DePauw prof’s research finds link between views on climate change, race

Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Prof. Salil Benegal

A DePauw University professor’s research created some worldwide buzz on Tuesday via social media and other outlets.

The research by Salil D. Benegal, an assistant professor of political science, links attitudes on climate change and race.

“People who doubt the truth of climate change are more likely to hold racist views, a large-scale study of American attitudes has revealed,” begins a Yahoo! News report. “Researcher Salil D. Benegal at DePauw University analyzed data from American National Election Studies and Pew research. He found that Republicans with the highest level of racial resentment were 84 percent likely to dispute the idea of man-made climate change.”

The professor’s research was originally published in Environmental Politics and is featured in an article by the Sierra Club’s national magazine.

“I’m not trying to make a claim in the study that race is the single most important or necessarily a massive component of all environmental attitudes,” Benegal stated, “but it’s a significant thing that we should be looking out for.”

A graph provided by the professor models the predicted probability that a white Republican respondent (in the ANES survey) agrees with and/or endorses climate science at different levels of “racial resentment” (using the racial resentment attitude scale within the ANES).

Another recent research project co-authored by Benegal, which received significant media attention in April, found that “Republicans and independent voters were most likely to be persuaded of climate science when given correct information by a Republican politician. That especially influenced their opinions on whether climate change is serious -- by as much as 15 percent more than if they were told the correct information was from a scientist.”

Last month, the DePauw professor co-authored an op-ed in the Washington Post.

Benegal holds an M.A. in economics and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Connecticut. His research primarily examines public opinion on science, technology and environmental politics, and the psychology behind those attitudes.

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  • Where did this person come from? DePauw, why do you hire idiots like this? What a FOOL

    -- Posted by GRNT on Wed, Jun 20, 2018, at 6:21 AM
  • Are you serious? Where did this guy come from?

    -- Posted by putnamcountyproud on Wed, Jun 20, 2018, at 11:03 AM
  • In light of the current climate in Greencastle, not a good article to print at this time. Only feeds the fire.

    -- Posted by Lookout on Wed, Jun 20, 2018, at 12:05 PM
  • I read the banner today and scratch my head. Is this Greencastle or San Francisco? There are very few articles about local school boards or local news anymore. It seems as if the banner has turned into just printing press realeases for depauw and left wing groups. The only reason I keep a subscription is to see who got arrested and who is getting sued.

    -- Posted by taylortwp on Wed, Jun 20, 2018, at 1:43 PM
  • NEWS FLASH! The Greencastle City Council has been "infiltrated" by goofy DePauw staff …. one goofy member is from Wabash College. They are appointing school board members, making decisions on behalf of college fools with "special" agendas. The council is working for colleges and NOT the people of Greencastle as it should be.

    Do you know exactly who you are voting for? and what they REALLY want to do to this community? Dig deep, voters of Greencastle, they are NOT working in your favor! It is the college agenda -- much like this idiot so-called professor calling people "RAAACISTTTTTTT" if you do not think the way he does.

    Best thing is to vote these fools out ….

    -- Posted by GRNT on Wed, Jun 20, 2018, at 8:40 PM
  • *

    Sadly, I think "GRNT" might be right...

    It's just my opinion but it seems apparent to me that almost every liberal arts institution is within some form of proximity to situations they have no business being involved with. Through the blurred lines they find ways to justify and by using other bureaucratic artifacts like various forms of state appropriations, numerous ties to localized and not-so-local officials, various endowments, the flexing of coerced town ordinances or laws, and the dreaded tenure, they encroach into jurisdictions they should be barred from.

    You've seen it happen already with DePauw many times... It's happening with almost every university now. In fact, just today I saw a piece about Purdue making an announcement about replacing the traditional homecoming king and queen with the "gender-neutral" homecoming royalty.

    -- Posted by DouglasQuaid on Wed, Jun 20, 2018, at 9:44 PM
  • The true idiots are those that refuse to acknowledge that human activities do have an impact on the biosphere, including its climate.

    -- Posted by Koios on Thu, Jun 21, 2018, at 7:36 AM
  • Well, thank you erjvh for not labeling people that do not acknowledge the human impact on the biosphere as racists! We do.

    Where this goof-a** so-called professor figured racism in this is a true laugh. I do not think he understands the actual meaning of racism.

    -- Posted by GRNT on Thu, Jun 21, 2018, at 7:50 AM
  • Shame on the Banner Graphic for printing this article. Depauw has their own publications.

    -- Posted by computer on Thu, Jun 21, 2018, at 11:12 AM
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