SUMMARY

Elke Weber, Professor of International Business in the Columbia Business School and Director of the Center for Research on Environmental Decision Making, facilitates a discussion of the assigned readings on communication, decision-making, and behavioral change.  Particular attention will be paid to the climate change skeptics and the psychology behind their skepticism (despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary).  At the end of class, students will be asked to provide feedback on the class; what aspects of the experimental course most positively, and negatively, impacted their learning.

GOALS

In this lesson, students will:

• Engage in an interactive discussion of and around the topic of climate change skepticism
• Understand (or begin to) why individuals are motivated to disbelieve in climate change
• Discuss the impact the format of the experimental course had on their learning

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING MATERIALS

See lesson plan (LP) >>

Communication, Decision Making, Behavioral Change, and Skeptics
Lesson plan for discussion/lecture class
CommunicationDecisionMaking.doc

The Psychology of Climage Change Communication
Reading for class
CREDguide_full-res.pdf

6 Americas
Reading for class
6americas.pdf

Skeptic Paper
Reading for class
DBCCAColumbiaSkepticPaper090710.pdf

TEACHING NOTES / CONTEXT FOR USE

See attached lesson plan

ASSESSMENT

All Students Read >>

1. The 6 Americas  http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/pdf/6americas.pdf  (29 pages - mostly figures)
2. Climate Skeptics http://www.dbcca.com/dbcca/EN/_media/DBCCAColumbiaSkepticPaper090710.pdf (Executive summary only

Blogs >>   (Read both posts and responses)

• http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2010/10/28/who-said-what-answering-ross-mckitrick%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cresponse-to-misinformation-from-deutsche-bank%E2%80%9D/
• http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2010/10/29/who-said-what-answering-ross-mckitrick%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cresponse-to-misinformation-from-deutsche-bank%E2%80%9D-part-ii/    

Optional Reading >>

• The role of social and decision sciences in communicating uncertain climate risks  http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v1/n1/full/nclimate1080.html
• Why are Americans so ill?  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-are-americans-so-ill

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

See Lesson Plan

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Elke Weber, Professor of International Business in the Columbia Business School and Director of the Center for Research on Environmental Decision Making, facilitates a discussion of the assigned readings on communication, decision-making, and behavioral change. Particular attention will be paid to the climate change skeptics and the psychology behind their skepticism (despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary).