The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy

June 10, 2013

Risky Business

We only have to turn on the news to see the need for better risk reduction in the United States and worldwide. Recent tornadoes in Oklahoma have killed dozens, and many people across the country were surprised to learn that sometimes local policy does not require tornado shelters in areas known for tornado outbreaks. Natural disasters can destroy livelihoods as well. On average, extreme weather events, including hurricanes, tornadoes, …

June 5, 2013

Global Warming: Public Opinion and Policy

As a research scientist in Carnegie Mellon University’s interdisciplinary department of Engineering and Public Policy, I field a lot of questions. Perhaps the toughest of those is “How can you sleep at night, when you know your research is influencing policy? We’re scientists, not advocates!” Well, shall we pause a moment to consider how our reluctance to talk about policy implications has affected the global warming debate? The scientific …

June 3, 2013

Complex Science and Policy Challenges in U.S. Onshore and Offshore Energy

Historically, the challenges associated with energy were almost purely scientific and technological. Incredible advancements in energy for industrial, residential, and transportation uses revolutionized the U.S. standard of living, but the energy challenges have grown exponentially more complex in that time. For example, the modern-day version of oil drilling began in 1859 in the United States. For most of the following century, the U.S. produced over half of the world’s oil, …

May 30, 2013

Melting Ice and Burning Questions for the Future

As the climate changes, so do the impacts on society and the way we prepare for things such as severe weather, rising seas, droughts and wildfires, changing ecosystems, and melting glaciers. Looking at the world through the eye of a camera lens is one way that James Balog has been witnessing the impacts of climate change. One of his most recent works documents melting glaciers at various locations around …

When Sharing Science with Hurried Policymakers and Reporters, It Pays to be Prepared

Woodrow Wilson once said, “If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation…if an hour, I am ready now.” Whether talking with policymakers, the press, or the general public, it is essential to have carefully-crafted messages to effectively share a story. And ten minutes is likely far more time than you will ever have. AGU is kicking off the 2013 Science Policy Conference with a …