Communicating climate change

Communicating Climate Change
Group 4
Marwa Jalal, Koji Tominaga, Giovanni Romagnoni, Mazyar Yazdani, Matti Ermold
Nasa.com
Outline
Introduction-Marwa
Communication path#1-Koji
Communication path#2 –Giovanni
Communication path#3 & conclusion -Mazyar
Outline
Introduction-Marwa
Communication path#1-Koji
Communication path#2 –Giovanni
Communication path#3 & conclusion -Mazyar
Scientist address climate change by quantitative and qualitative
observations and conclusions
Both scientists and policy-makers are interested in the magnitude of
potential effects —which regions and populations will be affected?
Why? When?
Public want to know if they are going to survive climate change!
Looking to the future: challenges for scientists studying climate change and health
A.Woodward,1 J.D. Scheraga2,3
Scientist observation
Challenge #4
How tell policy
makers?
Challenge #3
Challenge #1
What to tell the
public?
What to tell the
Media?
Challenge #2
How to make the public believe
and understand?
Looking to the future: challenges for scientists studying climate change and health
A.Woodward,1 J.D. Scheraga2,3
Scientists point of view;
“When people fail to behave in ways that are in their own or society’s best—the
cause must be either a lack of relevant knowledge on their part and/or misguided
attitude” (Norgaard &Baer 2005)
”To change people’s behavior, we must provide them with the knowledge they
lack” (Nova 2011)
Public point of view;
Studies show that the public has difficulty understanding the probabilities
scientists use to estimate the potential impact of climate change (Maibach
2008).
“Public understanding of science is mediated by
interests, values, beliefs, and knowledge.”(Zher
2000)
Issues:
“Studies of public understanding of science must
be qualified by “which audience, looking for what
information?” (Zehr 2000).
Communication, then, should emphasize what we
know, rather than what we don’t know.
Outline
Introduction-Marwa
Communication path#1-Koji
Communication path#2 –Giovanni
Communication path#3 & conclusion -Mazyar
Public
MEDIA
Policy
makers
Private sector
Science
Public
MEDIA
Policy
makers
Private sector
Science
Example: UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change
http://www.hko.gov.hk/climate_chan
ge/faq/Q3_e.jpg
Example: UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change
Scientists
Literature
IPCC
Scientists
Example: UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change
Scientists
Literature
The issue here: nothing has been
achieved on the global level IPCC
Scientists
Kyoto Protocol not effective (enough)
• Many countries
exceeded the target
(e.g., Norway, Japan)
• Some withdrawal
(e.g., Canada)
• Some developed not
even part of it (e.g.,
USA)
• Developing countries
not part of it
Example: UN Framework Convention
• Scientists did their part, however
Climate
Change
• Maybe the on
problem
is the frame
work
Scientists
Literature
IPCC
Scientists
Success story: Montreal Protocol on
CFC regulation
• 1973 ozone depletion mechanisms discovered
(1995 Nobel Chemistry Prize)
• 1985 actual ozone layer depletion documented
• 1987 protocol signed
• 1989 in effect
• now almost all countries part of the protocol
•  conclusion: contribution depends on good
communication and circumstances (e.g., logistics,
political will etc.)
Outline
Introduction-Marwa
Communication path#1-Koji
Communication path#2 –Giovanni
Communication path#3 & conclusion -Mazyar
Public
MEDIA
Policy
makers
Private sector
Science
Two communication pathways:
Public
MEDIA
Policy
makers
Private sector
Science
Indirect communication:
Responses (%)
• Miscommunication: a true story?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
France
(n = 120)
Germany
(n = 187)
Mostly positive
Mostly negative
Japan
(n = 165)
UK
(n = 183)
USA
(n = 241)
Relatively balanced
No impact at all
Perceived impact of media contacts on career by country.
Peters et al., 2008
Tools for indirect communications
let’s use them!
Popular science magazines:
• PM (Germany)
• New Scientist (USA)
• Forskning och Framsteg (Sweden)
• Forskning.no (Norway)
direct communication
• we’re not good at that!
• People is interested in what affects them.
Is Climate change affecting them? Yes.
Do they know? …
Nursey-Bray et al., 2012.
A tool for direct communication
• Public consultations
• public cares about problems when it is
involved and has a role (NOT after decisons
are made)
Bubela et al., 2009
Another tool for direct communication:
• High visibility
• But controversial
Failure in communications and
solutions
• ideology, interests, relevance to public
«Cultural cognition theory»
• We need «audience research», (examples,
metaphores, frames.)
• Make your science relevant to everyday’s life!
Kahan, 2011; Bubela et al., 2009
How are NCoEs doing?
• Interaction with stakeholders
• Indirect communication (media)
• but no direct communication to the public!
Maybe there is scope for…
• Public consultations?
• Course in communication for young scientists:
to public, other scientists, etc.
Outline
Introduction-Marwa
Communication path#1-Koji
Communication path#2 –Giovanni
Communication path#3 & conclusion -Mazyar
lobbies
Media
Policy makers
•
•
•
•
Scientists
Public
Other path: Policy makers – Scientists – public
Unwelcomed scientists to policy makers circle (unfamiliar & uncertain findings)
Practical steps such as workshop (2 days WSH for policy makers and ecologists, UK 2006)
Current scheme for fund application (strengthening public out-research)
: to get closer, clarification, highlight important issues, more fund opportunities, etc.
• Influence of private sector on policy makers (e.g., lobbyist)
• Example: car in India (1st lecture), industrial lobbies against C emission limit
Public
MEDIA
Policy
makers
Private sector
Science
Conclusion
•
Scientists
Policy makers
Contribution depends on good communication &
circumstances
Public
Improvement in
•
•
Media
Scientists
Public
Policy makers
Media
Policy makers
Scientists
Direct communication
Indirect communication
Public
• scientists unfamiliar & uncertain findings tp PMs
• Practical steps required such as workshop
• Influence of private sector
Questions
Group 4: The role/importance of communication
1. Is climate science being communicated appropriately and sufficiently to the public and to
policy makers?
2. Are scientists sufficiently informed of the priorities for climate research?
3. What is the role of science and communication in climate change adaptation/policy?
4. How can communications be improved (among all sectors) and what are some practical
steps for achieving this?
5. Outline the implementation of a more coherent communication plan which could be
implemented by the NCoE or any other scientific body focused on climate change issues.
Thank you for your attention
Literature
Peters, H. P., Brossard, D., Cheveigné, S. D., Dunwoody, S., Kallfass, M., Miller, S., and Tsuchida, S. 2008. Interactions with the Mass Media. Science 321, 2-3.
Nursey-Bray, M. et al. 2012. Communicating climate change: Climate change risk perceptions and rock lobster fishers, Tasmania. Marine Policy 36, 3,753–759
Kahan, T. 2011. Journal of Risk Research 14, 147-74 Lewis, S.L. 2010. How to beat the media in the climate street fight. Nature 468, 7 Bubela, T et al. 2009.
Science communication reconsidered. Nature Biotechnology 27, 514 - 518
Woodward A., Scheraga JD, CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN HEALTH, 2001, Looking to the future: challenges for scientists studying climate change and
health
IRENE LORENZONI and NICK F. PIDGEON, Climatic Change (2006) 77: 73–95, PUBLIC VIEWS ON CLIMATE CHANGE: EUROPEAN AND USA PERSPECTIVES
Communication and Marketing As Climate Change–Intervention Assets A Public Health Perspective, Edward W. Maibach, Connie Roser-Renouf,
Anthony Leiserowitz, (Am J Prev Med 2008;35(5):488–500) © 2008 American Journal of Preventive Medicine
International Energy Agency (IEA/OECD) 2011. CO2 emissions from fuel combustions: highlights. Available online.
MGupta et al. 2007. Policies, instruments and co-operative arrangements. In Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth
Assessment REport of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
.
Lewis, Simon L. 2010. How to beat the media in the climate change streeet fight. Nature 468: 7
Strydom WF et al (2006) “The identification of 100 ecological questions of high policy relevance in the UK”, Journal of Applied Ecology, 43 (4): 617-627
Strydom WF et al (2010) “Evidence-based policymaking: A review South African Journal of Science 106(5/6)
Zher SC, Public representations of scientific uncertainty about global climate change, Public Understand. Sci. 9 (2000) 85–103. Printed in the UK PII:
S0963-6625(00)11933-2
Course lectures: BIO9905CEES1 - Effect Studies and Adaptation to Climate Change
Discussion
• Further points of reflections:
• incorporating the «what if i’m wrong» part into
management advice
• Reccomandation for the future work:
• Understanding what other climate change scientists do
and mean
• What can NCoE do?  public consultation; course for
students. In particular: how to make your work sexy;
how to communicate between scientists
Tools that already exists
• Department of communication at OiU
• Responsible for public relation and press
communication
• Contact person:marina.tofting@admin.uio.no
• Course on scientific communication
• KJM4020 - Scientific communication
• http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/index.h
tm
Findings:
1) Need of direct connections between science
and public
 how? One way: public consultations
• Reaching the audience (making it interesting)
• Development of public education and
involvement (consensus conference) focused
on relationship-building and trust-building
2) Need to improve existing channels (media)
how? Learn to talk to media! (courses? PR office)
• Science communication supported by audience
research exploring alternative storyline
(metaphres, examples, frames) paperLorenzoni
• Educationg students to communication (courses
in communicating science)