CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION
Goals, Audiences, and Strategies
A WORKSHOP SUMMARY
Sherrie Forrest and Michael A. Feder, Rapporteur
Board on Science Education
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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Sherrie Forrest and Michael A. Feder, Rapporteurs
Board on Science Education
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Gov-
erning Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from
the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engi -
neering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible
for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for
appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. DUE-0956031 between the National
Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, find -
ings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
Foundation.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-21845-0
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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2011). Climate Change Education:
Goals, Audiences, and Strategies. A Workshop Summary. S. Forrest and M.A. Feder,
Rapporteurs. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sci -
ences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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STEERING COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
EDUCATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
JOSEPH E. HEIMLICH (Chair), The Ohio State University and Institute
for Learning Innovation
CHARLES W. ANDERSON, Department of Teacher Education,
Michigan State University
DAVID BLOCKSTEIN, National Council for Science and the
Environment
ANN BOSTROM, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University
of Washington
WÄNDI BRUINE DE BRUIN, Department of Social and Decision
Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
EDWARD MAIBACH, Center for Climate Change Communication,
George Mason University
MICHAEL A. FEDER, Study Director
SHERRIE FORREST, Associate Program Officer
MARTIN STORKSDIECK, Director, Board on Science Education
PAUL C. STERN, Director, Committee on Human Dimensions of Global
Change
REBECCA KRONE, Program Associate
ANTHONY BROWN, Senior Program Assistant
v
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BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION
HELEN R. QUINN (Chair), Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford
University
PHILIP BELL, Learning Sciences, LIFE Center, University of
Washington
GEORGE R. BOGGS, American Association of Community Colleges
WILLIAM B. BONVILLIAN, MIT Washington Office, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Washington, DC
JOSEPH S. FRANCISCO, Department of Chemistry, Purdue University
ADAM GAMORAN, Department of Sociology and Wisconsin Center
for Education Research, University of Wisconsin–Madison
JERRY P. GOLLUB, Natural Sciences and Physics Departments,
Haverford College
MARGARET A. HONEY, New York Hall of Science
JANET HUSTLER, Partnership for Student Success in Science (PS3),
Synopsys, Inc.
SUSAN W. KIEFFER, Department of Geology, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
BRETT D. MOULDING, Utah Partnership for Effective Science
Teaching and Learning
CARLO PARRAVANO, Merck Institute for Science Education
SUSAN R. SINGER, Department of Biology, Carleton College
WILLIAM B. WOOD, Department of Cellular and Developmental
Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder
MARTIN STORKSDIECK, Director
HEIDI A. SCHWEINGRUBER, Deputy Director
MICHAEL A. FEDER, Senior Program Officer
MARGARET HILTON, Senior Program Officer
THOMAS E. KELLER, Senior Program Officer
NATALIE NIELSEN, Senior Program Officer
SHERRIE FORREST, Associate Program Officer
REBECCA KRONE, Program Associate
ANTHONY BROWN, Senior Program Assistant
vi
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Acknowledgments
This workshop summary is based on discussions at a workshop con-
vened by the Board on Science Education (BOSE), in collaboration with
the Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change and the Division
on Earth and Life Studies, of the National Research Council (NRC) on
October 21 and 22, 2010. We thank our colleagues who served on the steer-
ing committee for the workshop, each of whom brought deep and varied
expertise to the process of planning the workshop. The members of the
steering committee developed the agenda, identified presenters, selected
presenters and paper authors, and facilitated discussion throughout the
workshop. Although they did not participate in writing this report, this
summary reflects the insightful comments of the steering committee
members, presenters and many of the workshop participants. The work-
shop was generously supported by the National Science Foundation as
part of the NRC Roundtable on Climate Change Education.
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by indi-
viduals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in
accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Commit-
tee of the NRC. The purpose of this independent review is to provide
candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making
its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report
meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsive-
ness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain
confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We thank the following
individuals for their review of this report: Richard M. Amasino, Depart-
vii
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viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ment of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Ann E. Benbow,
Education, Outreach and Development, American Geological Institute;
Edward Maibach, Center for Climate Change Communication, George
Mason University; Matthew C. Nisbet, School of Communication, Ameri -
can University; Louie Rivers, Departments of Criminal Justice and Envi -
ronmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University; Lloyd
M. Robeson, College of Engineering, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.,
Purdue University; and Ponisseril Somasundaran, School of Engineering
and Applied Science, Columbia University.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive
comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of
the report nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release.
The review of this report was overseen by Cary I. Sneider, Portland State
University. Appointed by the NRC, he was responsible for making certain
that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accor-
dance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were
carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report
rests entirely with the authors and the institution.
We are grateful for the leadership and support of Martin Storksdieck,
director of the Board on Science Education; Paul Stern, director of the
Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change; and Michael
Feder, senior program officer with the Board on Science Education. We
thank Michael Feder and Sherrie Forrest, associate program officer with
BOSE and the Ocean Studies Board for serving as rapporteurs of the
workshop, and Margaret Hilton, senior program officer with BOSE for her
valuable contributions and considerable work on this summary. Rebecca
Krone deserves our thanks for her flawless logistical support throughout
the project; and Amanda Purcell for logistical support at the workshop.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge the support of the Executive and
the Reports Office of the NRC Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences
and Education, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion (NOAA) for hosting the workshop.
Joseph E. Heimlich, Chair
Steering Committee on Climate Change
Education Goals and Objectives
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Contents
Acronyms xi
1 Introduction and Goals of Climate Change Education 1
2 Climate Change Education Goals and Outcomes for Various
Public Audiences 19
3 Implications of Audience Research and Segmentation for
Education Strategies 35
4 Major Messages 51
References 61
Appendixes
A Workshop Agenda and List of Participants 65
B Climate Change Education Roundtable 75
C Biographical Sketches of Presenters, Steering Committee
Members, and Staff 77
ix
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Acronyms
CCEP Climate Change Education Partnership Program
CLEAN Climate Literacy Education Awareness Network Pathway
CWM conservative white male
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
IPL Interfaith Power and Light
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NRC National Research Council
NSF National Science Foundation
NWF National Wildlife Federation
USGCRP U.S. Global Climate Research Program
xi
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