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.