Denmark used to be a world leader when it came to dealing with climate-related issues, says Jesper Theilgaard, a meteorologist and TV weatherman for national broadcaster DR. Together with Henrik Winther, a COWI wastewater expert, he's agreed to a one-on-one talk about how to effectively communicate climate-related issues.
Jesper Theilgaard argues that Denmark's leading role was swept away, however, by 'the Lomborg Effect' - a reference to Bjørn Lomborg, economist and director of Copenhagen Consensus Center, who also goes by the moniker 'the Sceptical Environmentalist'.
"Lomborg's oversimplified arguments - that you, for example, get more environmental benefits for your money by securing clean water supplies for Africa rather than reducing CO2 emissions found an audience with politicians at home and abroad. But they conflict with scientific opinion," explains Theilgaard.
Keep things simpleNow that the climate is on the international agenda, and politicians and scientists have generally acknowledged that man-made CO2-emissions are contributing significantly to global warming, climate-related issues have become easier to discuss. But both Jesper Theilgaard and Henrik Winther emphasise the importance of keeping communication simple.
"You’re a poor communicator if you can’t make things easy to understand. Sometimes you even have to oversimplify things a little to give people a chance of grasping the overall picture," says the meteorologist.
Henrik Winther suggests the use of technical jargon should be limited.
"Our customers, who are typically municipal technical managers, are familiar with the jargon so they understand every word we are saying. But things are not so easy when trying to communicate with politicians and the man on the street."
Doomsday scenarios desensitise peopleBoth professionals agree that the doomsday scenarios that are reported to be looming on the climate horizon can be detrimental.
"Even though climate disasters are already occurring – such as extreme water shortages in Spain and melting glaciers in the Andes – care should be taken not to over dramatise these events, because then it has the opposite effect and people will start to become indifferent to these developments," says Jesper Theilgaard.
By Kathrine Schmeichel, kats@cowi.dkPublished: 12.08.2008