The strategies, resources, and tools of these groups challenge scientists' communicating with the public, and are discussed and various STEM-base information, communication and education resources. Communicating with the public is not a traditional role of scientists, but is increasingly importance in today's virtually-connect world. It is incumbent that the public understands the basic scientific principles of the environments in which they live, work, learn, and play. Climate change emerged in the 21st Century as one of the most complex, and controversial environmental problems. Enhanced scientific communication by scientists and their proxies is a response to the theft of emails and documents from the University of East Anglia in November 2009, and strategically �leaked� days before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen. Climate change deniers attacked researchers, and Conservative radio talk-shows dispersed allegations of fraud, withholding and manipulation of data, and suppression of publications. �Climategate� neutered the UN negotiations, and more lastingly, created public confusion and mistrust about the scientific consensus on climate change.  Scientific organizations challenged scientists to evaluate their roles as communicators and set the stage for increasing the proactive discussion of their research in terms of how their research contributes to a more informed decision-making process that is necessary to transform our ways of thinking from living in a greenhouse gas constrained world, to a world not constrained by greenhouse gases.

Coming out from under the cloud of �Climategate�: Are scientists effectively communicating with the public on climate change?

248th National Meeting (2014)

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