Summer 2010
As climate contrarians intensify their attacks on the certainty of global warming, UCS launches a campaign to focus public attention on the science—and get America working on solutions.
For centuries science has made the world a better place to live. Scientific research has helped make our food, air, and water safer and our cars and appliances cleaner and more efficient. But recently, science—particularly climate science—has become a political football. Opponents of climate action are attempting to discredit the work of climate scientists worldwide and sow confusion about global warming, which would enable them to lull the public into complacency while simultaneously weakening or shelving important climate policies at both the local and national levels.
Given the urgency of the need to reduce heat-trapping emissions and slow global warming, and the Union of Concerned Scientists’ role as an independent voice for rigorous science and practical solutions, we cannot let this misinformation go unchallenged. Our new campaign, “Weight of the Evidence: Promoting Climate Science for the Public Good,” redoubles our efforts to help climate scientists be heard, show Americans that global warming is largely the result of human activities, underscore the urgent need for action, and illustrate how our emissions choices will make a big difference. By reframing the narrative on climate change, we can help ensure that headlines focus on the science rather than the groundless claims of some politicians and pundits.
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Uncertain Doesn't Mean Unlikely Understanding the scientific context of “uncertainty” is critical in deciding what to do about climate change.
Decision makers in our society use scientific data all the time, but they risk making bad decisions if they fail to take the unknown into account. For instance, if uncertainty about the severity of future flooding is understated, city planners could build a levee too low to protect their communities. So climate scientists use precise terminology to describe uncertainty: a “very likely” outcome, for example, is one that has a greater than 90 percent chance of occurring. Similarly, climate data or projections in which scientists have “very high confidence” will be correct at least 9 out of 10 times. Climate-change deniers take this language out of context and argue that because the science is not completely certain, there is no need to take action. But the reality is that scientists know a great deal about climate change. According to their research, it is very likely (more than 90 percent probable) that human activities are the main reason for the rise in global temperatures over the past 50 years. The uncertainty that scientists raise when discussing future warming—how much temperatures will rise and how severe the impacts will be—has little to do with the integrity of climate models or theories, which are based on historical data, but rather with the unpredictable nature of our own actions. The choices we make in the next decade or so relating to our heat-trapping emissions will determine whether or not we can prevent catastrophic climate change. |
Out of the Laboratory, into the Limelight
The United States is home to thousands of experts on climate science who have given us valuable insights into the impacts of warmer temperatures. Because these scientists are our best resource for disproving fallacies about global warming and helping the public and the media understand the truth, UCS is going to promote them and their work via a two-step approach.
First, we are providing communications support for a team of leading climate scientists to engage effectively with the media. We show scientists how to present their findings articulately and memorably, how to handle hostile interviews, and how to respond to personal attacks. Second, we are creating opportunities for these scientists to meet with print and broadcast reporters, producers, and editors. In these interviews and press conferences, as well as in op-eds and letters to the editor, we are making sure that the latest research findings are communicated in a timely manner and put in the proper context.
Armed with the Facts
For years UCS has been a trusted source of information on the science behind global warming and on the environmental and economic benefits of reducing heat-trapping emissions. Now, as part of our Weight of the Evidence initiative, we are producing informative news digests and backgrounders on such topics as how global warming can worsen allergies, how warmer temperatures are responsible for episodes of heavier rain and snow, and what “certainty” means to climate scientists (see sidebar at right). These documents are available at www.ucsusa.org/evidence.
And, to prevent the distorted or even patently false claims of climate contrarians from spreading, we are monitoring news websites and blogs for such claims and have encouraged a volunteer team of independent climate experts and graduate students to respond with the facts immediately and effectively. Fabrications and distortions that have received a significant amount of publicity are critiqued in our online Fact Checker articles (www.ucsusa.org/factchecker).
The People behind the Science
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Cameron Wake (left) and Julia Cole (right) are just two of the climate experts UCS has profiled as part of our Weight of the Evidence campaign. |
We have also begun writing profiles of some of the dedicated researchers working to understand the causes and consequences of our changing climate, and whose findings are critical to informing policy decisions the United States needs to make. Our profiles (which will be featured on the UCS website, certain media outlets including Grist, and in an upcoming ad campaign) show why these scientists have devoted their lives to improving our environment, and provide a glimpse into their groundbreaking research.
For example, Julia Cole, a geologist at the University of Arizona, is analyzing the changing climate in the desert Southwest by studying the layers of evidence preserved in cave stalagmites. Above ground, Cameron Wake, a professor at the University of New Hampshire, scales treacherous terrain to unlock the climatic evidence locked inside glacial ice.
How You Can Help
Keeping up with the torrent of fabrications and distortions about global warming will continue to be a challenge as opponents of climate and energy legislation become more desperate. We need the help of all our supporters—scientists and nonscientists alike—to defend climate science, educate friends and family about the urgency of climate action, and call for strong policies to reduce heat-trapping emissions.
| In this issue of Catalyst:
> The Weight of the Evidence |
The Weight of the Evidence campaign offers a variety of ways to get involved. Visit our campaign home page at www.ucsusa.org/evidence to get updates on our efforts, download news digests and background information to share with your community, read profiles of America’s climate scientists, or alert us to misrepresentations about global warming in the media. Together we can help shift the national debate back to what matters: ensuring a safer environment for future generations by quickly implementing strong climate and energy solutions based on the best available science.
