astronomy

Lorraine Whitmarsh

Lorraine Whitmarsh is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lorraine Whitmarsh rather than just read about it. In short: Lorraine Elisabeth Whitmarsh is a British psychologist and environmental scientist at the University of Bath. She serves as Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations.

Key takeaways

Lorraine Whitmarsh belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lorraine Whitmarsh to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lorraine Whitmarsh from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lorraine Elisabeth Whitmarsh is a British psychologist and environmental scientist at the University of Bath. She serves as Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations. Her research considers how the public engage with climate change, energy and transport.

Early life and education Whitmarsh was an undergraduate student at the University of Kent, where she studied theology and religious studies. As a graduate student, Whitmarsh studied psychology at the University of Bath. Her doctoral research considered the public understanding of climate change in Southern England. She moved to the University of East Anglia as a research associate in 2005, where she spent four years.

Research and career Whitmarsh joined the faculty at Cardiff University in 2009, where she was promoted to Professor in 2015. In 2014, Whitmarsh was awarded a European Research Council Starting Grant to investigate low carbon lifestyles. Whitmarsh was later awarded a European Research Council Consolidator Grant where she studied the moments that cause pro-environmental behaviour shifts. Whitmarsh moved to the University of Bath in 2020, where she was made a Professor of Environmental Psychology. She leads the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation, which considers how society must adapt to reduce emissions. In particular, Whitmarsh has focussed on mobility, food, insulation and material consumption. Whitmarsh has argued that psychologists can effectively communicate the risks associated with climate change, as well as helping people to mitigate hyperthermia or natural disasters. She has worked with city councils to design interventions that encourage low-carbon travel, as well as supporting the roll-out of infrastructure changes such as cycle paths. Whitmarsh was involved with the UK Climate Assembly, a citizen science engagement process that looked to take public opinion on climate change to the Government of the United Kingdom. Whitmarsh has contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and served as a lead author for the IPCC Working Group II. She serves on the advisory team of the parliamentary group for a green new deal. Whitmarsh was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to social research in climate change, energy and transport.

Selected publications Irene Lorenzoni; Sophie Nicholson-Cole; Lorraine Whitmarsh (August 2007). "Barriers perceived to engaging with climate change among the UK public and their policy implications". Global Environmental Change. 17 (3–4): 445–459. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2007.01.004. ISSN 0959-3780. Wikidata Q58485807. Lorraine Whitmarsh; Saffron O'Neill (September 2010). "Green identity, green living? The role of pro-environmental self-identity in determining consistency across diverse pro-environmental behaviours". Journal of Environmental Psychology. 30 (3): 305–314. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.01.003. ISSN 0272-4944. Wikidata Q57936909. Lorraine Whitmarsh (May 2011). "Scepticism and uncertainty about climate change: Dimensions, determinants and change over time". Global Environmental Change. 21 (2): 690–700. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.01.016. ISSN 0959-3780. Wikidata Q57072910.

Books Engaging the public with climate change : behaviour change and communication. Lorraine Whitmarsh, Saffron O'Neill, Irene Lorenzoni. New York, NY. 2015. ISBN 978-1-138-86690-4. OCLC 909323245.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lorraine Whitmarsh

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lorraine Whitmarsh claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lorraine Whitmarsh before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lorraine Whitmarsh ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lorraine Whitmarsh

In research: Lorraine Whitmarsh appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lorraine Whitmarsh in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lorraine Whitmarsh is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Academics of the University of Bath, Alumni of the University of Bath, Alumni of the University of Kent, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lorraine Whitmarsh outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lorraine Whitmarsh in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lorraine Whitmarsh means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lorraine Whitmarsh out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lorraine Whitmarsh in simple terms?

Lorraine Elisabeth Whitmarsh is a British psychologist and environmental scientist at the University of Bath. She serves as Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations.

Why does Lorraine Whitmarsh matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lorraine Whitmarsh?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lorraine Whitmarsh.