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Science communication and mediatised environmental conflict: a cautionary tale
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 20:34 authored by Claire KonkesClaire Konkes, Foxwell-Norton, KWhen Australian physicist, Peter Ridd, lost his tenured position with James Cook University, he was called a ‘whistleblower’, ‘contrarian academic’ and ‘hero of climate science denial’. In this article, we examine the events surrounding his dismissal to better understand the role of science communication in organised climate change scepticism. We discuss the sophistry of his complaint to locate where and through what processes science communication becomes political communication. We argue that the prominence of scientists and scientific knowledge in debates about climate change locates science, as a social sphere or fifth pillar in Hutchins and Lester’s theory of mediatised environmental conflict. In doing so, we provide a model to better understand how science communication can be deployed during politicised debates.
History
Publication title
Public Understanding of ScienceVolume
30Issue
4Pagination
470-483ISSN
1361-6609Department/School
School of Creative Arts and MediaPublisher
Sage Publications Ltd.Place of publication
United KingdomRights statement
© The Author(s) 2021Repository Status
- Restricted