Climate Change Science Communication: Exploring Environmental Scientists’ Views and Engagement on Social Media

Abstract

Social media is becoming a necessary tool for modern science communication about climate change. When done responsibly, social media science communication can not only inform the public but also help to advocate for climate activism and evidence-based environmental policy change. However, little is known about the engagement of Canadian climate change experts, such as environmental scientists, on social media. This research explores a small sample of Canadian environmental scientists’ views and engagement on social media as a tool for climate change communication. Focusing on participants affiliated with an environmentally oriented faculty at a university in Eastern Canada, this study employs a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews and social media content to examine how professional engagement on social media (or lack thereof) for climate science communication is shaped by the affordances of the platforms. The study further explores the platforms employed, motivations, challenges, and what institutional support may be necessary to promote social media science communication. It was found that the participants of the study do engage on social media to communicate their research, but at varying capacities. The number of challenges that they face when engaging on social media outweighs the number of motivations. However, there is still motivation to utilize the affordances of social media to communicate science and encouragement for other environmental scientists to do the same. According to the participants, support from scientists’ institutions through resources and tools, social media etiquette and skill training, or simply a positive institutional culture toward social media, may provide the skills and confidence needed for this evolving form of public outreach. These findings provide a preliminary snapshot of eastern Canadian environmental scientists’ contribution to climate change communication using social media platforms, and it may serve as a jumping point for further investigation.