Why is it so hard to communicate about Climate Change? What if the future depended on our communicating about this better? Two experts in science communications, Susan Joy Hassol and Dr. Edward Maibach talk about how we communicate about climate change and how we might achieve more productive dialogue, today on Planet Watch Radio.
Susan Joy Hassol is a climate change communicator, analyst, and author known for her ability to translate science into English, making complex issues accessible to policymakers and the public for more than two decades.Susan was the Senior Science Writer on all three National Climate Assessments, authoritative reports written in plain language to better inform policymakers and the public about climate change and its effects on our nation. The Third U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA), was released in May 2014. She served two terms on the Board of Directors of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and has been a Visiting Scholar at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC, as well as at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO. Among her recent publications is a February 2017 editorial in New Scientist written with Michael E. Mann, and a February 2017 Scientific American commentary entitled Climate Trumps Everything, also written with Dr. Mann. Her TED talk, ClimateTalk: Science and Solutions was published March 15, 2017. More about Susan and her work at ClimateCommunication.org
Edward Maibach – a Mason distinguished University Professor – is a communication scientist who is expert in the uses of strategic communication and social marketing to address climate change and related public health challenges. His research – funded by NSF, NASA and private foundations – focuses on public understanding of climate change and clean energy; the psychology underlying public engagement; and cultivating TV weathercasters, health professionals, and climate scientists as effective climate educators.Ed earned his PhD in communication science at Stanford University and his Masters in Public Health at San Diego State University. He currently serves as faculty at the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.