‘Climate Change in the American Mind’
Today, 97 percent of American scientists agree that climate change is happening. According to a survey published in May 2011 by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, only 13 percent of Americans know of the near universality of this consensus.
The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication is one of many emerging efforts addressing the disconnect between climate science advancement and communication (see also Climate Central). These initiatives aim to strengthen public engagement with cutting-edge climate science by offering outlets of accessible and relevant climate science news.
The Maine Climate News Blog joins this effort by addressing fundamental concepts in climate change and discussing related recent findings. During the month of July, our theme will be Loops of Change: the Positive Feedback Loops that Drive Climate Change. We will explore a different positive feedback loop each week, gradually illustrating the extended web of Earth-Ocean-Atmosphere interactions that drive climate warming.
Stay tuned for next week’s installment, Sea-Ice Albedo: Earth’s Chilling Reflection, and for intervening updates on climate-related events in Maine!
Laura Poppick
Assistant Editor, Maine Climate News