Creative (Climate) Communications: Productive Pathways for Science, Policy and Society

 On November 12, 2021, Rutgers Climate Institute and Rutgers Department of Human Ecology hosted Professor Max Boykoff, University of Colorado-Boulder, who presented Creative (Climate) Communications: Productive Pathways for Science, Policy and Society. Professor Boykoff highlighted some dimensions from his book, ‘Creative (Climate) Communications’ that integrates lessons from the social sciences and humanities to more effectively make connections through issues, people, and things that everyday citizens care about. This has worked to enhance our understanding that there is no ‘silver bullet’ to communications about climate change. He argues that a ‘silver buckshot’ approach is needed instead, where strategies effectively reach different audiences in different contexts. Tactics emanating from this approach can then significantly improve efforts that seek meaningful, substantive, and sustained responses to contemporary climate challenges.