The Sound Green

The reading "Global Warming in the Public Sphere" by Corfee Merlot, discusses the beginning of global warming research, which reveals the importance of scientific discourse and questioning it. I found it interesting that the catalyst which fueled the start of global warming research was by accident, and more ironically discovered during the Cold War in the process of developing tools for the use of war. More importantly, the start of global warming research is an example of environmental communication in relation to scientific discourse. Many at the time during the 1950's came to the conclusion that human activity on the climate was "insignificant" and "benign". I think it's important we remember the early science of global warming and how it was perceived and has changed over time. If we make the same judgments we made in the past about human impact on the environment, then we'll get stuck trying to move forward trying to deal with issues of the environment. Scientific discussion and analysis doesn't except just one conclusion and continues to examine and challenge ideas. Taking the same sort of flexible approach in environmental communication is important because the issues of the environment aren't static issues that continue to remain the same. We have to be willing to communicate while not making conclusions that aren't subject to change.