Communicating the Urgency and Agency of Climate Action
Climate change is a manmade problem and it has manmade solutions. Because we have so far failed to act with the necessary urgency, we are now faced with a climate emergency. The intensity of some climate change impacts, such as the severity of some extreme weather events, is surprising even climate scientists. Dangerous climate change is upon us. But we are not doomed. Crises can also present opportunities, if they are seized in time and with sufficient gusto. It is not too late. Every fraction of a degree matters and every action matters. The solutions are at hand; we need only implement them. The future is in our hands. This talk will discuss and demonstrate how to communicate the urgency and agency of action on climate change.
Susan Joy Hassol is the Director of Climate Communication. She is an award-winning climate change communicator and author known for her ability to translate science into English. For more than 30 years she has helped scientists communicate more effectively and provided clear information to policymakers and journalists. Susan has written and edited numerous high-level reports including the first three U.S. National Climate Assessments. She has testified to the U.S. Senate, and written an HBO documentary and popular pieces in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, and more. Susan is the recipient of the 2021 Ambassador Award from the American Geophysical Union and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her exceptional contributions to the communication of climate change science to policymakers and the public. She tweets @ClimateComms
