U.S.-Canada climate public opinion and urban climate governance

Join us for a conversation about the findings of two papers from 2020-21's North American Colloquium on climate policy. The authors of the following papers, dealing with the topics of "U.S.-Canada climate public opinion and urban governance," will present their key findings and take questions in a discussion moderated by Brendan Boyd (MacEwan University):

• "A Decade Of Comparative Canadian and American Public Opinion on Climate Change," by Erick Lachapelle (University of Montreal) and Christopher P. Borick (Muhlenberg College)
• "City Powers and the Governance of Urban GHG Emissions in the U.S. and Canada," by Sara Hughes (University of Michigan)

From the speakers' bios

Christopher P. Borick is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. He is a nationally recognized public opinion researcher who has conducted over 400 large-scale public opinion surveys during the past quarter century. The results of these surveys have appeared in numerous periodicals including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian. He has also provided analysis for the BBC, National Public Radio, PBS, MSNBC, CBS News, and NBC Nightly News, and has had his survey results aired on CNN, FOX News, and C-SPAN. He is Director of the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (NSEE) and currently conducts surveys for the Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He has government experience at both the federal and local levels, including positions with the Internal Revenue Service and the Monroe County (Pennsylvania) Planning Commission. He has published over thirty articles and four books in the areas of public policy, public opinion, and environmental policy.

Erick Lachapelle is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Montreal. He is the principal investigator for the Canadian Surveys on Energy and the Environment (CSEE). He has written widely on climate change public opinion in Canada and the United States, and has published articles in Global Environmental Politics, Energy Policy, Environmental Politics, Policy Studies Journal, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science, among other journals.

Sara Hughes is an assistant professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, where she leads the Water and Climate Policy Lab. Sara's research focuses on urban climate change and water policy, politics, and governance. Sara is currently exploring research topics involving governance strategies for equitable responses to climate change in cities, drinking water politics and policy, and addressing inequality through urban sustainability transitions. Her book, Repowering Cities, critically evaluates the governing strategies to meet ambitious GHG reduction targets, and the consequences of these efforts.

Brendan Boyd, who will moderate the conversation, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science at MacEwan University. His areas of expertise include public policy, the role of public servants, Canadian federalism and climate policy. His research has been published in Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Canadian Journal of Political Science and Canadian Public Administration. His co-edited volume, Provincial Policy Laboratories: Policy Transfer and Diffusion in Canada’s Federal System, explores the role of policy learning across subnational jurisdictions and its influence on national policy.

Faculty Expert

Barry Rabe

J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy

Rabe examines the political feasibility and durability of environmental and energy policy, with a particular emphasis on efforts to address climate change in the U.S. and other federal systems. His most recent books examine the politics of carbon pricing and the limitations of unilateral executive branch policy actions. Current research explores the politics of intensive but short-lived greenhouse gases, such as methane and HFCs. Recent policy engagement includes work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, the Department of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

• climate policy
• climate
• North American Colloquium Climate Series
• energy and electricity
• energy and environment
• energy and environmental policy
• Diplomacy and foreign affairs
• Christopher P. Borick
• Erick Lachapelle
• Sara Hughes
• Brendan Boyd
• International Policy Center