U13A:
Reticent Researchers! Are We Failing Humanity?

Note: Abstract submissions to Union sessions are by invitation only.


Session ID#: 9143

Session Description:
James Hansen stated that “scientific reticence…hinders communication with the public about (the) dangers of global warming… in a case such as ice sheet instability and sea level rise, there is a danger in excessive caution. We may rue reticence, if it serves to lock in future disasters.”  Are earth scientists still too reticent about the increasingly urgent dangers arising from global change?  Speakers in this session will challenge researchers to define the point at which responsible scientists must speak out on policy and practice.
Primary Convener:  James Michael Byrne, University of Lethbridge, Geography and Environment, Lethbridge, Canada
Conveners:  Kent Peacock, Univ of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, Leanne J Little, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada and Peter Sinclair, Climate Denial Crock of the Week, Midland, MI, United States
Chairs:  James Michael Byrne, University of Lethbridge, Geography and Environment, Lethbridge, Canada, Kent Peacock, Univ of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada and Leanne J Little, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
OSPA Liaison:  Leanne J Little, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Index Terms:

1630 Impacts of global change [GLOBAL CHANGE]
4323 Human impact [NATURAL HAZARDS]
4330 Vulnerability [NATURAL HAZARDS]
6620 Science policy [PUBLIC ISSUES]

Abstracts Submitted to this Session:

Scientific Reticence and Sea Level Rise (Invited Talk) (Invited) (86614)
James E Hansen, Columbia University of New York, Palisades, NY, United States
If You See Something, Say Something…More (Invited) (58640)
Michael E Mann, Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia, United States and Kent Peacock, Univ of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Reticence, Accuracy and Efficacy (Invited) (70205)
Naomi Oreskes, Harvard University, History of Science, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, MA, United States and Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
The Role of Religious and Scientific Leaders in Bringing Awareness to the Urgency of Climate Change. (Invited) (85864)
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
The Solutions Project: Educating the Public and Policy Makers About Solutions to Global Warming, Air Pollution, and Energy Security (Invited) (60698)
Mark Z Jacobson, Stanford University, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford, CA, United States

See more of: Union