Six Americas

The Six Americas studies [Leiserowitz et al., 2013] suggest that the category labeled “dismissives,” those who actively reject climate change science, might not be persuadable by any means that the science is worth learning about. Their ideological convictions and core values may simply be in conflict with the implications of the fundamental findings of climate change science. However, they are a small minority of the general population. The “doubtful, “disengaged,” and “cautious” categories in the Six Americas study might well turn out to be receptive to the contemplation and ranking approaches studied by Howell and Shepperd. In any case, the extension of their study methodology to the climate issue seems promising and worthwhile.

Insurance and economic impact

Forbes Now: Climate-Savvy Investing: Insurance Sector Is Ignoring Risks & Rewards. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw8JmT4x8

Ocean currents in addition to CO2.

Inhabitat: Climate Change Caused by Ocean Currents, New Research Shows. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIws-Kf4x8

Simulation using google mapa

Gizmodo Australia: A Street View Mashup Shows Your Suburb After Sea Levels Rise. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw2PSrsBo

Limits of language in climate change debate

Yes. Leads to gaming??

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/are-words-worthless-in-the-climate-fight/

Death of Enviornmentalism

http://thebreakthrough.org/archive/the_long_death_of_environmenta

Assign reading?

Reframing, rewording

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/us/politics/02enviro.html?_r=0

reading assignment

Fear tactic failing

http://www.globalchangeblog.com/2010/03/climate-communication-is-fear-collective-action-a-winning-strategy/

Reading assignment idea.

Threats to Norfolk

Quartz: The ocean is swallowing up Virginia so rapidly that its leaders are forgetting to bicker about climate change. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw6-ndnx8

Great stats summarizing threats to Norfolk VA, indicating it's one of the most threatened in the US.

Both sides have their faults

http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/timothy-p.-carney-yes-the-climate-is-changing.-now-shut-up-and-be-reasonable/article/2549273

Doesn't explain the claims it forwards but adequately shows gaps in claims made on each side of the debate.

Storm surge is the enemy, and SLR and Subsidence its accomplices.

http://qz.com/228284/the-ocean-is-swallowing-up-virginia-so-rapidly-that-its-leaders-are-forgetting-to-bicker-about-climate-change/

A quick synopsis of Norfolk's problems and the impact on the nation as a whole, this article does a good job of showing the worst-case scenario with all three factors at their scariest levels: subsidence, storm surge, and sea-level rise. It's main point: Norfolk is slowly becoming more and more susceptible to storm surge (the real threat).
A touch of neener-neener politics..., makes me wonder how the right would report this. Would they call it a committee on frequent flooding rather than sea level rise?

Tea Party on Global Warming Hoax

http://www.tpnn.com/2014/03/17/weather-channel-founder-explains-the-history-of-the-global-warming-hoax/

Long presentation with a low budget, trying to disprove arguments supporting humans' role in climate change.

The Economic Argument

I would appreciate more numbers here to grasp the economic impact (both in doing and NOT doing something), but a good example of the economic argument supporting mitigation efforts: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/opinion/sunday/lessons-for-climate-change-in-the-2008-recession.html?_r=1

Simulation as visualization of theory

"Theory is an abstraction of reality, a way of framing, modeling, and understanding what is observed to be happening (Littlejohn and Foss, 2011)" (Sellnow and Seeger - Theorizing Crisis Communication).
Thought: are games/simulation a theory of what they simulate?

Not real can tell us about real

Oryx and Crake, Atwood,  p. 102: "in the beginning,  there was chaos. Show us chaos, please oh snowman! Show us a picture of choas! They'd struggled with pictures at first. Is it real? No, it is not real. What is this not real? Not real can tell us about real."

Rhetorical situation.

Jimmie Killingsworth on why environmental discourse is linked to ancient concerns with communication and deliberation.  Provides rationale for my class/dissertation. 

LiDAR

Compare to other flood maps. Looks like the most photorealistic on the market.

Audience wants solutions

According to chat with media specialist for Georgetown Climate center, audiences can only be educated so much. At a point it becomes depressing and exasperating. Audiences want solutions and they want to be heard.

SWaTH Network

Data analyzed by FEMA or other orgs to consider allocation of resources and loss assessment. Modelers need additional data such as wetlands or other specific landforms.
Info is dated because they have to go collect it. There's a push for realtime info.
USGs stormtide map: can pull up current and historic data.

ClimateCentral

Interactive Web tools: Western wildfire, storm and sewage, heat across the nation, and sea level rise/coastal flooding. Can be used as a point of reference.
Maps are a "rough cut" as there are many factors: tidal/storm surge, rainfall.
Social vulnerability layer? Used by NOAA to measure community ability to respond to flood.
Property value: based on 2008/9 #s (really?)
Forecasting method: they recognize there is much current research on modeling. Assuming storm trends continue, estimate risk as a baseline analysis.
Can choose different models from different sources.
Provides peer reviewed science. Have students read those docs and explore the researchers.
Federal data sets, property and infrastructure to analyze risk.
Georgetown climate change has a clearinghouse of info.

Ideas

Norfolk muni site, maps. Analyze pitfalls. Lots of info but designed for insurance. How to redesign brochures for educational purposes that might serve as a first step.

Even more data + maps!

http://www.data.gov/climate/

M0ar data!

http://www.globalchange.gov/browse/datasets

Data!

http://www.climate.gov/

Survey on sea level rise

http://surveymonkey.com/s/MTS_Adaptation
Examine for our own survey. No funding? Maybe borrow this data?

Uncertain language in CC reporting

STUDY: US Reporters Use More Weasel Words in Covering Climate Change | Mother Jones

Study on language of reporting, suggesting US uses most doubtful language.

An argument against forecasting models

The Daily Caller
Interestingly, the same dramatic tone is used to describe left-wing uses of data: we'll all freeze or starve, etc.
Argues that forecasting models are wrong, problematizing political decision-making.
Thought: use the Dr.Seuss book about two travelers who meet and refuse to step aside.
Cosmos episode on the politicizing of scientific research and lead? Just collecting ideas...

President aiming for 30% cut in emissions

Obama defends new carbon emission rules in face of mounting backlash | Environment | The Guardian
I found this to be politically balanced, showing the economic impact of a historic move toward lower emissions.  Because it shows the political debate well, it has me thinking students should base survey questions on their readings to collect opinions that will really shape the last assignment well.
What this article makes me wonder about is impact.  How will it improve environmental conditions?  Estimates? How will it impact jobs, exactly?  Estimates?  Can you estimate that accurately? Fairly?

Norfolk policy article revisited

Norfolk, VA. Going, Going, Gone Underwater.
Definitely using in class as a comparison to the other Norfolk SLR article.  As a liberal blog, the language is much more dramatic with block quotes from the other article and additional interpretation and a touch of finger pointing.

Interactive SLR Map

Surging Seas / Cities / Virginia Beach, Virginia
Definitely using in class to discuss maps as a form of visual risk communication.
This map has its usability flaws: difficulty locating a specific street, initial confusion about the meaning of the colors, lack of clear explanation on the map page. It's one of the best I've come across, though.

Norfolk discussions about retreat and adaptation.

In Norfolk, evidence of climate change is in the streets at high tide - The Washington Post

Excellent local case of an economic argument about the current impact of climate change and sea level rise and a few (just a few) efforts to adapt. Mostly it shows a negative outlook.

Agenda-driven science

ThinkProgress: Congressman Denies Manmade Climate Change, Calls It ‘An Agenda-Driven Science’ http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwpqDQrRo

Well, the science is agenda-driven, just like this article is agenda-driven, and just like all communication is agenda-driven. Of course, it is a flaw to admit he can't know the cause while denying the possibility of it being a man-made cause. Anyway, it has me wondering if there's any value in drawing attention to agenda. The congressman seems to use 'agenda' to dismiss views/theories. The writer of the article seems to do the same of the congressman, categorizing him along party lines. Anyway, this is an interesting snapshot of dismissal in the climate change argument.

Sea level rise maps

Lets the infographics do the talking, and takes a subtle verbal approach, saying that cities will likely change before sea levels rise to this extent. Wishful thinking?

http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/what-would-us-look-10-feet-sea-level-rise-20140513

Fear + Hope: Recipe of risk comm success

Fear can be useful when combined with hope. Otherwise, audiences won't respond with enough vigor. Hey look... pathos strategies in risk comm.

The New York Times: Public Attitudes About Climate Change. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw0dOZrRo

Risk Comm Pointless in Climate Change?

The New York Times: A Risk Analyst Explains Why Climate Change Risk Misperception Doesn’t Necessarily Matter. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwoO-0rho
This article points to some interesting names to follow up on: Andrew Revkin amd his TedTalkx in Portland on inconvenient minds, David Ropeik and How risky is it really? and the importance of risk perception for effective communication of climate change, Dan Cahan and cultural cognition,  Paul Slovic and Baruch Fischhof and what makes things scary, as well as so much more.

Environmental hysteria

Reason: Earth Daze: Overcoming Environmental Hysteria. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw7sa4rho
Stossel tries to diminish arguments made in favor of climate law by questioning the agenda of the scientists responsible for risk communication, eager to press their thumb down on the scale. Makes me consider a lesson on stakeholder agendas to help unpack the debates for students.

Victim-oriented crisis management

Star Tribune: Movers & Shakers: James Lukaszewski, The Lukaszewski Group. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwjtzroho
Manage the victim,  and the perceived crisis is contained. Probably more details in his book, I'd wager.

Politics and Climate Laws

The New York Times: Political Rifts Slow U.S. Effort on Climate Laws. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwk_i8rRo

I felt this article lacked an important element: it assumes the reader believes coal and oil are significantly impacting climate change and fails to offer any sources that can speak to the level of impact they have. It does point to the UN expressing the need for government action across the globe, Democrat presidents' efforts to act, and Republican resistance. 

Economic argument re:climate change

thestar.com: Canadian economy will lose billions to climate change: report. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwsMK6rAk
I've heard of this strategy for communicating climate change: the economic approach. I hope to find samples related to Hampton Roads. I wonder if they are more effective on money-minded audiences who respond more to dollar figures. The investment stat that appears at the end is persuasive and invites a response. investing in efforts now leads to money saved later. Compelling, but not so effective left there at the end.

Two Americas and Absolutism

Nation Now: Climate Change Is Here—It’s Too Late for Pessimism. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwz_fRrAk

I'm preparing for a course on crisis communication and climate change, and I'm testing blogs for an assignment.  I also see this space as an opportunity to organize articles and concepts for class.
This article points to a series on Showtime that I should check out, called Living Dangerously. It also contains two themes I've seen before: 1) audiences or types, but they boil it down to two Americas, those that care and believe and those that don't; and 2) a shift in discourse away from qualified language to absolute language among researchers.  I just wonder if a shift is really occurring.  As long as I can remember,  I've known a sense of certainty in the reporting of climate change data in popular sources.