Transcript torok_commclimate

Communicating climate change
•Communicating scenarios
•Country-country media differences
•Communication challenges
•What can we do?
Dr Simon°Torok
External Communications Manager
Communicating climate change
•Communicating scenarios
UKCIP02 scenarios
Watch out for the
alligators in
'Everglades' Britain
CLIMATE 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
 Political editor
 ‘Scenarios’ only mentioned
once (in report title)
 Telling a story, painting a
picture
 Regional comparisons
misleading
 Nothing is off the record
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."
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