related to that failing, this paper empirically examines two key questions. The first examines whether, depending on the format used (mass, trees, earths, and a carbon budget), people can give a sustainability ranking for various CO2 emissions amounts. It is argued that the latter three formats each provide some degree of context which could increase the usability of the CO2 information. Based on survey results, CO2 information should be presented with greater context that just mass, ideally with respect to a recommended level. The second question examines the so-called anchoring effect. In a state of low knowledge, the way choices are valued is affected by contextual information such as those provided by other choices’ attributes. If a format is able to convey enough contextual information though, this could stabilize interpretation. The anchoring effect was found to significantly influence the sustainability ranking of travel alternatives presented in all formats apart from the earth format. In general this suggests that the way travel alternatives are presented must be considered in the contextual design of CO2 information or unintended interpretations may occur.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Waygood, E Owen D
  • Avineri, Erel
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2011-1-23 to 2011-1-27
• Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: TRB 90th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Awareness; Carbon dioxide; Comprehension; Environmental impacts; Information dissemination; Mode choice; Pollutants; Sustainable transportation; Travel behavior; Understanding
• Subject Areas: Environment; Transportation (General); I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01337932
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-0576
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 27 2011 7:21AM