Speaker: Professor Katharine Hayhoe, Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University
Title: Talking Climate: Why Facts are Not Enough
Location: Kane 120
Register for free here: http://events.uw.edu/Fleagle2018 (seating is limited) Abstract:
The human influence on climate has been established by thousands of scientific studies, stretching back more than 150 years. Today, however, public and political opinions on climate are becoming ever more sharply divided: along ideological, socio-economic, and even religious lines. Understanding the reasons that have created and fed this polarization is crucial to bridging this divide. It’s not a lack of information. No, the best predictor of opinions on climate change has nothing to do with how much we know about science, and everything to do with where we fall on the political spectrum. In such a deeply divided environment, it’s no surprise that 75% of people in the U.S. avoid talking about climate. But if we begin with values that we share, rather than facts we disagree on, it is possible to engage in productive conversations on this difficult issue. About the Fleagle lecture:
The Fleagle Visiting Faculty Fellowship in Atmospheric Sciences Policy at the University of Washington was established by Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Robert G. Fleagle to broaden understanding for students, faculty, and the broader public of the interaction of the atmospheric sciences with national policy. Robert G. Fleagle was Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences and Senior Fellow in the Joint Institute for Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of Washington. He earned an A.B. degree in physics from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in physics-meteorology from New York University before joining the UW faculty in 1948. His initial strong focus on atmospheric research gradually broadened to embrace a growing interest in the application of the science to issues of public policy. He served in the Office of Science and Technology, Executive Office of the President, in 1963 and 1964 to oversee atmospheric research of the government agencies. Here he witnessed and participated in many of the crucial actions that led to major advances in the science and to increasing recognition of the importance of atmospheric processes to the welfare of the planet. Questions: atmos@uw.edu |