How can we understand and communicate about contentious scientific issues?

Scientists are often puzzled when people resist ‘the facts’, thinking that the answer is to just find a clearer way to lay out their case. But issues like climate change demonstrate the limitations of this approach: despite overwhelming consensus amongst scientists about climate change, there are still sizeable proportions of people who do not accept anthropogenic climate change.

In this talk I will present empirical studies that develop and test ways to communicate about contentious environmental issues, specifically climate change and recycled water. I will also lay out a framework that seeks to understand why people resist science and talk about how this framework can inform communication about scientific issues.

 Associate Professor Kelly Fielding is a social and environmental psychologist with a focus on developing effective communication to engage people with environmental issues. She takes an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to her research, leading large interdisciplinary projects (e.g., Program leader of the Society Program within the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities), collaborating with researchers from a range of disciplines (from economics to engineering), and working with state and local government agencies and external partners.