Many technologies proposed to address climate change, including nuclear power, lab-grown meat and direct-air carbon capture, often struggle to gain public support despite their potential benefits.
A new study suggests the key factor influencing acceptance may not be cost, risk or scientific understanding, but rather whether a technology appears natural to the public. Researchers found this tendency applies across political divides.
The power of perceived naturalness
"We found naturalness predicts support over and above a lot of other things you might think matter, like risk and benefit perceptions or how much people understand the technology," said Sarah Gonzalez-Coffin, who completed her doctorate at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The researchers also identified a practical lesson for policymakers and communicators: presenting a technology using language associated with nature can increase public trust, even when the technology itself is highly engineered.
Senior author Leaf Van Boven, a psychology professor at the university, said public reactions are often shaped less by the technology than by the way it is presented.
Why people trust what feels natural
The influence of naturalness has long been documented in psychology.
Previous research has shown that products marketed as natural are frequently viewed more favourably. Foods labelled organic are often rated as tasting better, while medical treatments described as containing ingredients found in nature are typically perceived as safer.
Earlier research by Gonzalez-Coffin found that lab grown beef often faces resistance because consumers regard it as overly artificial, despite its potential environmental advantages.
Although there is no universally accepted definition of what is natural, people generally associate the concept with minimal human intervention, familiarity and a close connection to the natural environment.
Van Boven argued that this preference appears consistently across demographic groups, regardless of gender, geography or political affiliation.
Surveying support for climate technologies
To investigate how the perception of naturalness affects attitudes towards climate solutions, researchers surveyed 1,000 adults in the United States.
Participants were asked about ten different technologies and approaches designed to reduce or remove carbon emissions, including afforestation, renewable energy, direct-air carbon capture and nuclear power.
They were also asked whether they would support the use of public funds to deploy those technologies on a large scale.
The results showed that perceptions of naturalness were the strongest predictor of support, even after researchers accounted for factors such as perceived risks, benefits, familiarity and understanding.
According to Gonzalez-Coffin, this agreement across political groups is particularly notable given the often polarised nature of climate-related debates.
Changing the language
Researchers then tested whether support could be increased by describing technologies in more nature-oriented terms.
For example, direct-air carbon capture was framed as a process that imitates natural systems by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in a manner similar to how plants absorb carbon through their leaves.
That change in wording alone resulted in higher support levels among participants.
A potential downside
The researchers noted that the appeal of naturalness can also be exploited.
Historically,tobacco companies promoted cigarettes as natural or additive-free, despite the health risks involved.
Today, businesses frequently use nature-related branding to market products as environmentally friendly, even when their overall environmental impact may not justify such claims.
The same bias can also discourage support for technologies that could play a significant role in tackling climate change, including geoengineering, nuclear energy and cultivated meat.
Van Boven argued that overcoming resistance to technologies perceived as artificial may be necessary if societies are to deploy the full range of available climate solutions.
Communicating without greenwashing
Gonzalez-Coffin stressed that the findings should not be interpreted as an endorsement of greenwashing.
Instead, she believes communicators can emphasise genuine connections between technology and nature.
One example is the design of modern wind turbine blades, which was inspired by the shape of humpback whale fins.
Highlighting authentic examples like this may help improve public understanding and acceptance without misrepresenting the technology itself.
Beyond engineering
According to the researchers, technological innovation alone is unlikely to solve climate challenges if public attitudes remain a barrier.
Gonzalez-Coffin said many of the obstacles facing climate solutions are social rather than technical, and understanding the psychology behind public acceptance could be critical for future policy and investment decisions.
Source: earth.com
