Op-ed in CSPC 路
The Tragic Failure of Science Communication
From Climate Change to COVID
Published September 2021 by Andy Hira
Overview
The increasing tragedies around climate change and covid have been well-documented and communicated by the scientific community. Scientists have been discussing the dangers of climate change since at least 1957. Such warnings gained little policy attention in the ensuing decades. The first global policy effort, as reflected by the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), did not happen until 1988. The IPCC has since been churning out ever more dire reports about the need to drastically and immediately reduce fossil fuel emissions. There is no shortage of technical or policy solutions for climate change. The costs of renewable 鈥渃lean鈥 energy, such as solar panels, have been steadily declining. What is missing is a sense of urgency by both policymakers and the public.