Exploring risk-scapes in Oklahoma: institutional trust, environmental justice, climate change, and infrastructure
ISSN: 1757-8043
Article publication date: 25 January 2024
Issue publication date: 29 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Across the USA, local municipalities and providers struggle to reliably supply water and electricity when faced with severe weather events induced by climate change. Previous research suggests those at higher risk for experiencing the detrimental effects of climate change have higher climate-related concerns. Additionally, research demonstrates variation in trust in institutions and perceptions of environmental justice along racial lines, which can influence concern for access to resources. Informed by this research, the authors ask two questions: how do Oklahomans’ trust in institutions, environmental justice perceptions and global climate change risk perceptions differ based on race, and how do these factors influence concern for water and electrical infrastructure? The purpose of this study is to better understand Oklahomans’ trust in information from institutions, environmental justice perceptions, global climate change risk perceptions and concern for water and electrical infrastructure.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a series of nested regression models to analyze the survey responses of 2,687 Oklahoman adults. The data were pulled from Wave 3 of the Oklahoma Meso-scale Integrated Socio-geographic Network survey, which is part of the National Science Foundation EPSCoR S3OK project.
Findings
The findings demonstrate the complex interplay of riskscapes – or risk landscapes – that encompass institutional trust, perceptions of environmental justice, climate change and infrastructure in Oklahoma. The authors find evidence that education and income are better predictors of institutional trust and environmental justice than race among our respondents. Political ideology emerges as a significant predictor across all hypotheses.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the understanding of complex dynamics involving race, perceptions of environmental justice, trust in information from institutions, risk perceptions of climate change and concerns for water and electrical infrastructure in Oklahoma.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research is part of the collective efforts of the NSF EPSCoR Socially Sustainable Solutions for Water, Carbon and Infrastructure Resilience in Oklahoma Social Dynamics team, which is comprised of researchers from Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Tulsa, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Langston University, East Central University and Noble Research Institute. The research was funded as part of the $20m NSF EPSCoR project (#1946093), which began on July 1, 2020. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education provides $800,000 annually in matching funds during the five-year award.
Citation
Sibley, M., Peach, K., León-Corwin, M., Selvakumar, P.P., Diodosio, K., Fox, A., Spurlock, C. and Olofsson, K. (2024), "Exploring risk-scapes in Oklahoma: institutional trust, environmental justice, climate change, and infrastructure", Safer Communities, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 152-170. https://doi.org/10.1108/SC-08-2023-0038
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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