The Randolph Bromery Spring 2019 Seminar Series: Paul Higgins

Description

Dr. Paul Higgins, the director of the American Meteorological Society's Policy Program, will give a talk entitled "Climate Change as a Public Issue: The Role of Science in Policy" for the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Abstract:

After decades of intensive research, we know a great deal about the climate system and the impact people are having on it. As a public issue, the science of climate change boils down to three robust overarching conclusions: 1) people are causing climate to change, 2) human-caused climate change poses serious risks, and 3) there are a wide range of well-characterized risk management strategies, including options that align with the full spectrum of political views and that come with little or negative net cost. However, these potentially actionable scientific conclusions are insufficient for societal decision-making. Policy choices involve value judgments that science can inform but not resolve. Furthermore, the messy public discussion about climate change does not contribute to widespread understanding of scientific information or a straightforward process for integrating science with value judgments. The policy process is more rational, understandable, and predictable than it sometimes appears. That creates opportunities for positive engagement with the policy process and ultimately the potential to promote a more constructive public discourse on topics like climate change. This talk will look at climate science as it relates to policy choices; the role of science in the policy process; and opportunities to improve public discourse on the issue.