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Communicating Climate Science

Kevin Rosseel Communications Director Climate Change Division U.S. EPA

Washington, DC

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Presentation overview

What is EPA’s Climate Change Division? Climate change science communications Challenges of communicating climate science Communications approaches and resources

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What is EPA’s ClimateChange Division?

What is EPA’s ClimateChange Division?

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‘The organization’

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CCD’s mission

CCD works to assess and address climate change and the associated risks to human health and the environment. We play a key role in U.S. and international efforts to address climate change through:

– voluntary programs to reduce non-CO2 emissions;– analysis of CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions

and economically efficient reduction and adaptation options;– communication of climate analyses and strategies to policy-

makers, experts, and U.S. climate negotiators; – building international capacity to analyze and reduce GHG

emissions and associated air pollution; and – education of the public on climate change.

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Climate change sciencecommunications

Climate change sciencecommunications

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Growing public awareness

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Who are the audiences?

Individual citizens Civic and environmental organizations ‘The media’

Television Radio Newspapers, magazines, science and trade journals

International audiences Just about anyone!

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Challenges of communicatingclimate science

Challenges of communicatingclimate science

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How do climate questionscome into EPA?

• In any way imaginable• Phone calls• Emails to web sites and EPA personnel• Written correspondence• Media inquiries – deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.

inquiries

responses

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What kinds of sciencequestions do we get?

• What’s the difference between ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change’?

• Is climate change just a hoax? Is the science credible?• What is the background on climate change science?• How much CO2 and other greenhouse gases do we emit?• Was this flood, hurricane, drought, caused by global

warming?• How will climate change affect me?• What does all this science mean? I don’t understand it.

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Communicationsapproaches and resources

Communicationsapproaches and resources

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General approaches

• Provide accurate and timely information – suited to your audience.

• Use compelling graphics.• Explain that while scientific

certainty has grown substantially, projections at the local level are not necessarily available.

• Let the inquirer know that there are actions we can take to address climate change.

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Carbon dioxideconcentrations

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Carbon dioxideconcentrations

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Carbon dioxideconcentrations

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Various ways to present data:Methane concentrations

Source: See EPA climate change website; data from a variety of sources.

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Source: NASA

So many data…

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Climate science: Impacts

Climate ChangesTemperature Sea Level Rise

Precipitation

• Erosion and inundation of coastal lands• Costs of protecting vulnerable lands

Coastal Areas

• Geographic range• Health, composition, and productivity

Forest Impacts

• Crop yields• Irrigation demand• Pest management

Agriculture

• Weather-related deaths• Infectious diseases• Air quality - respiratory illnesses

Health Impacts

• Loss of habitat and diversity• Species range shifts• Ecosystem services

Ecosystems

• Changes in precipitation, water quality, and water supply

Water Resources

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Information andcommunications resources

• Contacts at EPA Headquarters and Regions

• EPA and other web sites, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

• Your own networks of climate contacts

• Local academics and speakers

IPCC

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EPA’s climate changeweb site

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Kevin RosseelCommunications DirectorClimate Change DivisionU.S. EPA202 343-9731rosseel.kevin@epa.govwww.epa.gov/climatechange

Thank you!

Contact information