Big Fat Ideas

• Series five
• Series four
• Series three
  • The challenge of neglected diseases in the developing world
  • Risk and fear, and why parents don't let their children go places by themselves
  • Science and society: Transforming the curriculum
  • Giving Sudanese-Australians a voice in the media
  • The media on climate change: a perfect storm of miscommunication
• Series two
• Series one

Tweet

We are now in the middle of perfect storm of miscommunication about climate change. Various factors have converged to confound rational public conversation. Public opinion polling indicates that although there is widespread acceptance of climate change resulting from human activities, the public's preparedness to pay for action to mitigate climate change is actually declining - even as climate scientists warn of the increasing urgency for action.  These results signal a serious problem in the public communication of climate change.  They reflect this perfect storm – where tensions between the media, politicians and various lobby groups have made it impossible for scientists, and others with appropriate expertise, to cut through.