DepolarizingClimateConversationsAaron HuertasScience Communications Officer

twitter.com/aaronhuertas ahuertas@ucsusa.org

• Why do some people reject climate science?• Why do some people who accept it feel

hopeless?• How can scientists help people overcome

these biases?

Shifting public opinion on climate change: an empirical assessment of factors influencing concern over climate change in the U.S., 2002–2010Robert J. Brulle, Jason Carmichael, J. Craig Jenkins Climatic Change 03 Feb 2012

Los Angeles Times political cartoon 9/26/2012 Finding it really hard to source this one!

Huertas A., Kriegsman R. Science or Spin: Assessing the Accuracy of Cable News Coverage of Climate Science 2013ucsusa.org/scienceorspin

Hierarchical Egalitarian

Archives.gov

Risk and Culture: An Essay on the Selection of Technological and Environmental Dangers, Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky 1982

Centurion Health Corporation

Communitarian

High Country Press

Individualist

Kahan, Dan M., Jenkins-Smith, Hank and Braman, Donald, Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus (February 7, 2010). Journal of Risk Research, Vol. 14, pp. 147-74, 2011

Egalitarian Communitarian Hierarchical Individualist0

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Perceptions of Scientific Agreement on Climate Change

Expertsagree

Expertsdisagreeor are divided

Scientists need to stay true to the science

AND

They have to respect the fact that people have different values and political ideologies

“As scientists, we’re the map makers. As policymakers, you’re the navigators…” -- marine science and chemistry professor David Hastings (Eckerd College in Florida)

• “Climate change threats to our coasts”• OR• “Coastal hazards: erosion, storms,

development and rising seas”

How is your talk being promoted?

Sequencing – When to bring up climate?

• Climate change is a hazard on our coasts• We’ve tracked 10 inches of sea-level rise

historically• We have a best estimate of 1.3 feet of sea-

level rise by 2050• This is happening alongside coastal threats

from erosion, development, storms

• We’re already dealing with coastal threats from erosion, development, storms

• We’ve tracked 10 inches of sea-level rise historically

• We best estimate of 1.3 feet of sea-level rise by 2050

• So climate change is an additional hazard on our coasts that we can prepare for

Sequencing – When to bring up climate?

“The impacts of climate change may increase the frequency, scale, and complexity of future missions…” – Department of Defense Quadrennial Defense Review

Military Voices

“Climate change is a national security challenge…it will affect the type, scope, and location of future Navy missions.” – U.S. Navy Climate Change Roadmap

Businesses

“There is growing recognition that addressing the risk of climate change will require significant efforts by both the developed and the developing world.” – Exxon-Mobil

“We realize we need to prepare for a future when carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced.” – Duke Energy

“Energy and climate represent two of the most important business challenges of this century….” – General Electric

Freedom and Taxes

Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Green Tea Coalition (image from Green Tea’s facebook profile)

Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Theleek.com

ucsusa.org/playingwithfire

Pricing carbon can be seen through multiple political lenses

Point to “First Responders” in Action

UCS: Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, 2007

Emphasize Choices, Not Inevitability

CarbonBrief.org

Point to Movement, Along with Adequacy

ucsusa.org

Sanford et al. NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE | VOL 4 | MARCH 2014

UCSUSA.ORG/ScienceNetwork

twitter.com/aaronhuertas / ahuertas@ucsusa.org

Extra Slides on Dealing with Misinformation

CDC, Flu Vaccine Facts & Myths

CDC, Flu Vaccine Facts & Myths

Percent of Older Subjects Remembering False Claims as True

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Skepticalscience.com

Skepticalscience.com

UCS background briefing to media on climate misconceptions