MIAMI – When it comes to communicating climate change, meteorologists are on the front lines.

“Television weathercasters may be the most prominent science communicators in our society,” said John Morales, chief meteorologist at NBC 6 in Miami. “The one scientist that everybody can relate to is the broadcast meteorologist on television.”

Morales spoke at a recent workshop at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami. The workshop aimed to arm meteorologists with the information they need to accurately answer viewer questions about climate change.

The day-long event on May 15, which brought together top climate scientists and meteorologists from four states, was sponsored by The Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media. The McCormick Foundation provided funding.

A recent survey of television weathercasters conducted by George Mason University found that nearly two-thirds of meteorologists believe that scientists still disagree about whether climate change is occurring (see related Yale Forum story here).

The PowerPoint presentations shown by speakers at the Miami 14-15 workshop are available online. Yale Forum readers wanting access to those files can send an e-mail to the editor at bud@yaleclimatemediaforum.org.

Watch the video for a behind-the-scenes look at the workshop and interviews with some of the participants.

Author
Sara Peach is a freelance multimedia environmental journalist living in Carrboro, N.C. Reach her at sara @ yaleclimatemediaforum.org.

Print E-mail