Climate Change Communication in Mexico

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Urbina-Soria ◽  
Karina Landeros-Mugica
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Forthcoming Article ◽  
Internet Portal ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
The Government

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science. Please check back later for the full article. Mexico has always stood out as an active and committed participant at international meetings on climate change; it was one of the first countries to fulfill the mandates of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and has submitted five national communications. Furthermore, in the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) held in Cancun, Mexico, in 2011, the Mexican government proposed the creation of a Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was approved and is already operating. Interest in climate change has increased within political, economic, and environmental domains. In the past, most academic and social studies focused on knowledge, beliefs, perception, and social representation of climate change, and only a few of them spoke to the communication process. Moreover, most inquiries centered on the review of literature or descriptive studies for specific samples. Specifically on climate change communication research, there is still a lot to be done; only a few studies on the subject have been completed. Most of the publications show campaigns, workshops, or educational programs that aim to increase knowledge and improve understanding of climate change. The National Strategy on Climate Change along with the Special Program on Climate Change included two lines of action: a) risk perception research and divulgation, and b) risk communication and environmental education. However, it was not until 2006 that the government started to invest in campaigns about climate change, like an internet portal, chats and workshops, stories for kids, or guides for efficient use of household energy. By 2007 and 2008, attention came not only from scientists but also from society; this was due mainly to coverage of the topic in the mass media, along with several publications for specific audiences (children, young, adults, specialists, politicians, and stakeholders). From 2008 to 2014, climate change topics were introduced in educational and cultural programs for students, especially at elementary and high school levels. Also, several publications and videos were released for the general public. In 2015, the first dialog between journalists was held to emphasize the important roll that journalists have when they broadcast scientific information. Nowadays, politicians and stakeholders are the main actors on communicating climate change, leaving academics, journalists, and broadcasters aside. Concerning the main topics, threats and disasters dominate the headlines, while information about mitigation or adaptation are hardly mentioned. Around the world, as well as in Mexico, there is a new discourse focused on future perspectives, accountability, and social legacy instead of immediacy. Mexico has enough material and technological infrastructure: mass media, libraries, museums, communication technologies, among others. However, these have been underutilized, because mass media treatment of ecological subjects have been fugacious, irregular, and surviving, limiting their development and strengthening.

Gender differences in the climate change communication on Twitter

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 811-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Holmberg ◽  
Iina Hellsten
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
News Media ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Local Campaigns ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a study about gender differences in the climate change communication on Twitter and in the use of affordances on Twitter. Design/methodology/approach – The data set consists of about 250,000 tweets and retweets for which the authors’ gender was identified. While content of tweets and hashtags used were analysed for common topics and specific contexts, the usernames that were proportionately more frequently mentioned by either male or female tweeters were coded according to the usernames’ stance in the climate change debate into convinced (that climate change is caused by humans), sceptics, neutrals and unclear groups, and according to the type or role of the user account (e.g. campaign, organization, private person). Findings – The results indicate that overall male and female tweeters use very similar language in their tweets, but clear differences were observed in the use of hashtags and usernames, with female tweeters mentioning significantly more campaigns and organizations with a convinced attitude towards anthropogenic impact on climate change, while male tweeters mention significantly more private persons and usernames with a sceptical stance. The differences were even greater when retweets and duplicate tweets by the same author were removed from the data, indicating how retweeting can significantly influence the results. Practical implications – On a theoretical level the results increase the understanding for how women and men view and engage with climate change. This has practical implications for organizations interested in developing communication strategies for reaching and engaging female and male audiences on Twitter. While female tweeters can be targeted via local campaigns and news media, male tweeters seem to follow more political and scientific information. The results from the present research also showed that more research about the meaning of retweeting is needed, as the authors have shown how retweets can have a significant impact on the results. Originality/value – The findings contribute towards increased understanding of both gender differences in the climate change debate and in social media use in general. Beyond that this research showed how retweeting may have a significant impact on research where tweets are used as a data source.

scholarly journals An IPCC that listens: introducing reciprocity to climate change communication

2021 ◽  
Vol 168 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Dudman ◽  
Sara de Wit
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
The Public ◽  
Scientific Authority ◽  
Human Voice ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Reliable Knowledge

AbstractAs the epistemic hand in the UNFCCC’S political glove, the IPCC is charged with furnishing the global dialogues with ‘reliable knowledge’ on climate change. Much has been written about how this body of scientific information can be communicated more effectively to a diverse public, but considerably less so on the role communication might play in making the IPCC itself more receptive to alternative forms of contribution. Climate change communication remains centred on a unidirectional model that has helped climate science achieve greater public legibility, but so far not explored equivalent channels within institutional thinking for representing public and other non-scientific knowledges. Anticipating a new assessment report and major developments for the Paris Agreement, now is an opportunity to consider ambitious pathways to reciprocity in the IPCC’s communication strategy. Drawing on interdisciplinary insights from social science literatures, we argue that communication is not only inseparable from knowledge politics in the IPCC, but that communication activities and research may prove key avenues for making the IPCC more inclusive. Recognising climate communication as a developed field of study and practice with significant influence in the IPCC, we present a framework for categorising communicative activities into those which help the panel speak with a more human voice, and those that help it listen receptively to alternative forms of knowledge. The latter category especially invites communicators to decouple ‘epistemic authority’ from ‘scientific authority’, and so imagine new forms of expert contribution. This is critical to enabling active and equitable dialogue with underrepresented publics that democratises climate governance, and enhances the public legitimacy of the IPCC.

Climate Change Communication in China

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Li ◽  
Luo Dan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Early Period ◽  
First Year ◽  
Communication Research ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
The Government

As one of the most serious challenges facing humankind during the 21st century, climate change not only relates to many fields such as science, culture, economics, and politics, but also affects the survival and future development of human beings. In China, climate change communication research specifically first began to be conducted quite late, as the significance of climate change issues came to the fore in the international arena. The year 2007 is known as China’s “first year of climate change communication research.” Climate change coverage up to 2007 can be divided into two periods: In the early period, the number of reports was small, the reporting agenda was simple, and public’s attention was limited, whereas in the late period coverage changed visibly: the amount of coverage experienced a sharp increase, the topics covered were diverse, and reporting gradually reached an advanced level of sophistication. Research on climate change is not only limited to the analysis of science reporters from the professional field, but also includes studies conducted by the government, academia, NGOs, enterprises, and the like, and it has already reached certain research conclusions. Media coverage of climate issues and research on climat communication complement each other—the former promoting the latter and the latter enriching the former—and they jointly advance the dissemination of climate issues in China. This article hopes to sort out the research on media reports on climate change and climate change communication research to gain an overall and comprehensive understanding of climate change communication in China

scholarly journals Characterization of Climate Change Communication: Implication for Environmental Sustainability in Ogba, Egbema, Ndoni Local Government Area of River State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Peace Nwaerema ◽  
Nwokezi John Ikoro
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Local Government Area ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
The Government ◽  
Rivers State ◽  
The Impact

Communicating climate change occurrence in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State was the key interest of this study due to the incessant environmental degradation caused by multinational oil and gas companies in the area. This study used multi-stage cluster sampling technique and administered four hundred (400) questionnaires in a study population of 445,760 persons determined by Taro Yamane statistical technique. The findings revealed that the stakeholders felt that climate change really occurred in the area but had not adequately adapted to the impact of climate change with 69.3% showing poor preparedness to climate change adaptation. The radio, television and town-hall meeting were the most effective media of climate change communication, but social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram et cetera were poorly used to communicate climate change phenomenon. Thus, the indigenous town-crying communication medium showed 95% response of disagreement of not being used to inform the stakeholders of climate change occurrence. However, 68% response revealed that the government was not concerned with climate change communication in the area, rather, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and the host companies relatively showed concerned in communicating climate change occurrence to the stakeholders.  The result indicated that the level of climate change occurrence did not statistically significantly relate with climate change communication in the area. Thus, it was recommended that community stakeholders should have access to weather information, agricultural extension services, educational and school curriculums should integrate climate change communication, indigenous knowledge and communication media should be used as well as government should be serious with issues of climate change communication so as to cushion the effects of climate change impact in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria.

scholarly journals Messaging on Slow Impacts: Applying Lessons Learned from Climate Change Communication to Catalyze and Improve Marine Nutrient Communication

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Nicole Canfield ◽  
Kate Mulvaney ◽  
Nathaniel Merrill
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nutrient Pollution ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Comprehensive Management ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Environmental Causes

Building publics’ understanding about human-environmental causes and impacts of nutrient pollution is difficult due to the diverse sources and, at times, extended timescales of increasing inputs, consequences to ecosystems, and recovery after remediation. Communicating environmental problems with “slow impacts” has long been a challenge for scientists, public health officials, and science communicators, as the time delay for subsequent consequences to become evident dilutes the sense of urgency to act. Fortunately, scientific research and practice in the field of climate change communication has begun to identify best practices to address these challenges. Climate change demonstrates a delay between environmental stressor and impact, and recommended practices for climate change communication illustrate how to explain and motivate action around this complex environmental problem. Climate change communication research provides scientific understanding of how people evaluate risk and scientific information about climate change. We used a qualitative coding approach to review the science communication and climate change communication literature to identify approaches that could be used for nutrients and how they could be applied. Recognizing the differences between climate change and impacts of nutrient pollution, we also explore how environmental problems with delayed impacts demand nuanced strategies for effective communication and public engagement. Applying generalizable approaches to successfully communicate the slow impacts related to nutrient pollution across geographic contexts will help build publics’ understanding and urgency to act on comprehensive management of nutrient pollution, thereby increasing protection of coastal and marine environments.

scholarly journals “What’s Up with the Weather?” Public Engagement with Extreme Event Attribution in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Ettinger ◽  
Peter Walton ◽  
James Painter ◽  
Shannon Osaka ◽  
Friederike E.L. Otto
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Extreme Event ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Event Attribution ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe science of extreme event attribution (EEA) – which connects specific extreme weather events with anthropogenic climate change – could prove useful for engaging the public about climate change. However, there is limited empirical research examining EEA as a climate change communication tool. In order to help fill this gap, we conducted focus groups with members of the UK public to explore benefits and challenges of utilizing EEA results in climate change advocacy messages. Testing a range of verbal and visual approaches for communicating EEA, we found that EEA shows significant promise for climate change communication because of its ability to connect novel, attention-grabbing and event-specific scientific information to personal experiences and observations of extreme events. Communication challenges include adequately capturing nuances around extreme weather risks, vulnerability, adaptation and disaster risk reduction; expressing scientific uncertainty without undermining accessibility of key findings; and difficulties interpreting mathematical aspects of EEA results. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations to help address these challenges when communicating EEA results beyond the climate science community. We conclude that EEA can help catalyze important dialogues about the links between extreme weather and human-driven climate change.

Engaging with Climate Change Imagery

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saffron O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Best Practice Guidelines ◽  
Communication Devices ◽  
Energy Emissions

Images are a key part of the climate change communication process. The diverse and interdisciplinary literature on how people engage with visual representations of climate change is reviewed. Images hold particular power for engaging people, as they hold three qualities that differ from other communication devices (such as words or text): they are analogical, they lack an explicit propositional syntax, and they are indexical. These qualities are explored in relation to climate change imagery. A number of visual tropes common to climate change communication (identifiable people; climate change impacts; energy, emissions and pollution; protest; scientific imagery) are examined and the evidence for each of these visual tropes in terms of how they engage particular audiences is reviewed. Two case studies, of polar bear imagery and the “hockey stick” graph image, critically examine iconic imagery associated with climate change, and how and why these types of images may (dis)engage audiences. Six best-practice guidelines for visual climate change communication are presented and three areas for further research in this nascent field are suggested.

scholarly journals Climate Change Communication in Italy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Beltrame ◽  
Massimiano Bucchi ◽  
Enzo Loner
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Common People ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Local Experience ◽  
Matters Of Concern

Climate change communication in Italy is preeminently “commonsensical” and pragmatic. Italian mass media represent climate change as an undisputable fact scaled to the everyday domestic and local experience of common people. While the causes of climate change are rarely discussed, its consequences are instead presented in very practical terms (from environmental catastrophes to weather anomalies) and the issue is framed as something linking, embedding, and drawing together multiple social dimensions (the economy, politics, science and technology, and everyday life). Mass media discourse has contradictory effects on public perceptions of the issue. Review of existing studies and use of available social survey data show that the Italian public is largely aware of the seriousness of climate change, but climate change is considered less urgent than other matters of concern related to the economic situation. In developing their environmental awareness, Italian citizens rely mainly on information provided by traditional mass media, while environmental organizations’ claims and public communication by scientists play a marginal role. Finally, perceptions of climate change in Italy are prevalently built on the direct experiences of anomalies in seasonal temperatures rather than on evidence-based scientific communication.

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