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One of the biggest problems in trying to communicate the urgency of addressing Climate Change is that most people think it will only happen far into the future and someplace else. Neither is true. Climate Change is hitting home now . However much US partisan politics are split on the scientific consensus on Climate Change, 97% of climate scientists around the world agree that Climate Change is happening, and we are causing it. “A synthesis of this research – a survey of surveys – concluded that the expert consensus on climate change is between 90 to 100%, with a number of studies converging on 97% agreement. Among peer-reviewed studies examining expert agreement on climate change, there is consensus on consensus.” (Page 2, “ The Consensus Handbook, Why the scientific consensus on climate change is important ”) How do we get the public to understand and appreciate that Climate Change is happening now, here in Rochester and everywhere else (because it’s a planetary phenomenon)? We have ...

As climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe points out in this recent webinar by The Security and Sustainability Forum (SSF) *, most people don’t have a problem with the science behind Climate Change. That science is the same science we use every day in the products we use and way we understand the workings of our world. Astonishingly, the reason most people don’t think global warming** matters to them is because they don’t think it will harm them personally. See: “ Estimated % of adults who think global warming will harm them personally 2016 “ graph from Yale Climate Opinion Maps – U.S. 2016. But it does, and it will. Hayhoe says in the webinar “We care about a changing climate because it exacerbates the risks we already face today.” One of the ways we know that Climate Change is already happening here in the USA is through the official National Climate Assessment (NCA). Since 1990, our country has been required by law to provide this information about our changing climate to the public ...

When is the best time to talk about Climate Change? Now, after record-breaking hurricanes, before our elections, in elementary school where we start to learn about the sciences, at Thanksgiving or Christmas family gatherings, at community gatherings, over a drink at the local tavern, on social media, while driving and connected to our Smartphones, only when taking a college course on Climate Change, at a meeting where people already agree on addressing this crisis, while on a vacation or a long bike ride, at a bus stop while waiting for a bus, during a doctor visit, while walking the dog, on a date, jogging down the street with a friend, intermission at a movie or basketball game, or after every environmental emergency, every appointment, while watching a sports event, TV show, or only after every other thing has been exhausted and there’s nothing left to talk about (and even then just keeping quiet about Climate Change would be preferable)? My guess, after watching this issue unfold o...

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” ― James Madison Loosely based on the Niagara Sierra Club’s successful Writing Group , the RPCC is starting a Writer’s Group of its own. This group will help all RPCC member organizations amplify and accelerate its mission by assisting them in working out the best possible language and strategies for reaching the mainstream media. We’ll also leverage all the possible social media aspects of the Internet to get our member’s message to the public. When: Thursday, October 13 th , at 7PM Where: St. Thomas’ Church of Rochester, 2000 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 This group will meet monthly to discuss how RPCC member organization are addressing Climate Change and talk about how to reach local media most effectively. While we wouldn’t be actually writing articles and press releases for our member groups, we will be assisting in all other aspects of shaping the message and getting it to the media—both pri...

We couldn’t talk about Climate Change much during last week’s elections. (Which is odd because that’s the time when our leaders and our media are supposed to talk about important stuff.) Nevertheless, now that those elections are over and the Paris Climate Change Summit is coming up maybe we can talk about this crisis. Paris may decide whether humanity dodges the climate bullet or not. So, at the very least shouldn’t we be talking about this issue now? Climate Change seems to be a lot of things to a lot of people: Climate Change is just science. Climate Change is a moral issue. Climate Change is an economic issue. Climate Change isn’t an economic issue. Climate Change is a hoax perpetrated by some ‘idiots’ who want to socialize the world and take away everyone’s money. Climate Change is dreadful. Climate Change is boring. The oil giants mislead the public about the fossil fuel industries’ contributions to Climate Change. Climate Change is fixable. Climate Change is the end. Climate Cha...