As a Norwegian public opinion researcher, it quickly became clear to me that the Norwegian public has a comparatively high level of acceptance in climate change being man-made. A poll conducted by TNS Gallup spring 2010 showed that some 70 % of Norwegians still believe in climate change, with scores being almost unaffected by Climategate and the cold winter. Other issues such as poverty and local pollution are more paramount in China and India, but it is more surprising to note the different and far less alarmist tone of the U.S. media. The New York Times for instance ran a debate on whether climate change is man-made as recent as late August.

One of the main topics of debate in Shanghai was how to present climate science and solutions in a way that generates public interest and support without distorting the science. Scientists in the panel debate argued that average Joe is interested in science and that simplifying is stupidifying, while journalists on on the other hand upheld that their most important job was to write stories that are both interesting and important, underscoring the need to simplify.

The discussion was interesting and highlighted different positions. My view is that the general public is interested in science, but only to a limited extent. Climate change has to fight for people’s attention against a range of other issues, and it needs to be communicated in a way that talks to people’s hearts. Exactly how to do that in different countries and to different target groups, however, is a topic for further discussion.

Another key issue at the Symposium was the need for increased international understanding and cooperation in the media world. The COP 15 breakdown and different accounts of what actually happened there, accentuated this. Talking to participants from all continents, as well as Climate Advocates I had met at previous training in Europe, was great fun, but also helped enhance my understanding of how climate change is understood and tackled across the world, offering new ideas for future public opinion research. Many thanks to the British Council for organizing the Symposium!

Link to survey: http://www.tns-gallup.no/?did=9093213