Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators

alarmism, 64. See also terror management responses

Albuquerque Academy, 81–84, 83, 84t

altruism, 66

Antarctic sea ice, 14

Arctic sea ice, 14

Arctic tundra, 90

attitudes, 26–27

cognitive dissonance and, 53–54

audience identities, 41, 62–63

Audubon Society, 18–19, 55–56

Bay Area Climate Literacy Impact Collaborative (BayCLIC), 82

Beamish, Karen, 88–90, 89, 90t, 94–95

Benford, Robert, 67

bike lanes, 39, 65

bike-share programs, 17

bioswale gardens, 16

Busch, K. C., 62t

carbon dioxide (CO₂), 8–11, 10

bathtub analogy of, 37, 70–74, 72, 72t, 73

blanket analogy of, 9, 33, 36, 70–71, 83, 84t

ocean acidification from, 13, 70

cement manufacturing, 9

China, 17, 18

Chincoteague Bay Field Station, 32

climate, weather versus, 7–8

climate change, 8–11, 9, 10, 16–19, 17

adaptation to, 30

attitudes toward, 21–24, 22, 26–28

evidence of, 11–13

global warming versus, 62

impacts of, 13–15

mitigation of, 30

science of, 7–20, 23, 39

warming rates of, 12

climate change education, 39–40

approaches to, 38

attitudes toward, 26–27

for community action, 32–34, 34t

elements of, 2

establishing trust in, 75–76

figurative language for, 70–74, 72, 72t, 73, 83

framing techniques of, 59–69, 61t, 62t, 68, 81–82, 96

for high school science classroom, 37–38, 38t, 68

identity and, 47–48

for nature center exhibit, 35, 36, 36t

Next Generation Science Standards and, 37, 88

outcomes of, 25–31, 31t

psychological resilience and, 91–93, 93t

research on, 43–48, 45t

at Sausalito Marine Mammal Center, 81–84, 83, 84t

school gardens for, 88–90, 89, 90t

Climate Change Opinion Maps (Yale), 39

Climate Courage Resilience Circles, 91

climate deniers, 19–20, 96

climate literacy, 1, 26

framing of, 68, 81–82, 96

at Kentucky State University, 85–87, 87t

Climate Smart Communities, 19

Climate Stewards Education Project, 85–86

Climate Urban Systems Partnership, 23

cognitive dissonance, 53–56

collective actions, 29–30, 82, 86, 90t, 92

framing of, 64, 67–68

outcomes of, 29

communication, 57, 70

climate change education and, 2, 2–3

establishing trust in, 75–76

figurative language for, 70–74, 72, 72t, 73, 83

Community Climate Change Fellowship Program, 79–95

at Kentucky State University, 85–87, 87t

psychological resilience and, 91–93, 93t

at Sausalito Marine Mammal Center, 81–84, 83, 84t

school gardens of, 88–90, 89, 90t

Community Climate Courage Film and Discussion Forum, 91

community programs, 19, 29–30, 32–34

for renewable energy, 64, 66

community resilience, 31t

confirmation bias, 45

coral, 13

Cornell University, 79

Cultural Cognition Project, 92

Democrats, 22, 45, 46, 62–63

denial mechanisms, 52–54

deniers, climate, 19–20, 96

Denver, 91–93, 93t

Desert Oasis Teaching Garden, 81–84, 83, 84t

disinformation campaigns, 20

drought, 15

ecological resilience, 31t

economic development, 61t

EECapacity training programs, 79

ego-protective processes, 53

elephant seals, 82, 83

energy conservation, 17. See also renewable energy

environmental education, 30, 47

definition of, 3

personal relevance in, 49–51

environmental identity, 44

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 17, 35, 79

ethics, 61t, 63

values and, 66–67

ethnicity, 44, 46–47

flooding, 15

fluorinated gases, 10

Foote, Eunice, 10–11

FrameWorks Institute, 70, 74

framing techniques, 59–69, 61t, 62t, 68, 81–82, 96

Francis (pope), 63

Franklin, Benjamin, 12

gardens

bioswale, 16

school, 88–90, 89, 90t

gender

climate change beliefs and, 47

glaciers, 14

global warming, climate change versus, 62

Global Warming’s Six Americas, 22

greenhouse effect, 8–9, 9, 23, 71, 72t

bathtub analogy of, 37, 70–74, 72, 72t, 73

blanket analogy of, 9, 33, 36, 70–71, 83, 84t

greenhouse gases, 8–11, 10

emissions of, 10, 11–12

sources of, 16–18, 17

types of, 9–10, 10

health benefits, 17, 65

health concerns, 15

Heartland Institute, 47

Henry, Joseph, 11

Himalayan glaciers, 14

hope, 27–28, 82

self-efficacy and, 64–65, 77

household behaviors, 17–19

Hubbard-Sanchez, Jennifer, 85–87, 87t, 94–95

hurricanes, 15

identity, 43–48

audience, 41, 62–63

climate change education and, 47–48

climate change research and, 46–47

definition of, 44

ethnic, 44, 46–47

theories of, 44–45, 45t

identity protective cognition, 45–46, 45t, 55

inaction, “dragons” of, 41

individual behaviors, 17–19, 28, 64

cognitive dissonance and, 53–54

information deficit model, 43–45, 45t

infrared radiation, 8

Jacobson, Susan, 4

Kentucky, 1, 37, 63, 85–87, 87t

landfills, methane from, 18

Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, Calif.), 81–84, 83, 84t

Massachusetts Energy Consumer Alliance, 18

media coverage, 45

of climate change, 60–61, 61t

metaphors, 70–74, 72, 72t, 73, 83

methane (CH₄), 10, 18

Milankovitch cycles, 12

Modugno, Lindsay, 9

mollusks, ocean acidification and, 13, 70

motivated reasoning, 44–45, 45t, 55, 96

Nabhan, Gary, 88

National Academy of Sciences (NAS), 26

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 35

National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI), 1–2, 60, 64, 81–82

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2, 35

New York State’s Climate Smart Communities, 19

Next Generation Science Standards, 37, 88

El Niño/La Niña effects, 12

Nisbet, Matthew, 61t

Nitrous oxide (N₂O), 10

from wastewater treatment, 18

Norfolk, Va., 14

North American Association for Environmental Education, 56, 79

oceans

acidification of, 13, 70

rising levels of, 14–15, 33, 43, 83

rising temperatures of, 12, 13

online courses, 52

oyster reefs, 32–34

ozone depletion, 23

palm oil, 62t

Philippines, 22

Pipher, Mary, 93

Pittsburgh, 23

Planet Stewards Education Project, 85–86

polar bears, 14, 86

political affiliation, 22, 45–47

program development

cycle of, 3, 4

framing of, 67–69, 68, 81–82, 96

Project Learning Tree, 1, 37, 49, 63

Project WET, 65

psychological distance, 49–51, 55, 56, 96

psychology, 2, 41, 52–56, 96

racial identity, 44, 46–47

Ratner, Adam, 81–84, 83, 84t, 94–95

renewable energy, 18, 62t, 82

community collectives for, 64, 66

Republicans, 22, 45, 46, 62–63

resilience, 30–31, 31t, 91–93, 93t

science comprehension thesis, 43–45, 45t

seals, 82, 83

self-efficacy, 28, 53

hope and, 64–65, 77

Snow, David, 67

social capital, 29

social identities, 44–47, 55

social-ecological systems resilience, 31t

“soil sponges,” 89

solutions, framing of, 63–64, 82, 83

Southeastern Forests and Climate Change, 1, 37, 49, 63

Sterman, John, 72

Stoknes, Per Espen, 53–54

storm surges, 15

sulfur dioxide, 12–13

sulfuric acid, 13

Talero, Maria, 91–95, 93t

terror management responses, 52–56, 61, 64, 87t

tree-planting programs, 16, 54, 86

trust, 29, 75–76

Tyndall, John, 10, 11

values, 27, 66–67, 82

altruistic, 66

biospheric, 66

volcanic eruptions, 12–13

walkways, 65

wastewater treatment, 18

water supplies, 36

weather

climate versus, 7–8

regional changes in, 15

Why Scientists Disagree about Global Warming, 47

wildfires, 15

Yale University

Climate Change Opinion Maps and, 39

Cultural Cognition Project of, 92

Global Warning’s Six Americas and, 22

Program on Climate Change Communication at, 3, 23, 39

zoos, 75–76, 81–82