SGER: Development of a Research Agenda on the Communication of Climate Change Science Across Disciplines

<p>What is the greenhouse effect and what does it mean for present and future generations of Californians? The news about climate change is constant and a bit confusing. Reports indicate there is close to a consensus among scientists that the earth is getting warmer, that people contribute to that warming, and that the effects over time are significant. Some changes are good; most appear to be undesirable. At the same time, other information suggests that some important scientists are not concerned. How can we understand better the risks and potential benefits that climate change brings? This project involves the sharing of information between social and earth scientists to determine better the nature of the difficulties in communicating climate change research results to policy makers. The intellectual contribution of the project includes enhancement of knowledge about obstacles to interdisciplinary research in many areas with climate change as a case study. The challenges of social and natural scientists to work together on important environmental problems are well known. Although both groups recognize the need on each side and the value of appreciating each other's perspectives, they also recognize the serious obstacles to integrating their knowledge into results that can be more valuable to society's needs. These include: -Meeting specialization -Methods differences and priorities in choosing -Organizational boundaries -Vocabularies and the continuing refinement of those vocabularies In addition the project will connect leading figures in the climate change and risk communication fields to the public including leading California policymakers to increase their understanding of a major environmental issue and to promote outreach of science to various publics. </p>