Communicating climate change

Dr Simon°TorokExternal Communications Manager

•Communicating scenarios

•Country-country media differences

•Communication challenges

•What can we do?

Communicating climate change

•Communicating scenarios

UKCIP02 scenarios

Political editor ‘Scenarios’ only mentioned

once (in report title)Telling a story, painting a

pictureRegional comparisons

misleadingNothing is off the record

Watch out for the alligators in 'Everglades' BritainCLIMATE change caused by greenhouse gas emissions could lead to an Everglades-style environment in Britain in which species such as alligators, salamanders and mosquitoes would thrive, according to government scientists. 14 April 2002

What do people want to know?

• Is it happening?Context of longer time scale

• Will it affect me? Importance of scenarios, clear messages

• What can I do? Individual, organisation and government Impact of actions in face of global scale, USA

Communicating climate change

•Country-country media differences

Storms are Man's fault, says Prince

THE storms lashing Britain are, like the BSE disaster, the result of mankind's "arrogant disregard" for the delicate balance of nature, the Prince of Wales said yesterday.

The Prince's comments show him firmly on the side of scientists who point to the worsening intensity of winter downpours as evidence that man-made global warming has already begun, and tacitly out of sympathy with the fuel tax protesters. Scientists who point to measurable changes in the climate over the last century as visible signs of global warming avoid attributing any particular storm or weather event to global warming because the climate will always be variable.

"Some recent occurrences such as the BSE disaster and even perhaps - dare I mention it - the present severe weather conditions in our country are, I have no doubt, the consequences of mankind's arrogant disregard of the delicate balance of nature. There is no doubt that we live in an age of unprecedented, and sometimes terrifying, technological advance where the speed of advance so often outstrips the necessary ethical considerations."

 

Tuesday 7 November 2000, Daily Telegraph

Sydney Morning Herald, 5 January 2001

The Australian, 21 November 2000

Reasons for differences• Scientists?

We’re all saying the same thing

• Political? Kyoto Protocol stance cf US/France difference (scientific controversies/international political

issues)

• Knowledge? Weather interest El Niño, NAO

• Does it matter? Framing of international discussions (Aus Env Minister surprised by floods

question)

Communicating climate change

•Communication challenges

Source: Barbara Shackley

Challenges in communicating climate change• Language

Uncertainty meaning 99% certain vs unsure; probabilities

• Confusion with other atmospheric problems Greenhouse effect/enhanced greenhouse/global warming/climate change Climate change/ozone depletion/air pollution

• Change vs variability, weather vs climate Will a cool year be seen as things improving?

• Sceptics Takes time to respond

• Positive impacts Warming, need for personal action

Communicating climate change

•What can we do?

What can we do?• Build on knowledge

Steady reinforcement of the science

• Partnerships and briefings Networks with other organisations and interest groups

• Sceptics Going into battle if needed – the communicator’s role?

• Capitalise on windows of opportunity Current extremes aid visualisation of future impacts

• Visual impact scientific visualisation, fiction and art to bring distant, abstract concept closer

                

Janice Kerbel, Tyndall artist-in-residence