Researchers' Working Meeting on Climate Change Impacts
in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Penn State--June 8-9, 1998

COMMUNICATION

(Summary by Eric G. Houston and Bahar Celikkol)

Panel:

Chair - Bob O'Connor, Penn State
Bud Ward, Environmental Health Center
Wilson Orr, Prescott College

The MARA Communication Group has two goals:

• Establish two-way communication with stakeholders
• Inform the public

These goals can be achieved through several tasks:

• Identify stakeholders
• Facilitate stakeholder involvement
• Respond to stakeholder suggestions
• Develop a plan for informing the public

Bud Ward discussed how to develop a plan for informing the public about MARA. To provide background, he described the structure of the newspaper and television industries, and how that structure influences the coverage of environmental issues such as climate change. He reported that recent data shows a decline in the coverage of environmental issues. For example, the environment was third among the Top News Stories in 1990-92, but fell out of the top 10 for 1993-96. Ward commented that the media balance several goals (e.g., information, entertainment) in determining its coverage. He urged the group to work with the media to develop as part of a long-term commitment to generate interest and provide information about both the process of MARA and its findings.

Wilson Orr demonstrated the use of computer-generated geographic images to present potential impacts of climate change. His work included real-time simulations with the ability for audiences to vary parameters. Orr recommended emphasizing the impact of climate change to particular local problems in actual communities in the Mid-Atlantic Region. He argued that using three-dimensional computer graphics of local places can effectively communicate climate change impacts. Orr demostrated this argument through specific examples, including flooding impacts from coastal storms.