Rocky Shores

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A Bridging Institution The Concept Jane
Lubchenco Oregon State University 9 November 2006
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Yale FES Conference on Climate Change2
break-out groupsAspen Institute October 2005
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Premise 1A critical role of science is to
inform (not dictate)the understanding and
decisionsof individuals and institutions
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Role of science to inform

• Discover how systems work (natural, social and
  coupled social-natural systems)
• Document changes
• Understand consequences of changes
• Develop and evaluate options for alternate
  pathways

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Premise 2 If decisions are to
be informed by science, Decision-makers need to
have access to scientific information that is
understandable, relevant, usable and credible.

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However, The science is complex, nuanced and
difficult to communicate simply. Uncertainties
are real (but there is often more agreement about
the basics than is communicated). Vested
interests often spin, distort or cherry-pick
information.
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The Result 1. Decisions are often made
without good science. 2. Science is seen
as a weapon, not as useful knowledge.
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The current landscape climate

• Environmental organizations policy action and
  public awareness
• Individual scientists communicate findings
• Professional scientific societies journals,
  meetings, some briefings
• Think tanks policy-papers, briefings
• Universities research, training, some outreach,
  some policy
• IPCC ongoing policy-relevant scientific
  assessments
• Governmental agencies research, policy, training
• National Academies assessments
• A few gifted science journalists stories

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The current landscape

• Lots of players, all with important roles, but
• Their collective effectiveness is not
  commensurate with the magnitude of the problem
• Missing elements
• Lack of a trusted non-advocacy source of
  information
• Insufficient strategic communication of existing
  and new scientific and technical findings
  (including solutions)
• Insufficient organized outreach to key leaders in
  many communities/sectors

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Premise 3 More effective communication of the
science of climate change is necessary (but not
sufficient)for action
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• Knowledge Awareness
• Motivation
• Opportunity Action

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• Knowledge Awareness
• Motivation
• Opportunity Action

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Premise 4 The science of climate change should
and could be communicated more effectively

• Natural and Social Sciences
• Causes, Consequences,
• Alternatives, Solutions

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Premise 5 A Bridging Institution could help
communicate scientific knowledge more effectively
and set the stage for action
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Civic leaders
Media
scientists
Environmental organizations
Religious leaders
Political leaders

Business leaders
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A Bridging Institution

• Neutral, trusted voice of science
• Credible scientists who can communicate
• Proactive
• Responsive
• Sophisticated
• In touch with the research community

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Ongoing Needs

• Explain existing knowledge
• Communicate new findings
• Identify new scientific voices
• Train new voices
• Create communication materials
• Condition the climate for change

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Lessons from Other Programs

• Leopold Leadership Program
• - Trains academic environmental scientists to
  be
• more effective communicators
• - Outstanding academic scientists are
  willing to be public, need training, can be
  superb
• COMPASS
• - Transboundary org. between marine research
  community media/policy makers gives new
  findings legs seeds syntheses, consensus
  statements brokers marine scientific information
  to media/policy-makers
• - Scientific voices are powerful if properly
  trained and positioned

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Proposal A Bridging Institution

• To ensure that scientific technical findings
  about climate change and appropriate solutions
  are effectively disseminated to leaders and the
  public so that a societal response commensurate
  with the threat might be undertaken.