Launch Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2015
For media inquiries, contact: Stefanie Spear: 216-387-1609 or spearstefanie@gmail.com
Unprecedented Video Campaign Features Climate Scientists Sharing Their Personal Stories to Humanize the Conversation on Global Warming and Spur Action
WASHINGTON, DC—More Than Scientists, launching today, brings together climate scientists, advocacy organizations and the public in an innovative campaign that offers a unique glimpse into the real life stories, personal views and feelings of the experts on climate change. Not the science itself, but why it matters—what it will mean for our children and grandchildren.
More Than Scientists is a growing community of climate scientists stepping out from behind the data to share their stories. From leading universities such as MIT, University of Washington and Harvard, they are parents, artists, hikers and musicians providing their hopes for the future and what they fear will happen if we don’t act now to reverse the impacts of climate change.
“Of all the generations in history, ours will be the one which will be judged the harshest if we don’t start to turn this ship around,” says John Michael Wallace, Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences at University of Washington.
These videos have the power to change the future by engaging more people to get involved and focus on solutions.
“We created More Than Scientists to make a better connection between the scientists and the people that need to hear their message,” said Eric Michelman, the director of the campaign and long-time climate activist. “We want the public to meet the people behind the science and understand why they care about the world we’re leaving to our kids and grandkids.”
More Than Scientists uses scientists’ personal stories to engage people and drive action. It represents the 97% of climate scientists who know climate change is real, humans are causing it and we have the power to reverse it. More than 30 organizations will help share these messages from the people that see firsthand the reality we face, how it will affect future generations and the solutions to fix it.
“I do have hope for the future,” says LuAnne Thompson, Professor of Oceanography at the University of Washington. “And that is because I work with undergraduates and graduate students all the time … I see my daughter and her friends and they have immense energy for making positive changes in the future. We have to make changes now that will allow them to bring their ingenuity, their talent and their drive to build a better future.”
The campaign goal is to inspire millions of people to get involved. From taking personal action to joining an advocacy organization to speaking with elected officials, More Than Scientists will encourage people to join in the fight to combat climate change.
“I’m very excited about this new campaign. Too few people have seen the lighter and more personal side of climate scientists,” said climate scientist Michael E. Mann, director of Penn State’s Earth System Science Center and advisory board member of More Than Scientists.
“Many of us are science nerds. But we are ordinary people too, and like anyone else, we care about our children and grandchildren, and the health of the world we leave behind for them. So I’m very excited about this new campaign and the promise it holds for communicating that message to the public.”
Two hundred videos, created by dozens of climate scientists, were released today on the MoreThanScientists.org website. The campaign invites scientists from around the world to contribute their own videos to add their voices to the message.
Bryce Harrop, PhD Candidate from the Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences at University of Washington, hopes his videos encourage people to “Start a conversation with someone—your neighbor, your friend, your family members—and let them know this is something that’s important.”
David McGee, Assistant Professor of Paleoclimate at MIT, wants to make sure everyone knows that, “The big picture is very clear. The climate is changing, humans are doing things that are causing the climate to change and we have the power to stop that.”
A short launch video explaining the campaign is available online at MoreThanScientists.org, along with a library of additional videos created by leading climate scientists from across the country.
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More Than Scientists is a new campaign that represents the 97% of climate scientists who know climate change is real, that humans are causing it and we have the power to stop it. This unprecedented collaboration between scientists, advocacy organizations and the public is sourcing the real life stories, personal views and feelings of scientists on the frontlines of climate research. To learn more, please visit us www.morethanscientists.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or YouTube.
Additional quotes from climate scientists:
Tom Di Liberto, meteorologist at Innovim and America’s first Scientist Idol: “The issue of climate change has become this very politicized topic but what’s important to remember is that the laws of physics aren’t registered Republican, Democrat, or independent, they are just the laws of physics.”
Gretchen Tanner Goldman, lead analyst at the Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists: “When it comes to climate change, the science is there. We understand how it works, that it is human-caused, and the impacts it will have on us all. We just need to focus on dealing with it. But the good news is that we have the solutions. We just need to put them into action.”
Dargan Frierson, Assoc. Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington: “I’m really excited about this campaign because it lets me show that I’m not just studying global warming, but I’m actually living it, just like everybody else in the world.”