I loved this podcast and so I am not going to write too much about it – just hit that play button!
Because this week our subject on the net hero podcast was communication, how to get the right messages across when it comes to climate science and who you should listen to.
Well one person for sure is Dr Frederic B Bertley who is the CEO of COSI (Center of Science and Industry) based in Columbus, Ohio. It’s an institute a bit like our science and natural history museums rolled into one, which educates and helps push debate. In our chat we discussed many topics but the central core is who to trust when it comes to climate change.
Many would say there are two polarised camps – it’s all doom we are burning to death and it’s all blown out of proportion – however Dr B insists the truth is most of us are in the middle, so why do those extreme voices get heard the most?
“The big issues with climate science is the data is absolutely clear, right? Yes. People like to say, Oh, well, I found a scientist that says climate science is not a thing. Fair enough, right? Like it will be on the planet. You’re going to find one or two or 1% of scientists, but 99.9% of scientists are saying climate change is a thing.
“It’s a thing. Right. And so that’s not the issue. The issue is connected to a change in behaviour here, which is connected to, oh, a reduction of money in certain people’s pockets, big industry. So if there was no impact on a financial aspect, people be like, sure, what’s up? Real climate, Let’s reduce this, let’s do this, let’s save the planet, let’s go.
“But to do it. There is a financial cost. And people don’t like that. And that’s where the disconnect comes.”
And has that got worse thanks to social media? Dr B says it’s certainly a part but also blame lies with the scientific community too.
“When you’re talking about a super far left green person who’s making you feel bad because you want to grab a bottle of water, okay, Like you’re never going to change them and their problem. And same thing on the other side.
“And in neuroscience it’s called cognitive dissonance, no matter how much you hear the data and the facts, your brain is wired in a certain way that you won’t connect the dots because you’re, for lack of a better word, brainwashed into believing X.
“I’ll just be honest, there’s nothing you can do for both sides. Now, the good news is that’s not the majority of people, right? The majority of us, the majority of the 8 billion people on the planet, we’re somewhere in the middle.
“This is where communication is so important. And this is where my colleagues, my tribe scientists and engineers, we have to own some of the blame because we think we’re smarter than everybody else. We speak a vocabulary with big Latin words, that 12 people around the world understand, so we think that makes us smarter and so we alienate everybody.
“The data is the data, but you have to be able to connect with the person, meet them where they’re at, and most importantly, respect their opinion.”
Enough said – listen now it’s a great chat and please subscribe too.
