New York Times' Andrew Revkin, American University's Matthew Nisbet, Urge Better Communication on Climate Change

February 5, 2010
by Lucia Cordon, Belfer Center

Andrew Revkin of the New York Times' blog "Dot Earth" and Matthew Nisbet, assistant professor in the School of Communication at American University, headlined a panel discussion at Harvard Kennedy School Thursday on "The Public Divide Surrounding Climate Change." Thomas Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at the Shorenstein Center, took part as discussant on the panel co-sponsored by Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy. The panel was moderated by Cristine Russell, senior fellow at the Belfer Center.

Henry Lee, director of the Belfer Center's Environment and Natural Resources Program, opened the event by noting that a recent survey carried out by Yale University and George Mason University shows 57 percent of Americans believe global warming is happening, while only 47 percent believe it is caused by human activities. Panelists discussed causes and possible solutions for this public divide that has negatively affected climate change mitigation policies.

"People think that if the media changes the way in which it reports on climate change, [public attitudes] would change, but unfortunately it is more complicated," Revkin told the overflow crowd in the Nye conference room.

"Climate change, which rarely makes the front page of major newspapers, has found its voice through online social networks such as blogs and Twitter," Revkin said. "There is immense potential to create global conversations through the Internet, which transcends conventional media. Now we have an instantaneous force coming at us at the speed of light."

Read the full story and hear audio from the event on the Belfer Center Web site.

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American University's Matthew Nisbet

American University's Matthew Nisbet speaks at the event. Photo credit, Sharon Wilke, Belfer Center.