CALS501 Assignment 4 – Unit 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although very different (or possibly precisely because they are), climate science and climate communication are inextricably intertwined. As I moved through the CALS500: Climate Science, Impacts and Services course, communication was the frame on which our learning rested: our assignments largely consisted of translating the science in a way that remained scientifically accurate while making it easier for general audiences to understand. These writing exercises allowed our instructors to assess whether we had understood the material, while at the same time providing essential practice opportunities for us to hone our science writing skills under their tutelage. An important message that I took away from our class discussions was that climate science is very limited in serving a broader audience outside the scientific community without communicators who help to translate the information, making it more relevant and easily understood by non-scientific audiences (personal communication, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While moving through the CALS500 course, I was aware of the power and privilege I was acquiring as I learned how to understand the science. Prior to taking this course, I lacked confidence and felt ill-equipped to create new content about climate change \u2013 I couldn\u2019t move past simply passing on information and even then I was never sure if what I was reading was legitimate or misinformation, so I held back from sharing much. Now I have a new skill set that has been very empowering for me: I understand the technical vocabulary as well as the underlying principles and tools behind climate science and as a result, I can confidently interpret it. I have also been introduced to a wide variety of credible sources to draw from. That said, I now feel in some ways like I\u2019ve joined the ranks of gatekeepers: unless these data interpretation skills and knowledge about which resources are credible is shared, audiences are reliant on a very small number of us to interpret and share the science with them; they are dependent on us and we become curators of information. How can I contribute to reducing that barrier to understanding so that access to this knowledge can be a shared privilege? This reflection leads me to think about my team\u2019s design challenge concept \u2013 since our problem statement included a desire to \u201cempower youth to design climate adaptation strategies\u201d (Hunter et al., 2021), how can we help the youth to become their own science translators and communicators, rather than relying on someone like me to be a gatekeeper and conduit for that knowledge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I got a taste for the role of communications in translating climate science this summer, in CALS 502 my understanding of the interactions between science and communication deepened as I read in Segel\u2019s article that \u201cscience narrative(s) become intuitions and a part of our identity\u201d (2019). How fascinating \u2013 and true \u2013 that scientific facts become ingrained in our consciousness and embed themselves in the narratives we carry around about who we are, where we come from and where we\u2019re going (Segel, 2019). Science as story is a powerful way to convey science in an accessible way. What Segal describes is masterfully demonstrated in indigenous storytelling practices \u2013 indigenous knowledge synergizes science and communication, embedding scientific knowledge into stories in a way that preserves crucial scientific information while making it useful and understandable for different audiences (First Nations Pedagogy Online, 2009). Interesting also that this approach is so intentionally inclusive and accessible: \u201cIn oral traditions such as ours, telling stories is how we pass on the history and the teachings of our ancestors. Without these stories, we would have to rely on other people for guidance and information about our past\u201d (Hanna & Henry, 1995, p. 201, as cited by First Nations Pedagogy Online, 2009).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is abundantly clear that youth need to be engaged more in climate mitigation and adaptation work (Moser 2017, p.10). As Laura shared in the feedback session following our Design Concept presentation during the Intensive, something that is lacking in terms of youth involvement is for youth to be engaged beyond tokenism and simply voicing their concerns, instead empowering them to meaningfully enter decision-making spaces (Hunter et al., 2021). Could focusing on tools and training to help youth interpret the science and to know where to look for reliable information be an important and unmet need to meaningfully empower youth, and is this something my design challenge team could consider? I think the potential for empowerment is all the more potent for indigenous youth, who could harness their indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding in combination to address the wicked problems of this crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First Nations Pedagogy Online (2009). Storytelling. [web content] https:\/\/firstnationspedagogy.ca\/storytelling.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hunter, E., Kippenhuck, C., Paul, A. & Ponette, M. (2021). TeamBraidingInitialConceptPresentation.mp4 [recording]. https:\/\/moodle.royalroads.ca\/moodle\/local\/kalturamediagallery\/index.php?courseid=8518<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moser, S., Coffee, J., and Sevile A. (2017) Rising to the Challenge, Together: A Review and Critical Assessment of the State of the US Climate Adaptation Field<\/a>. Kresge Foundation, 106 pp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n