Communicating weather and climate information – We have met the enemy and he is us!

The topic I am focusing on is not new to this conference. It's been talked about for decades…maybe longer!

But, I've taken a new look at it from the perspective of the “weather” versus “climate” debate. What I've discovered is frightening. The reason that the public doesn't “get it,” is because we (meteorologists, climatologists, geographers, geologists, educators and others) don't “get it.”

Take a moment and write down your definitions of “weather” and “climate.” Then check to see if these definitions are employed properly throughout our varied professions. You might just be surprised to see that they are not!

In this paper, I'll focus on what we aren't doing correctly (even down to elementary and middle school levels) and why we should work closely with NOAA to remedy the situation before the new Climate Agency gets too firmly entrenched.