The latest issue of Terra, Oregon State University’s research quarterly, looks at how OSU scientists are working to help the state and region improve the capacity and ability to respond to a changing climate.
Among the articles is a feature by Joe Cone, Oregon Sea Grant’s assistant director and communications leader, about the challenges of communicating climate science to lay audiences, even in coastal communities that stand to suffer the most from sea level rise and other results of climate change.
The article is based on Cone’s NOAA-funded research, with collaborators in Maine, into the concerns of people and communities around the subject, and how their personal beliefs and attitudes can shape their approach to climate information.
Cone’s research led to a series of publications aimed at scientists, educators, science writers and others involved in communicating with the public about climate change and other complex science topics:
- Mental Models Interviewing for More Effective Science Communication
- Structured Decision Making: Using Decision Research to Improve Stakeholder Participation and Results
- Public Outreach and Behavior Change: An Annotated Reference Guide for Outreach Practitioners
- Hold that Thought! Questioning Five Common Assumptions about Communicating with the Public
- Expand Your View: Insights for Public Communicators from Behavioral Research
- An Analysis of a Survey of Oregon Coast Decision Makers Regarding Climate Change
