What Is the Impact of Communication on Climate Change Understanding?

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report would be addressing the impact of climate change understanding with the help of communication. One of the many few ways of communication would be through mass media, like the television and the Internet, for an example. As both platforms have a vast population of users from all over the world, they would be very effective mediums in conveying the message of climate change. The content of information that will be presented would be credible as they come from government websites, credible news sources and also from people who have done extensive research in the environment and climate around the world. Furthermore, since both platforms are easily accessible in today’s technological era, it makes researching for information much more convenient and fast.

1. INTRODUCTION

This report is going to discuss how communication has impacted climate change understanding. It would be focused on a certain group of communication, called Mass Media. Such examples would be television documentary shows, news and the Internet.

Communication is the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns, attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuels.

1. DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS

There are many forms of communication. Some of which, under mass media are, the television documentary shows, news and the Internet. We would be discussing about these forms of mass media in particular because they are the platforms in which people use to gather more information about issues.

1. TELEVISION

Research has shown that an Australian spends an average of 13 hours a week watching the television. This implies that the television could be effective in spreading awareness about climate change.

1. Television Documentary Shows

Television documentary channels like the ‘National Geographic’ broadcasts about climate change. A show called ‘A Way Forward: Facing Climate Change’ reported that human activities are the main reasons for climate change and cause the most dangerous side effects.

1. News

Traditional news has also been reporting about climate change. A recent report done by the Climate Council under the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that there would be more extensive bushfires and more intense heat waves in Western Australia.

Thus, the news and television documentaries are a platform in which they have broadcasted about climate change and how it has affected Australia.

1. INTERNET

With the Internet being so easily accessible, it makes researching much more convenient. Thus, it is one of the platforms where it has assisted in the understanding of climate change. The few websites that have aided in climate change understanding are Government websites and the TED website.