Gambling, literally, on climate change

Surveys suggest that more than a third of Americans believe the seriousness of global warming is exaggerated, and only about half say climate change is a serious threat to the country's well being, with Republicans much more likely to be skeptical.

Researchers at Columbia Business School and Northwestern University think inaction on climate change is in part due to this skepticism. In a study published this month, those researchers found that individuals who participated in a "climate prediction market"—that is, bet money on weather- and climate-related events like heat waves and wildfires shifted their opinions on climate change.

Today, we speak with one of the authors of that study, Professor Sandra Matz, about lessons from this study and their idea for a scaled-up "climate prediction market."

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