Records of the U.S.
Climate Change
Science Program's Planning Workshop for Scientists and Stakeholders
3-5 December 2002, Washington, DC

• Moderator: Rick Piltz (CCSP)
• Presenter: Kathryn Parker (EPA)
• Panelists:
  • Mike Spranger (Univ of FL)
  • Pat Michaels (Univ of VA)
  • Janine Bloomfield (Environmental Defense)
  • Bill Hooke (AMS)
• Rapporteurs:
  • Genene Fisher (CCSP)
  • Nick Sundt (CCSP)

General Comments on Plan

Good start, but needs more depth and rigor

Outreach is critically important and needs to be integrated throughout the plan

In particular, needs to be integrated with decision support

Adequate budget needed

Measurable results (What are effective criteria?)

Outreach needs to be treated as a research area in its own right ("Art and Science of Effective Outreach")

Diversity

Need to engage diverse people in entire outreach process

Need strategy for "multiple publics" and stakeholders

Who is doing outreach (e.g., not just a centralized federal report)

Build on existing networks for distributed (not top down) outreach

Viewpoints on National Assessment

Various viewpoints discussed

NA was important project that had substantial outreach component, down to the regional level

Should be learned from and built on, particularly in terms of researcher-stakeholder interactions

NA invited controversy because of design and presentation--"Bulletproof your outreach"

Media as decision makers in their own right

Science culture vs. Commercial media culture as a communication problem

"communication is a young person's game today"

Teachers as decision makers in their own right

Different views on how to relate to K-12 education

Engaging Scientific Researchers

Not all want to--or are good at--outreach, but bridge builders need effective training

Federal and academic scientists need incentives and rewards for engaging in outreach