Ecologists communicating about global climate change: audience, behavior, and process

Background/Question/Methods   Communicating about global climate change (GCC) is difficult; changing attitudes and developing policy are even more so. Issues of reality, veracity, consensus, impact, probability, planning, and implementation confound an already complex subject. Scientists expect rational responses—and expect them to occur within reasoned contexts, but non-science communities absorb, interpret, and process information in very different ways. Developing effective policy will require effective communication. We offer a framework based on identification of audience, examination of decision-making methods, and the contexts surrounding policy implementation. We need to attend to Norbert Weiner's articulation to both tailor the message to the audience and adjust depending on feedback. Public communication and engagement efforts must recognize that people exhibit different psychological, cultural, and political reasons for acting – or not acting. Maibach has identified six unique American audiences that responded to GCC in a distinctly different ways. Thus, success will require adjustment of information and approach for educational and outreach efforts. We must also be aware of the biases and framework of our approach; our most common presentation experiences are with science-literate audiences or in science classrooms with repeated contact. While ecologists are generally familiar with how individuals make decisions (optimization and satisficing), understanding of decision-making processes by groups is far less common. This literature can inform communication strategies that ultimately result in effective environmental policy. Although often simplified into a cash (lobbyists and political donations) vs. clout (voting blocks and advocacy groups) dichotomy, the processes of policy-making and implementation are notoriously complex. The roles of regional level (local, state, federal), political system (democracy, monarchy, etc to be simplistic), political structure (unicameral, bicameral, etc.), players (types, numbers and roles of parties), and even legacies can all also influence how policy is made and implemented. Similarly, reaching out to diverse audiences such as local environmental justice-impacted communities or religious organizations requires an understanding of the culture, needs, motivation and terminology.

Results/Conclusions   With acknowledgment of the complexity of the audience and process comes recognition that educational and outreach efforts cannot follow a single form. Given limited resources of time and funding, we cannot tailor approaches for every community, but can apply our research savvy to learn from communication studies and partnerships with experts in messaging to our desired target audience. We must also begin analyses to group individuals and communities by common audience themes, group dynamics, and political processes.