Warming World: Tools to help broadcasters discuss a changing climate (256)

Sean Sublette, Climate Central, Princeton, New Jersey

Bernadette Placky, Climate Central

 

Abstract:

 

The last four years have been the warmest in the global record. Heavy rain events and coastal flooding are also on the rise. Increasingly, the public has questions and concerns about climate change. According to a Yale and George Mason University survey, 58% of Americans are convinced climate change is happening and caused by human activities, while 30% believe the causes are natural. The statistics are not uniform across all segments of American society, as 78% of Latinos are worried about climate change. As broadcast meteorologists are among the few scientists the public interact with, they are in a unique position to communicate the science to the general public. Our 60-minute session consists of three core parts. First, a climate scientist will address the current state of climate science. Second, a broadcast meteorologist will share experiences from discussing the topic on the air and on social media. Finally, we will include communication strategies for the broadcast meteorologist to use when answering viewer questions, as volume of these questions often spike during periods of high impact weather.