Presenter(s): Haley Koch
Faculty Mentor(s): Deborah Morrison & Hollie Smith
Poster 138
Session: Social Sciences & Humanities
Occurrences of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, forest fires, and floods are increasing in frequency and severity on a global scale, and climate scientists have proven that these events are exacerbated by the effects of anthropogenic climate change. These events are then represented variably through mass media channels, some which effectively attribute these events to climate change, and some which do not. Studies have shown that improperly attributing the cause of extreme weather events could be incredibly harmful to our environmental future, and must be done correctly in order to avoid significant further damages to our society. In order to participate in the resolution of the disconnect between extreme weather events and climate change, my thesis research has led to the development of a “Code of Best Practices for Attributing Extreme Weather Events to Climate Change,” for media producers and outlets to use to ensure that their content is effectively covering events of extreme weather, and how they relate to anthropogenic climate change. Through a content analysis of sources that have attributed events of extreme weather to climate change in a variety of ways (both effective and ineffective), I have determined criteria that guarantee the effectiveness of communicating climate change attribution. These criteria can be applied to different forms of media and communications in order for a media outlet to ensure that they are accurately and effectively attributing extreme weather events to climate change.