Tag: climate change

• Reading List for National Academies' "Science of Science Communication" Lecture on the Media & Science Policy Debates

  3 days ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  On Tuesday, May 22, I will be delivering a lecture as part of the National Academies' Sackler Colloquium on the "Science of Science Communication," reviewing the role of the media in science policy debates.  Below I have included a reading list specific to key subjects covered. Overviews on ... Read More

• Would Exxon Mobil Support a Carbon Tax to Combat Climate Change?

  15 days ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  To say that we tend to demonize oil companies is an understatement.  And for good reason, given the role in the past of companies like Exxon Mobil in sowing doubt around the science of climate change.  But I also believe that the demonization strategy may often distract us from considering policy ... Read More

• Journalist Travels Southwest U.S. Chronicling Local Climate Stories

  25 days ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  Ari Phillips -- a graduate student in journalism at the University of Texas -- has started a unique project documenting the story of climate change in the U.S. Southwest via Kick Starter.  Below he describes the project and I am hoping he will provide periodic guest posts at AoE over the coming ... Read More

• Andrew Revkin on the Super Wicked Problem of Climate Change

  about 1 month ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  --Guest post by Amanda Frank, graduate student at American University. Contemporary debates over climate change reveal the inherent complexity of the issue, which the New York Times' Andrew Revkin refers to as a “beyond super wicked” problem.  In a presentation last year to the Google Science ... Read More

• Jim Yong Kim: Superstar Pragmatist

  2 months ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  Call me a proud alum.  If you haven't yet heard of Jim Yong Kim, the Dartmouth College president nominated by Obama today to head the World Bank, then welcome to a galactic superstar in the making.  Only three years into his tenure at Dartmouth, I am disappointed to potentially see Kim go, but his ... Read More

• Increasing and Diversifying Public Demand for Action on Climate Change

  3 months ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  --Guest post by Erin Brett, American University student. Although the great majority of climate scientists believe that climate change is a serious threat, only two percent of Americans mentioned the environment when asked to identify the most important issues facing the country today (NSF 2012 ... Read More

• How Do Americans View the Risks of a Major Spike in Oil Prices?

  3 months ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  Gasoline prices have never been higher this time of the year, reports the Associated Press. At $3.53 a gallon, prices are already up 25 cents since Jan. 1. And experts say they could reach a record $4.25 a gallon by late April.  A 25-cent jump in gasoline prices, if sustained over a year, would ... Read More

• How Media Frames Structure Our Political Perceptions

  6 months ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  --Guest post by Meng Shi, American University graduate student with contributions from Matthew Nisbet. Framing is a frequently used term that derives from several decades of research in the social sciences. As applied to politics, frames explain why an issue matters, who or what might be ... Read More

• As Unemployment Drops, Public Belief in Climate Change Shows Sign of Recovery

  6 months ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  A November Pew survey reveals a slight upward shift in public belief in climate change. A number of factors likely account for the rise in belief but the most parsimonious explanation remains a recovering economy, marked by hopeful signs of a U.S. unemployment rate below 9% for the first time since ... Read More

• Understanding Up and Down Cycles of News Attention to Climate Change

  6 months ago

  Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement

  --Guest post by Sarah Merritt, American University doctoral student. News attention to climate change appears to follow a narrative cycle, where according to communication researchers Katherine McComas and James Shanahan (1999), rather than reflecting the objective conditions of the issue ... Read More