Improving Climate Literacy and Promoting Outreach

Castleton's Natural Science's Department hosts Dr. Janel Hanrahan, chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Northern Vermont University, to talk about the impact of climate outreach and the importance of education on changing people's perception.

The consequences of unmitigated climate change are dire. Despite this, public belief in the severity of the crisis is mixed, and generally not well aligned with the current state of the science—a disconnect that is stalling efforts toward constructing a meaningful course of action. Dr. Hanrahan will present on this disconnect and describe recent efforts to close this consensus gap through the creation of a climate outreach network, where upcoming and established geoscientists will collaborate to promote effective dialog between scientists and the community. By sharing resources and best practices, learning from each other’s successes and failures, providing technical and moral support, and empowering the next generation of scientists, we have an immense opportunity to shape public opinion on this topic and to motivate real action.