Lucky Last: An Admission of Failure to Communicate?

Australia’s Chief Scientist Penny Sackett, who has previously said climate change is real and humans are contributing to it, admits the problem was not the credibility of the climate science but of miscommunication.  “We do have a communications failure, and I think we should admit that, we should address it,” Dr Sackett, an astronomer, told ABC Television. She suggested scientists and journalists should ask themselves how they could do a better job at improving the public’s understanding of climate science. She could start, in my humble opinion, by communicating more herself and encouraging the head of CSIRO, Dr Megan Clark, to do the same. There’s much more to be said on this.

 Both of our leading ladies of science have turned down invitations to contribute to this media outlet for a start and I’m sure other editors/journalists have experienced something similar. Yet it was Geoff Garrett, the head of CSIRO at the time of the Greenhouse Conference in October 2007, who also admitted that the scientific community had not communicated this issue – climate change – as effectively as it should have done.

In my book, through this weekly newsletter and by all other means possible, I have encouraged – and provided a channel for – scientists, Government, business and NGOs to get their messages across in plain language.

One has to admit that the climate change sceptics and deniers – along with some very vocal industry groups – are far better organised and effective with their communications efforts, through PR, media and lobbying, than our Government institutions, research organisations and universities. As Peter Doherty put it so well in last week’s express: Don’t shoot the messenger!

But we have to say that our scientific institutions and their leaders need to be much better messengers and communicators. We have some great examples of scientists who clearly communicate effectively: Tim Flannery, Ian Lowe, Bob Henson, Ann Henderson-Sellers, Peter Doherty.

However, we must resist blaming the media if the right messages are not getting through. Penny Sackett has not only admitted communication failure but said quite clearly “we should address it”. If she wants some advice on how to address it, there are plenty of communications experts around, in the private sector, she could turn to.

Unfortunately, Government has shown its own failure to manage its communication and has, partly at least, admitted that failure to get its CPRS off the ground is due to the fact that it hasn’t explained what it is and how it will work.

Let’s hope that the words of the chief scientist will be taken to heart and we see an improvement in the media and the message, starting with her own office and CSIRO.

Source: www.abccarbon.com