Climate News: The Most Plentiful Resource

A “Two Step Flow of Popularization” for Climate Change: Recruiting Opinion-Leaders for Science – Matthew Nisbet. Climate change has run into a problematic communications set-up. People seem generally misinformed and the media has done poor and often biased coverage of the scientific consensus, yet serious action is needed now. To resolve that issue, Nisbet suggests opinion-leaders in local communities could be responsible for triggering mobilization.

Nisbet also stirred up some controversy through a piece he did in Science with Chris Mooney… RealClimate even took an angle!

Sticky Notes – David Roberts interviews Chip Heath, co-author of Made to Stick. Offering a second option for solving the communications problem, Chip Heath, who has made an academic career specializing in messaging and advising non-profits, essentially recommends an image or idea that is sure to ‘stick’ in people’s heads for the long struggle to come.

Speaking of communicating messages better, Jim Hansen has recently submitted a paper, “Scientific reticence and sea level rise.” Here’s the report’s abstract:

I suggest that a “scientific reticence” is inhibiting communication of a threat of potentially large sea level rise. Delay is dangerous because of system inertias that could create a situation with future sea level changes out of our control. I argue for calling together a panel of scientific leaders to hear evidence and issue a prompt plain-written report on current understanding of the sea level change issue.

ClimateProgress elaborates on the point Hansen raises.

Also check out Jim Hansen at a National Press Club and American University event. Perhaps his presentation could take some tips from Gore’s PowerPoint?