| July 10, 2010 |  |
UCS Mounts New National Ad Campaign to Bring Climate Scientists' Personal Stories Directly to the Public
WASHINGTON (July 11, 2010) – The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) today launched a national advertising campaign as part of a broader effort to showcase the dedication and personal histories of scientists studying climate change. The campaign, titled “Curious for Life,” depicts future scientists -- as kids -- exhibiting enthusiasm for discovering the natural world. The ads are a highly visible part of the organization’s effort to educate the public about the work scientists undertake in their efforts to document and understand human-caused global warming.
Copies of the ads and profiles of individual climate scientists are available on UCS’s website.
“People like science and scientists, but they often don’t have a good idea of who they are as people,” said UCS President Kevin Knobloch. “Most scientists are motivated by an innate, lifelong curiosity. Because of their curiosity, we know more about our natural world than ever before.”
“Scientists often talk about their work, but we hear far less about what led them to track our warming planet,” said Charlie Cardillo, creative director at Underground*, the agency that produced the ads for UCS. “The public benefits greatly from the work of these dedicated individuals, and these ads capture who they are at heart – the curious kids who were always trying to figure out the world around them.”
The ads feature: David Inouye, a University of Maryland researcher who studies climate change’s effect on wildflowers, insects and birds; Julia Cole, a University of Arizona geologist who hunts for clues about past climate change in caves; and Cameron Wake, a University of New Hampshire scientist who studies glaciers and ice core samples.
Print ads will appear in national, regional and local publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times and Portland Press Herald. Online ads will run on the websites of number of newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Indianapolis Star and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The campaign will also run in the Washington, D.C. subway system.
The overarching UCS campaign seeks to educate the public about climate science in a new way in light of the baseless attacks on climate scientists over the last few years. These attacks are just the most recent example of industry-funded campaigns to harass scientists. A new book, “Merchants of Doubt,” by historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, recounts the litany of personal attacks by industry-backed sources to discredit scientists who study ozone pollution, acid rain, the health hazards of smoking, and climate change.
“Climate researchers are hardworking individuals at the cutting edge of science who dedicate their lives to learning all they can about the global warming now underway,” said Knobloch. “We thought it was time the public heard more from scientists directly.”
UCS believes the campaign will further bolster the public’s high regard for scientists. According to a July 2009 survey by the Pew Center for People and the Press and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 84 percent of Americans see science as having a mostly positive effect on society and 93 percent say scientists contribute to the well being of society, as much as medical doctors, teachers and members of the military.
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
