Big data for climate change actions and the paradox of citizen informedness

• Main Authors: LIM-WAVDE, Kustini, KAUFFMAN, Robert J.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2018
• Subjects: Big data; climate change; citizen participation; Civic and Community Engagement; Databases and Information Systems; Environmental Sciences
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/4270; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sis_research/article/5273/viewcontent/BigData_Climate_Envision_pv.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Advanced sensor technology, social media, and other information technologies have provided us with “big data” on climate change. Due to the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Climate Observing System, climate observations and records, as well as discussions on climate-related concerns such as measurement of air temperature, are widely available now. The United Nations’ Global Pulse visualises public engagement on climate change globally, with data such as the volume of climate-related tweets. Big data, data analytics, and the sharing of scientific results in the popular press have created, as a result, an unprecedented level of citizen informedness—the degree to which citizens have the necessary information to make appropriate decisions to aid in the fight against climate change. Information on climate change has become increasingly accessible for citizens over the past 10 years, through governmental information programs and reports, news and magazine articles, TV documentaries, and websites and blogs.