Communicating Climate Change

Dr. Maibach is a professor in the Department of Communication at George Mason University and also the director of the Center of Excellence in Climate Change Communication Research. Among topics of our conversation are a communication model which he has been developing, the results of a recent and very large climate survey he conducted, and Americans’ perceptions of the threat from global warming.

As with the conversation with Baruch Fischhoff (below), this one is divided into two parts. Both parts are linked here in this one post.

Episode 6: Ed Maibach

Part one (duration: 15:57)

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Part two (duration: 17:57)

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Here’s the shorter, second part of the conversation with Dr. Fischhoff, in which he discusses a range of intriguing topics, including whether climate change is different in kind, or only degree, from other communication challenges; the role of emotions in decision making; and panic and human resiliency.

Although this part could be listened to independently of the first part (Episode 4), the conversation tends to build on what came before, and the listener is encouraged to hear the previous episode first. As before, a table of contents with time indicators is provided for those who want to hear a particular topic.

Episode 5: Baruch Fischhoff, part two (duration: 14:45)

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Episode 4 is the first part of a two-part conversation with Dr. Baruch Fischhoff of Carnegie Mellon University. A prominent national expert on risk analysis and communication, Fischhoff makes a persuasive case for a “nonpersuasive” approach when communicating with the public about scientific and technical issues such as climate change.

Episode 4: Baruch Fischhoff, part one (duration: 23:54)

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Journalists covering climate or topics related to this podcast are invited to contact the producer for referrals to the podcast interviewees who have agreed to be contacted by journalists.

My email:
joe.cone@oregonstate.edu

Dr. Chess is a human ecologist at Rutgers University who studies public participation in government decision-making. In our conversation, she offers insights about effective public participation and also highlights challenges, including those associated with climate change.

While the conversation would be ideal to hear as a continuous whole, for those who like to jump to topics that might be of particular interest, I’m including a table of contents with the start time and topic “headline.” Click on the link below and the table of contents will pop up in a window alongside your media player. Then use the control bar on your player to advance to the desired start time. Friendly disclaimer: I’m not responsible for missing-context effects which may occur.

• Episode 3: Caron Chess (Duration: 22:13)
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Dr. Moser is a research scientist with the Institute for the Study of Society and Environment at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She discusses communication and social change (see fuller description in “Coming Soon” post below).

• Episode 2: Susanne Moser (Duration: 25:30)
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Dr. Susanne Moser, a natural scientist, social scientist, and communicator with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, explores communication and social change, discussing such ideas as the information deficit model of communication, the social tipping point, barriers to action, and the development of positive myths and narratives. Says Moser, “The reason I think social science would be really, really helpful for communicators is that it allows us to actually be effective. To actually achieve what I assume communications can achieve. Theories and practices of communication have evolved over time. We ought to stay up with that. . . .”

In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Leiserowitz discusses insights from the study of public risk perceptions and underscores for communicators the importance of appreciating that decision-making about risk involves more than a rational process. People’s perceptions are also influenced by emotions, images, values, and experiences which they feel to be related. And he highlights just how big a change to the global economy adapting to climate change will bring: “We are talking about changing the energy foundations of modern civilization. Everything that we do, the buildings we live in, the cars we drive, the food we eat, . . the clothes you’re wearing, are all fundamentally infused at some point in their production with fossil fuel use. . . And so, we’re talking about having to re-engineer the entire global economy to a non-carbon future. That is an enormous task. And yet, it presents enormous profitable opportunities. And that’s why some of the world’s largest companies are scrambling and moving very, very fast and investing literally billions of dollars into trying to find those solutions. Because that’s ultimately what we have to do.”

Dr. Leiserowitz is director of the Yale Project on Climate Change and a research scientist who specializes in risk perception and decision-making.

• Episode 1: Anthony Leiserowitz (Duration: 26:30)
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