>> Announcer: PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR.

B."

IS PROVIDED BY -- AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION.

BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURES.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> I'M DR. FREDERIC BERTLEY, IMMUNOLOGIST AND EDUCATOR.

SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE AND FOR EVERY ONE.

AND IT'S ALL AROUND US, SHAPING OUR LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY.

IN THIS SERIES, WE'LL LOOK AT CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH, TALK TO THE SCIENTISTS WHO ARE CHARTING NEW FRONTIERS AND SOLVING TODAY'S PROBLEMS TO MAKE ALL OUR LIVES BETTER.

WHEN A SCIENTIST OR MATHEMATICIAN DEMONSTRATES PROOF OF CONCEPT IN THEIR WORK, THEY OFTEN USE A TERM "Q.E.D."

QUAD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM.

THAT ROUGHLY TRANSLATES TO QUITE EASILY DEMONSTRATED.

WELCOME TO "QED WITH DR.

B."

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW CAN WE UTILIZE SCIENTIFIC DATA TO TELL A STORY ABOUT OUR PLANET?

TO DO THAT, WE INVITED EXPERTS IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, HISTORY AND ETHICS TO HELP US OUT.

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT CLIMATE SCIENCE IS INTERLOCKED WITH THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY AND THE RISE AND FALL OF CIVILIZATIONS OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

OUR FIRST GUEST IS DR. JOHN BROOKE.

HE'S ON THE FACULTY AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

HE'S AN EXPERT IN HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGY AND IS THE AUTHOR OF "CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE COURSE OF GLOBAL HISTORY."

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>> YOU'RE AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIAN.

SO, BREAK THAT DOWN.

WHAT DOES AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIAN STUDY AND HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF HISTORY IS PEOPLE BUT, PEOPLE LIVE SOME PLACE.

AND THEY LIVE IN INTERACTION WITH WHAT WE CALL THE EARTH SYSTEM.

SO, WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE AND HUMANITY?

THAT'S THE CENTRAL PROBLEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIANS.

WHAT I DO AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIAN INTERESTED IN CLIMATE IS TO STUDY A LOT OF THE WORK OF A LOT OF CLIMATE SCIENTISTS WHO ARE DRILLING HOLES IN THE GROUND, IN THE ICE AND IN THE SEAFLOOR AND COMING UP WITH ESSENTIALLY A LIBRARY, AN ARCHIVE IN THE SENTIMENTS OF THE CHEMISTRY OF PAST NATURAL HISTORY, ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE EARTH.

AND SO, MY JOB IS TO CONNECT HUMAN HISTORY WITH THAT NATURAL ARCHIVE THAT THE CLIMATE SCIENTISTS FIND IN THE ICE CORES, IN THE TREE RINGS, IN LAKE SENTIMENTS.

YOU KNOW, HOW DOES IT DATE UP AND THEN HOW DOES IT CONNECT WITH -- WITH THE FATE OF HUMANITY THROUGH TIME.

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>> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE SITUATION WHERE THE SCIENTIFIC DATA THAT YOU FOUND FROM THE ENVIRONMENT, FROM ICE CORE DRILLING, WHAT HAVE YOU, HAS FORCED US TO REWRITE AN ASPECT OF THE RECORDED HISTORY?

>> ALMOST EVERY DIMENSION OF HUMAN HISTORY NOW IS OPEN TO A NEW ANALYSIS BECAUSE OF THE FINDINGS, THE SYSTEMATIC FINDINGS OF CLIMATE SCIENTISTS OVER THE LAST 25-30 YEARS.

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>> YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE THIS TERM CALLED THE "ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH."

WHAT IS THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH AND HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO -- TO ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY?

>> IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, GEOLOGISTS HAVE SAID, "MAYBE WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT A MARKER ON THE IMPACT OF HUMANITY ON THE NATURAL SYSTEMS.

WE'RE GONNA CALL IT A NEW PERIOD.

THE ANTHROPOCENE."

>> ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT BEEN FORMALLY ADOPTED AS AN EPOCH IN GEOLOGIC TIME, MANY RESEARCHERS ARE USING THE TERM "ANTHROPOCENE" TO DESCRIBE THE MOST RECENT PERIOD IN THE HISTORY OF EARTH.

DURING THIS TIME, HUMAN ACTIVITY HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE EARTH'S CLIMATE AND ECOSYSTEMS.

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THE THINGS THAT WE DO, FROM THE MASSIVE CHANGES IN THE MISSION SPARKED BY THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, TO THE NUCLEAR BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, JAPAN HAVE HAD A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON BOTH HUMANS AND THE PLANET WE ALL LIVE ON.

>>> SO, WE HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME.

THIS IDEA OF CYCLES AND CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

WHAT DO CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AGREE ON IN TERMS OF THE CYCLE?

AND ARE WE IN A CYCLE?

>> SO, HERE WE ARE IN THE PROGRESS EXHIBIT OF COSI.

THIS IS CAPTURING THE WORLD AS IT WAS ABOUT -- YOU KNOW, ABOUT 100 YEARS AGO.

EVEN THEN, TO PRODUCE THE STUFF AND THE EARLY CARS THAT MIGHT BE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, WE WERE PUMPING THE BEGINNINGS OF CO2 INTO THE ATMOSPHERE FROM COAL-BURNING PLANTS.

AND THAT HAS ACCELERATED MASSIVELY.

I WAS BORN IN 1953.

STATE A FACT.

AND THE CO2 AT THAT POINT WAS ONLY 315.

SO, IT'S GONE 100 POINTS -- >> WOW.

>> IN MY LIFETIME.

>> WOW.

CARBON DIOXIDE IS A GREENHOUSE GAS THAT WHEN IT'S IN THE ATMOSPHERE, IT TRAPS HEAT FROM THE SUN ON EARTH.

THIS IS A GOOD THING.

WITHOUT IT, OUR EARTH'S SURFACE WOULD BE FROZEN SOLID.

BUT, AS MORE AND MORE GREENHOUSE GASES ARE RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AS DR. BROOKS SAID, THE EARTH IS GONNA START TO GET WARMER AND WARMER.

AND THAT IMPACTS THE EARTH'S SYSTEMS.

THINGS LIKE WEATHER PATTERNS, PLANT GROWTH AND CLIMATE.

OVER THE PAST 60 YEARS, THE CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS HAVE INCREASED AT A RATE OF AROUND 100 TIMES FASTER THAN ANY OTHER HISTORICAL INCREASE.

>> WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN THE LAST 100 YEARS IS NOT A CYCLE.

WE LIVE ON ONE EARTH.

WE HAVE TO PROTECT IT.

THERE ISN'T A -- THERE ISN'T ANY ALTERNATIVE.

>> WELL, DR. BROOK, AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.

THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US.

>> THANK YOU, FREDERIC.

GREAT TO BE HERE.

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>> IT'S INTERESTING HOW DR. BROOK LOOKED AT CLIMATE CHANGE FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF STUDY.

THIS HOLISTIC VIEW SHOWS HOW CLIMATE SHIFTS HAVE IMPACTED HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND IN TURN HOW HUMANS HAVE HAD A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE PLANET.

BUT, WHAT ABOUT TODAY?

WE TALKED TO DR. AARON WILSON TO GET MORE PROSPECTIVE ON HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS YOU AND ME IN OUR EVERY DAY LIVES.

>> PEOPLE OFTEN CONFUSE WEATHER AND CLIMATE.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

SO, THERE'S A LOT OF -- YOU HEAR A LOT OF DIFFERENT METAPHORS FOR EXPLAINING WEATHER AND CLIMATE.

THE ONE I LIKE TO USE IS IMAGINE YOU'RE WALKING YOUR DOG.

RIGHT?

AND YOU'RE OUT WALKING YOUR DOG AND THAT DOG IS DRIVEN BY SOME NATURAL TENDENCIES.

IF HE SEES A FIRE HYDRANT, OR McDONALDS' WRAPPER, OR ANOTHER DOG SOMEWHERE.

IT COULD BE GOING IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE WALKING.

BUT, ULTIMATELY IF YOU'RE SITTING ABOVE THE -- THE DOG WALKER AND THE DOG AND YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN, THAT DOG'S PATH CAN BE DEFINED BY THE PATH THE DOG WALKER'S TAKING.

THE MEAN CLIMATE.

SO, EVEN THOUGH THAT WEATHER VARIES BACK AND FORTH QUITE CHAOTICALLY DAY TO DAY, THE CLIMATE'S REALLY DESCRIBING THAT MEAN PATH.

AND IT INCLUDES ALL OF THOSE EXTREMES THAT -- THAT WE WITNESS.

>> AND ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW YOU TEACH IT TO PEOPLE, YOU TALK ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR CLIMATE CHANGE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

DOES FREDERIC BERTLEY -- DO I HAVE MY OWN KIND OF IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> WELL, FIRST, SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES, YOU DO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL IMPACT.

WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE IMPACT ON CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

WHEN I -- WHEN I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL'S CLIMATE CHANGE, IT'S THE IDEA THAT WE EXPERIENCE CLIMATE CHANGE DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING ON WHERE -- WHERE WE LIVE, WHERE WE'RE AT THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, OR OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.

THERE ARE A LOT OF FASCINATING PIECES OF EVIDENCE SHOWING CHANGE ACROSS THE WORLD.

SCARY EVIDENCE IN SOME RESPECTS.

ICE THAT'S ACCELERATING IN TERMS OF MELTING.

SEA LEVEL RISE THAT'S REALLY RAPID IN SOME AREAS AND THREATENING, YOU KNOW, SOME -- SOME ISLAND NATIONS.

BUT IN -- HERE IN OHIO, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE HAD ICE SITTING HERE IN OHIO.

AND IT'S BEEN EVEN LONGER SINCE WE'VE HAD AN OCEAN.

SO WE DON'T EXPERIENCE ICE MELT.

WHAT DO WE EXPERIENCE?

WE EXPERIENCE THINGS LIKE AN INCREASE IN WATER VAPOR.

THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE THAT'S IN THE ATMOSPHERE THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS.

WE -- WE FEEL THE INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE.

SO OUR WINTERS ARE WARMING TWICE AS FAST AS OUR SUMMERTIME.

SO REALLY CHALLENGING FOLKS TO THINK ABOUT THE CHANGE THAT'S THE IMPACTS THAT THEY'RE FEELING.

AND THEN, ULTIMATELY -- THEN THE NEXT STEP IS BUILDING RESILIENCE TO THOSE CHANGES.

>> WHAT CAN I DO?

WHAT CAN WE DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO MITIGATE THAT?

OR, SAYING IT DIFFERENTLY, WHY SHOULD WE EVEN CARE IF IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT WARMER?

>> YEAH, SO -- SO I THINK THAT QUESTION REALLY SPEAKS TO A THREE CHOICES WE HAVE AS HUMAN BEINGS.

ONE IS THAT WE ADAPT TO THE CHANGES THAT WE SEE.

WE TRY TO CATCH UP TO THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN OUR ATMOSPHERE IN THOSE CLIMATE CHANGES BASED ON OUR PREVIOUS ACTIONS.

THE NEXT STEP IS WE MITIGATE.

WE'RE LIMITING, RIGHT, THE IMPACTS OF EVEN WORSE OUTCOMES IN THE FUTURE BY WE KNOW WHAT THE PRIMARY MECHANISM OF OUR -- OUR CLIMATE CHANGE RIGHT NOW WHICH IS FOSSIL FUEL BURNING AND COMBUSTION AND -- AND CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE, INCREASING GREENHOUSE GASES.

THE OTHER CHOICE IS TO SUFFER.

SUFFER INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY.

AND -- AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE I THINK THE EQUITY QUESTION COMES IN.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

AND IT'S WHY IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST CLIMATE SCIENTISTS.

IT TAKES ALL OF THE ROLES, ALL OF THE PEOPLE OUT THERE FROM YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, TO YOUR -- YOUR DOCTORS THINKING ABOUT HEALTH, TO AGRICULTURAL SPECIALISTS AND FARMERS, AND ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ROLES THAT ALL OF US PLAY HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN MAKING THOSE SELECTIONS OF HOW WE RESPOND TO THOSE CHANGES.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AND AT THE GRANULAR LEVEL WHY IT MATTERS WHAT INDIVIDUALS DO.

>> WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO -- TO THE EVERY DAY PERSON ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW THEY SHOULD GO ABOUT THEIR DAY?

>> WE KNOW THE DEVASTATING IMPACTS, THE IMPACTS ON OUR CLIMATE AND ULTIMATELY ON OUR PEOPLE.

SO IT REALLY CHALLENGES US TO THINK ABOUT OUR ENERGY.

I THINK ENERGY'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS.

HOW DO WE LIMIT ENERGY?

HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, FROM -- ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT CARPOOLING, DRIVING LESS, MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLES.

ARE WE ABLE TO REPLACE CERTAIN TRIPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT?

THAT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT.

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN YOUR HOME.

THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THESE WIN-WIN SCENARIOS WHERE YOU'RE DECREASING YOUR ENERGY BILLS.

THEN YOU'RE ALSO HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.

BUT, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING WE CAN DO IS TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

NOT BE AFRAID TO TALK TO OUR FAMILY, TO OUR -- OUR FAITH COMMUNITIES, TO OUR, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT MIGHT HAVE DIFFERING OPINIONS THAN US BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE MORE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, THE MORE WE'RE EMBRACING IT.

AND I'VE ALWAYS USED THIS OTHER PHRASE ABOUT COLLECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY WITHOUT BLAME BECAUSE NOBODY LIKES TO BE BLAMED FOR THINGS.

>> SURE.

>> IT REALLY TENDS TO SHUT DOWN COMMUNICATION.

BUT COLLECTIVELY, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT OUR COLLECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

>> GREAT, GREAT.

WELL, IN OHIO HERE WE HAVE THIS EXPRESSION THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

>> YEAH.

>> SO, IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE PRACTICE THAT, THERE'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALIZE THESE EFFECTIVE OUTCOMES.

>> YEAH.

>> AND HOPEFULLY IT'S CONTAGIOUS FOR THE OTHER 49 STATES.

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DR. WILSON'S OBSERVATIONS ABOUT HOW THE WEATHER CAN BE AN INROAD TO A GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REFRESHING.

IT GIVES US A NEUTRAL SPACE TO ENGAGE AND EXPLORE.

THE STATE CLIMATE OFFICE OF OHIO AND THE UNITED STATES' DROUGHT MONITOR HAVE GREAT WEBSITES TO EXPLORE NOT JUST THE IMPACT OF WEATHER ON FARMERS, BUT ADVICE FOR ALL OF US TO DEAL WITH EXTREME WEATHER.

NOW WE TURN TO WHAT MIGHT BE HOLDING US BACK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

DR. SARA YEO IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH.

HER WORK UNCOVERS HOW OUR OWN BIASES CAN IMPACT OUR VERY CAPACITY FOR LEARNING.

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>> IT'S FASCINATING.

YOUR WORK EXPLORES THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE, MEDIA AND POLITICS.

AND THAT'S A HYPERCHARGED, SUPERCROWDED SPACE.

WHAT ARE YOUR FINDINGS ABOUT OUR PERCEPTION OF SCIENCE AND -- AND OUR EVERY DAY LIVES?

>> YEAH, SO THAT'S A REALLY -- THAT'S A REALLY BIG QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS RATIONAL THINKERS.

AS RATIONAL PROCESSORS, RIGHT?

AND YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL, NOT JUST MY FINDINGS, BUT FINDINGS IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION SHOW THAT WE'RE NOT VERY GOOD RATIONAL PROCESSORS.

THAT'S A REALLY BIG TAKEAWAY FROM SCIENCE COMMUNICATION.

IT'S THAT -- IT'S NOT JUST INFORMATION THAT IS CHANGING HOW WE FEEL ABOUT SCIENCE OR SCIENTIFIC ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO US TODAY.

BUT IT'S OFTEN THE KIND OF VALUES THAT WE BRING AND HOW WE RATIONALIZE THAT INFORMATION TO KIND OF IT.

NOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE FOR DECADES NOW, RIGHT?

AND, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING WE KNOW IS THAT IT'S -- IT'S A HYPERCHARGED ISSUE.

IT IS A HIGHLY POLITICIZED ISSUE.

AND THIS IDEA THAT YOU VIEW THE OTHER SIDE, RIGHT, AS KIND OF HOSTILE TO YOURS.

THE IDEA OF HOSTILE MEDIA PERCEPTION OR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SIDE ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEIR MEDIA COVERAGE.

RIGHT?

AND THAT'S -- THAT'S A FORM OF RATIONALIZATION.

RIGHT?

WE ARE MAKING IT FIT WITH OUR WORLD VIEW.

AND IN FACT, THE MORE EDUCATED WE ARE, THE BETTER EQUIPPED WE ARE TO KIND OF COUNTERARGUE FACTS, RIGHT?

AND KIND OF MAKE INFORMATION FIT OUR WORLD VIEWS.

>> LET'S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT CONFIRMATION BIAS.

RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT THE SMARTER WE ARE, THE BETTER WE ARE AT CHERRYPICKING INFORMATION THAT SUPPORTS OUR OWN PREEXISTING OPINIONS.

CONFIRMATION BIAS HAPPENS TO ALL OF US, MAKING MEANINGFUL COMMUNICATION ABOUT TOPICS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE VERY COMPLICATED.

BUT THIS MEANINGFUL COMMUNICATION IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

HOW GOOD ARE WE NOW IN THE 21st CENTURY WITH SCIENTISTS AND KIND OF THE COMMUNICATION/MEDIA PIECE GETTING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TELLING A BETTER AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE NARRATIVE?

>> MY A-HA MOMENT WAS DEFINITELY LEARNING ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE DEFICIT MODEL WHICH WAS MINDBLOWING FOR ME.

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>> THE KNOWLEDGE DEFICIT MODEL IMPLIES THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE GAPS IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

IF THOSE GAPS ARE FILLED, THAT IS THEY GAIN MORE INFORMATION, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND CLIMATE CHANGE AND WILL WORK TOWARDS FIXING IT.

THE PROBLEM IS THE KNOWLEDGE DEFICIT MODEL DOESN'T WORK.

WHY?

BECAUSE EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH WE UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE BEHIND CLIMATE CHANGE, FILTERS INFORMATION THROUGH OUR EXPERIENCES BEFORE WE ADJUST OUR ATTITUDE.

THOSE EXPERIENCES RELY ON EMOTIONS AND HOW WE PERCEIVE THE WORLD.

EXPERTS ARE NOW WORKING ON HOW TO REFRAME SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TO HELP OVERCOME BIASES.

AND WE'RE GETTING AT BETTER AT NOT JUST POINTING TO DATA, BUT ALSO LEARNING HOW TO TELL A STORY ABOUT THAT DATA.

IT'S A FLOODED MACROENVIRONMENT.

THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION OUT THERE.

SOME OF IT IS SPOT ON CORRECT.

SOME OF IT IS SO-SO, NOT SO CORRECT.

AND SOME OF IT IS DARN RIGHT FALSE.

AND AS AN EXPERT IN COMMUNICATION, WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO THE VIEWER AROUND HOW HE OR SHE CAN NAVIGATE THIS SPACE, AND MAKE DECISIONS AND TRUST SOME CONTENT VERSUS OTHERS?

>> WE DON'T OFTEN THINK ABOUT EMOTIONS BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T ASSOCIATE WITH THIS OBJECTIVE ENDEAVOR OF SCIENCE, RIGHT?

AND THE SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE.

BUT EMOTION HELPS US MAKE DECISIONS.

THIS IDEA OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION FOR SCIENCE IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT?

AND THINKING ABOUT HOW EMPIRICAL RESULTS IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH CAN HELP US, RIGHT?

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.

WE'VE JUST NEVER DONE IT FOR SCIENCE.

FOR VIEWERS, IT'S REALLY JUST CALLED A HEALTHY DOSE OF SKEPTICISM AND KIND OF VERY MANY SOURCES OF INFORMATION, TRUSTED SOURCES.

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>> EXPERTS ARE NOW WORKING ON HOW TO REFRAME SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TO HELP OVERCOME BIASES.

AND WE'RE GETTING BETTER AT NOT JUST POINTING TO DATA, BUT ALSO LEARNING HOW TO TELL A STORY ABOUT THAT DATA.

OUR NEXT SCIENTIST HAS SPENT HIS CAREER LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.

DR. ART CAPLAN, PROFESSOR OF BIOETHICS AT NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER IS HERE TO DISCUSS THE ETHICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING HOW WE LOOK AT CLIMATE CHANGE.

YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE LEADING ETHICISTS IN THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

FIRST OF ALL, JUST DEFINE YOUR FIELD.

WHAT IS ETHICS?

AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND MORALS FOR EXAMPLE?

>> WELL, MORALS REFERS TO WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG.

IT'S WHAT YOU STUDY.

IT'S ANTHROPOLOGY.

IT'S SOCIOLOGY.

IT'S SURVEYS.

IT'S POLLS.

SIMILARLY MORALS REFERS TO RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.

SO THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SAY THIS IS THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE I READ IT IN THE BIBLE, OR I READ IT IN THE TORAH.

I READ IT IN SOME HOLY BOOK.

ETHICS IS THE STUDY OF WHY THE MORALS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, TRYING TO EXPLAIN, GIVE REASONS.

AND ETHICS IS ALSO THE CRITIQUE OF MORALS.

YOU WANT TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, ETHICS TRIES TO FIND REASONS THAT APPEAL UNIVERSALLY.

SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS ON THE ATTACK.

ONE OTHER THING YOU'LL LIKE, ETHICS IS WHAT WE HAVE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MORALS.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THERE ARE THINGS THAT COME UP IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THAT ARE SO NEW THERE'S NO RULES.

CLONING, STEM CELLS, LOTS OF CUTTING EDGE WORK DOESN'T HAVE ANY MORALS.

THERE'S NO LAWS.

THERE'S NO GUIDANCE.

ETHICS IS EXPECTED TO TRY TO MAKE THE FIRST ANSWER.

>> I MEAN, THAT'S GREAT 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT -- THAT CUTTING EDGE SCIENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, QUOTE-ON-QUOTE "DOESN'T HAVE MORALS YET."

SO WHAT ARE THE ETHICS AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> WELL, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ETHICAL ISSUES WE'VE GOT.

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THE FIRST ETHICAL ISSUE IS DO WE HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO DEMAND THAT WE CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR?

MOST SCIENTISTS SAY YES.

THAT THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING IN DIRECTIONS THAT'S DANGEROUS TO HUMAN HEALTH, TO AGRICULTURE, EVEN TO WILDLIFE.

AND IF WE DON'T STOP THOSE WARMING CHANGES, WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE STORMS.

WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE FLOODING.

IT'S NOT GONNA BE A GOOD SITUATION.

NOW SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT EVIDENCE ISN'T CONVINCING.

SO THE FIRST ETHICS QUESTION IS WELL, WHAT WOULD BE CONVINCING?

[ LIGHT LAUGHTER ] HOW DO YOU DECIDE THAT THE EVIDENCE THAT SCIENTISTS SAY IS TRUE IS ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU BEHAVE?

AND MY VIEW THERE IS THERE'S A CONSENSUS AMONG MOST OF THE EXPERTS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS OCCURRING.

IT'S OCCURRING DUE TO MAN-MADE CAUSES AND IT'S DANGEROUS.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO ETHICALLY THEN BE PRUDENT AND SAY WE BETTER START CHANGING OUR WAYS, OTHERWISE THE NEXT GENERATION AND FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE GONNA BE IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE RELATIVE TO THEIR HEALTH, RELATIVE TO THE ECONOMY.

SO TO ME, THE PRINCIPAL MIGHT BE BE CAUTIOUS IN THE FACE OF THAT MUCH SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS.

>> SO YOU TALKED ABOUT CARING FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.

AND CLIMATE CHANGE, OF COURSE, HAS A LONG TERM IMPACT.

WE DON'T SEE IT AS FAST AS OTHER THINGS.

WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

SO, FROM AN ETHICIST OR AN ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE, HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT NOT IMPACT IN OUR LIVES OR IN OUR GENERATION, BUT AS A FUTURE FORWARD THING THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT FROM AN ETHICS STANDPOINT?

>> I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND IT'S A COMMON ETHICS PROBLEM.

HOW DO YOU WEIGH THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS, THE IMMEDIATE DESIRES OF US RUNNING AROUND SAYING, "I WANT TO FLY ON A PLANE.

IT MAKES A LOT OF POLLUTION, BUT THE TRAVEL IS WORTH IT TO ME."

VERSUS WHAT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO WORRY ABOUT THREE GENERATIONS FORWARD WHEN I'M DEAD AND I'M NOT GONNA BE ENJOYING ANY OF THE BENEFITS OF CONTROLLED CLIMATE CHANGE.

LET ME GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY.

WE SPEND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE U.S. ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

BUT IT'S ALMOST ALL TO TREAT DISEASES AND TREAT PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE HAVE NOW.

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ACTUALLY SPEND ON RESEARCH TO FIND CURES IN THE FUTURE SEEMS BIG.

MAYBE IN THE GOVERNMENTS FUNDED $25 BILLION RANGE.

BUT IT'S NOTHING.

SO WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING OUR DEMANDS AND OUR NEEDS SUCK UP ALL THE BUDGET AND WHAT WE SPEND FOR THE FUTURE IS RELATIVELY TINY.

AND I THINK IN GENERAL ETHICISTS TRY VERY HARD TO SAY THAT'S A BAD EQUATION.

YOU OWE MORE TO THE FUTURE.

YOU OWE MORE TO THE FUTURE DESCENDANTS.

THEIR MORALITY COUNTS.

IT'S NOT EQUAL TO THE DEMANDS OF THE HERE AND NOW.

BUT, YOU DON'T WEIGH IT ENOUGH WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT YOUR BUDGET.

I MEAN, A POLITICIAN DOESN'T GET ELECTED BY FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THEY'RE HARD TO CONVINCE THAT THEY OUGHT TO WORRY MUCH ABOUT THAT.

THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING IN THE HERE AND NOW.

ETHICAL DUTY I THINK IS TO SAY, "LOOK, FOR THE GOOD OF THE COMMON GOOD, FOR THE GOOD -- THE FUTURE GOOD, YOU GOT TO WEIGH IT MORE."

>> SURE.

AND -- AND TO THAT, TO SOLVE THIS CLIMATE CHANGE PIECE, REALLY IT'S GOING TO BE A COLLECTIVE GLOBAL EFFORT WITHOUT QUESTION.

>> LET ME JUMP IN WITH ONE OTHER THING.

>> SURE.

>> SO, THERE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES I THINK FOR THE POWERFUL AS OPPOSED TO THE NOT POWERFUL WITH RESPECT TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY, "WHAT AM I GONNA DO?

I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE CARBON EMISSIONS IN A FACTORY.

FACTORY OWNERS HAVE TO DO THAT."

AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE.

IN SOME WAYS IN CLIMATE CHANGE, IF I WENT DOWN TO A STREET IN BROOKLYN AND SAID TO EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, "WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT CARBON FOOTPRINT?"

AND THEY SAID "WELL, OKAY, MAYBE I'LL USE LESS PLASTICS OR I WON'T THROW AWAY BAGS."

THAT'S NICE.

BUT THE BIG IMPACTS ARE NOT GONNA COME FROM THE INDIVIDUAL ORDINARY CITIZEN, RIGHT?

YOU'RE REALLY TALKING AT WHOSE CONTROLLING THE LEVERS OF POWER WHEN IT COMES TO BIG INDUSTRY, BIG AGRICULTURE.

I'M NOT SAYING INDIVIDUALS CAN'T DECIDE TO STOP THROWING AWAY PLASTIC BAGS, BUT THAT'S A PIECE OF A MUCH BIGGER PIE.

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>> IN ADDITION TO REDUCING YOUR OWN CARBON FOOTPRINT, CONSIDER JOINING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT TOGETHER.

>> WE OFTEN THINK THAT TO CARE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN TYPE OF PERSON.

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WE HAVE TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, OR WE HAVE TO VOTE A CERTAIN WAY OR WE HAVE TO CARE ABOUT THINGS.

BUT THE ONLY REASON WE CARE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS BECAUSE IT EFFECTS EVERYTHING WE ALREADY CARE ABOUT.

IT EFFECTS OUR FOOD, AND OUR WATER AND THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE.

IT EFFECTS THE THINGS THAT WE LOVE DOING.

IT EFFECTS THE BIRDS, AND THE PLANTS AND ALL THE ANIMALS WE SEE AROUND US.

IT EFFECTS THE ECONOMY, AND JOBS AND MONEY.

IT EFFECTS EVERYTHING.

SO THAT'S WHY TO CARE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN TYPE OF PERSON.

YOU ONLY HAVE TO BE ONE THING.

AND I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE ALREADY THAT.

AND THAT IS A HUMAN THAT LIVES ON PLANET EARTH.

>> KNOWING THE HISTORY, THE ETHICS AND SOME OF THE PITFALLS THAT COME WITH JUST TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE HELPS US ALL TO TELL THE STORY ON A DEEPER LEVEL.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ALL OF US.

AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO IS PRETTY SIMPLE.

JUST KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT.

SHARE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED.

START DISCUSSIONS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.

KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS.

AND MOST OF ALL, LIKE ALL GOOD SCIENTISTS, SEARCH FOR THE ANSWERS.

NOW THAT'S QUITE EASILY DEMONSTRATED.

"QED WITH DR.

B."

FIND US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM.

AND I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

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B."

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