1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 1 Communicating Climate Science Kevin Rosseel Communications Director Climate Change Division U.S. EPA Washington, DC

2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 2 Presentation overview  What is EPA’s Climate Change Division?  Climate change science communications  Challenges of communicating climate science  Communications approaches and resources

3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 3 What is EPA’s Climate Change Division? What is EPA’s Climate Change Division?

4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 4 ‘The organization’

5 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 5 CCD’s mission CCD works to assess and address climate change and the associated risks to human health and the environment. We play a key role in U.S. and international efforts to address climate change through: –voluntary programs to reduce non-CO2 emissions; –analysis of CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and economically efficient reduction and adaptation options; –communication of climate analyses and strategies to policy- makers, experts, and U.S. climate negotiators; –building international capacity to analyze and reduce GHG emissions and associated air pollution; and –education of the public on climate change.

6 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 6 Climate change science communications Climate change science communications

7 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 7 Growing public awareness

8 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 8 Who are the audiences?  Individual citizens  Civic and environmental organizations  ‘The media’  Television  Radio  Newspapers, magazines, science and trade journals  International audiences  Just about anyone!

9 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 9 Challenges of communicating climate science Challenges of communicating climate science

10 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 10 How do climate questions come into EPA? In any way imaginable Phone calls s to web sites and EPA personnel Written correspondence Media inquiries – deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. inquiries responses

11 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 11 What kinds of science questions do we get? What’s the difference between ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change’? Is climate change just a hoax? Is the science credible? What is the background on climate change science? How much CO 2 and other greenhouse gases do we emit? Was this flood, hurricane, drought, caused by global warming? How will climate change affect me? What does all this science mean? I don’t understand it. ?? ? ? ?

12 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 12 Communications approaches and resources Communications approaches and resources

13 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 13 General approaches Provide accurate and timely information – suited to your audience. Use compelling graphics. Explain that while scientific certainty has grown substantially, projections at the local level are not necessarily available. Let the inquirer know that there are actions we can take to address climate change.

14 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 14 Carbon dioxide concentrations

15 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 15 Carbon dioxide concentrations

16 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 16 Carbon dioxide concentrations

17 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 17 Various ways to present data: Methane concentrations Source: See EPA climate change website; data from a variety of sources.

18 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 18 Source: NASA So many data…

19 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 19 Climate science: Impacts Climate Changes Temperature Sea Level Rise Precipitation Erosion and inundation of coastal lands Costs of protecting vulnerable lands Coastal Areas Geographic range Health, composition, and productivity Forest Impacts Crop yields Irrigation demand Pest management Agriculture Weather-related deaths Infectious diseases Air quality - respiratory illnesses Health Impacts Loss of habitat and diversity Species range shifts Ecosystem services Ecosystems Changes in precipitation, water quality, and water supply Water Resources

20 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 20 Information and communications resources Contacts at EPA Headquarters and Regions EPA and other web sites, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Your own networks of climate contacts Local academics and speakers IPCC

21 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 21 EPA’s climate change web site

22 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Climate Change Division 22 Kevin Rosseel Communications Director Climate Change Division U.S. EPA Thank you! Contact information