CLIMATE SCIENCE ON CAPITOL HILL: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS TO BETTER INFORM POLICY DECISIONS

It is no surprise that climate change continues to generate controversy in the halls of Congress, yet access to the best available climate science is vital for informing climate-related policy. In 2011 a coalition of scientific societies established Climate Science Day on Capitol Hill. The purpose of the now annual event is to provide a non-partisan opportunity for scientists of many disciplines to build relationships and provide Members of Congress access to the best possible climate science information. By stressing the importance of climate science education and outreach, the participating societies, including the American Geophysical Union, work to establish relationships between their member scientists and policy makers.

This presentation will discuss the intricacies of communicating climate science to Members of Congress and their staff as well as how the simple “ask” for Climate Science Day has worked to better inform policy makers and provide faces behind climate science.