Environmental geoscience; communication challenges

Abstract

Geologists whose research deals with environmental problems such as landslides, floods, earthquakes and other natural hazards that affect people's health and safety must communicate their results effectively to the public, policy-makers and politicians. There are many examples of geological studies being ignored in policy and public action; this is in due in part to geoscientists being poor communicators. Scientists often use complicated and difficult to understand language, talk mostly to other scientists, and are not trained to work with the media. They generally are not encouraged by their employers and funding agencies to communicate to nonscientists. Environmental geoscientists must make their research publications more accessible to the public by including plain-language summaries. They should work with media and communications professionals, and seek training in how to communicate better. They need to understand the different approaches that will work with different audiences. Universities, employers and funding agencies should encourage environmental geoscientists to improve communication skills, and to reward attempts to explain their research to non-scientists.

final response to reviewer comments by authors

“…For each term, the hypotheses were as follows: For each term, the hypothesis is tested using a so-called Bayes factor (BF; computed using Morey and Rouder, 2015). A value of the BF < 1 is evidence towards H 0 : it is more likely that laypeople answer questions the same as experts than differently.…”

Exploratory Study of Perception of Geodiversity and Geosciences by the Population of São Paulo Metropolitan Region

“…Isso requer a superação de um dilema central, que coloca, de um lado os comunicadores, não cientistas, que divulgam ou ensinam a ciência, e de outro os cientistas. O dilema reside no fato de que, em geral, os comunicadores carecem de conhecimentos científicos enquanto os cientistas utilizam uma linguagem pouco acessível para apresentar a ciência (Liverman, 2008). Ensinar fatos científicos complexos para o público geral é bastante desafiador e, neste contexto, a Geocomunicação -ou a comunicação das Geociências -torna-se fundamental, pois busca métodos que facilitem o acesso cognitivo pelo público geral.…”

Geoscience on television: a review of science communication literature in the context of geosciences

“…Risk and uncertainty are essential concepts in the planning of prevention and mitigation efforts of climate change as well as natural hazards, like floods, fires, landslides and earthquakes. Without careful communication and objective reporting, uncertainty can be misinterpreted but also politicized to downplay risks (Liverman, 2008;Boykoff, 2008;Ward, 2008). Because of their greater familiarity with the scientific world, abstract concepts like risk and uncertainty are more easily conveyed through specialized science writers and reporters than through journalists without scientific training.…”

“…Trench et al, 2014;Weigold, 2001), though there is little on the geosciences in particular (e.g. Forster and Freeborough, 2006;Stewart and Nield, 2013;Liverman, 2008).…”