Climate change, and its many local and global impacts, poses the sustainability challenge of our times. The U.N. statement on Sustainability Goals makes plain that no country is immune to the effects of climate change, pointing out that, “The annual average economic losses from climate-related disasters are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This is not to mention the human impact of geo-physical disasters, which are 91 percent climate-related, and which between 1998 and 2017 killed 1.3 million people, and left 4.4 billion injured” [1]. In fact, most if not all of the UN Sustainability Goals (certainly not just Goal 13 – Climate Action) are in some way connected to or impacted by climate change and weather [2]. It is critical that information about climate and weather can be widely and effectively communicated, to a diverse and inclusive global audience. This will impact the conduct and communication of science related to climate change, development and engineering of solutions, education regarding the issues and actions, and public policy decisions that may impact vast swaths of the world’s populations.
To expand the reach of, and engagement with, such data and messaging, the information and displays must be accessible to as broad an audience as possible, including but not limited to the 1.3 billion people who live with disabilities and functional limitations [3]. Consider hurricane tracking maps, diagrams of the water cycle, temperature and salinity graphs, weather forecasts, planting schedules, flood zones. Accessible multimodal displays can transcend age, culture, language, education level, SES, political perspective, and perhaps even level of skepticism. Accessible data tools enhance opportunities for education, employment, independence, planning, health, and well-being. Understanding climate science and access to data can allow individuals and communities to make more sustainable cities, resilient supply chains, food sources, industries, education and training, health and sanitation services, and even entertainment.
A broad team of researchers centered at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) are leading the effort to establish and expand the reach of this center, which is bringing together world-leading experts in the requisite fields, such as: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences; Psychology; Multimodal Displays and Sonification; Universal and Accessible Design; Inclusive Education; Assistive Technology; Environmental Justice; Creativity; Science Innovation; Engineering; Biologically Inspired Design; User Experience; Public Policy; Ethics; and more. The CICC will facilitate the creation of accessible and engaging tools, methods, and information products, along with their application and deployment for the improvement of Science, Engineering, Education, and Public Policy related to climate change and weather.
The CICC will focus on inclusive climate communication strategies, tools, and research. Application domains will include science, formal education, informal learning environments, and public communications (including climate emergency and disaster-related communications). Key inclusive tools will support accessible forms of maps, STEM diagrams, graphs and data displays, mathematical, probabilistic, and statistical information, and narratives. Communication strategies will be optimized for different ages, languages, education, and certainly for a diversity of perceptual and cognitive abilities.
The leadership of the CICC includes Center Director Dr. Bruce N. Walker (Georgia Tech Sonification Lab, Psychology, and Interactive Computing), who has decades of impact in accessible education, weather communications, maps, graphs, and more; Dr. Amy S. Bower (WHOI oceanographer); Dr. Susan Lozier (GT Earth and Atmospheric Sciences); Dr. Jessica Roberts and Dr. Carrie Bruce (both GT Interactive Computing). In addition, CICC already has affiliations, collaborations, and partnerships with researchers, departments, schools, universities, research institutions, public outreach organizations, service providers, corporations, informal learning organizations, policy, and government agencies. The list of collaborators is too long to include here; we welcome any and all additional partners to join us.
The early core activities of the CICC are centered on building a global network of relevant stakeholders, and “friendraising”. We will be hosting open Zoom calls, holding workshops and conferences, and other ways of gathering interested and like-minded individuals and organizations. We will also be engaging in research and education activities, some ongoing and some new; tool building and dissemination; shared proposal writing and fundraising from all angles and all sources; plus outreach and policy related efforts. We expect to have impact on a global scale, improving lives through effective dissemination of important and actionable information, and ensuring that the climate research community has the training and tools to make future communications as inclusive, accessible, and effective as possible. We welcome and encourage you to join us at https://cicc.psych.gatech.edu.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/climate-action accessed 9/14/2023
[2] UN Sustainability Goals impacted by climate include, especially: 1: No Poverty; 2: Zero Hunger; 3: Good Health and Well-Being; 4: Quality Education; 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; 8: Descent Work and Economic Growth; 10: Reduced Inequalities; 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; 13: Climate Action; 14: Life Below Water; 15: Life on Land; 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
[3] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health
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