date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:14:48 +0100 from: "Carroll Victoria" subject: RE: Climate change request - In Confidence to: "Phil Jones" Hi Phil Thanks for your comments - they're useful. We'll need to be careful not to imply that climate scientists know everything there is to know about the climate system, and about how technologies, say, would effect it. (This issue of how to communicate uncertainty to the public is a hot topic at the moment in science communication, especially in connection with climate change.) As for your second comment, we are planning to look at the basics of life cycle analysis in the exhibition, which will bring in the point about fertilizers, decommissioning, etc needing to be taken into account. Thanks again for your help - it's really helpful to know what other people think are the most important messages to get across. Best wishes Vicky ___________________________________________________________________________________________ From: Phil Jones [mailto:p.jones@uea.ac.uk] Sent: 30 July 2007 15:20 To: Carroll Victoria Subject: Re: Climate change request - In Confidence Vicky, Your toolkit assumes there is a technological solution to mitigate climate change. By definition this assumes we fully understand the climate system, and I don't think we do - in the sense that if we do something, we know what the effect will be. On biofuels, we need to fully understand the advantages. Will be need to use so much nitrogen fertilizer to produce the crops. I guess these aspects will be addressed in your three questions, but there needs to be a full budget analysis of the savings made. This is similar to knowing the full costs of nuclear power including all aspects of decommissioning. As you say though technological solutions are not my area of research. Cheers Phil At 14:52 24/07/2007, you wrote: Dear Phil, Keith, Nathan I hope you're both well. Further to our meeting in May I wondered if I might be able to pick your brains regarding an up-coming `Antenna Feature' on climate change that I'm working on. In particular, I'd appreciate any feedback on the idea, outlined below, for a `toolkit' to help Science Museum visitors get to grips with the current debates surrounding proposed technological `solutions' for climate change - e.g. biofuels, nuclear power, reflectors in space, etc. Just to clarify - when I visited back in May I was working on the Museum's major 2009 Climate Change gallery and Holly Cave was working on the Antenna Feature. Plans for the 2009 gallery are progressing well and we've had a really positive response from everyone we've contacted about the project so far. I've now been seconded onto the Antenna team (who deal with contemporary science news) to help deliver the smaller (and necessarily more focused) Feature, which will launch this October. Here's where we've got to so far: - Our starting point is that climate change is a serious challenge and science and technology have an important role to play in dealing with it. Scientists are exploring new technologies which they hope will help to mitigate climate change. However, to the average visitor, the debates surrounding these technologies can seem complex and confusing. - We want to provide visitors with a toolkit of, say, three simple questions which will help them better to understand the pros and cons of particular technologies and engage with current debates. The example we plan to focus on in the exhibition is biofuels, but the central messages will also be applicable to other technologies. The `toolkit' questions we are currently working with are: 1. Will/how will the technology help mitigate climate change? 2. Is the technology practically achievable? 3. Is the technology sustainable? (to include environmental and social aspects) The exhibition will also include background information about the physical science basis and likely impacts of climate change and opportunities for feedback. I realise that technology is not your main area of research, but we'd really like to get a range opinions on our ideas for the exhibition, especially on the 3 questions in the toolkit. Do you think they usefully capture the main issues which arise when assessing proposed technological solutions? Are there any important questions we might have overlooked? As the questions will underlie the whole Feature it is obviously important that we get them right! Do phone me if you think that would be easiest - I can also explain more about exhibition if that would be helpful. I very much look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes Vicky Vicky Carroll Curator Science Museum Exhibition Road London SW7 2DD Email: victoria.carroll@sciencemuseum.org.uk Web: [1]www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Tel: +44 (0) 20 7942 4219 If you want to help inspire the next generation of scientists, creators and inventors back NMSI's transformational new project, Inspired. More than a museum, Inspired will be a hothouse of invention and innovation, making science serious fun for all. It's your future: be Inspired Visit [2]www.voteinspired.org.uk or text 'SMS Inspired' to 88833 for more information. This e-mail and attachments are intended for the named addressee only and are confidential. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately, delete the message from your computer system and destroy any copies. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not reflect the views of the National Museum of Science & Industry. This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. Prof. Phil Jones Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 University of East Anglia Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk NR4 7TJ UK ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned on behalf of NMSI for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. If you want to help inspire the next generation of scientists, creators and inventors back NMSI's transformational new project, Inspired. More than a museum, Inspired will be a hothouse of invention and innovation, making science serious fun for all. It's your future: be Inspired Visit www.voteinspired.org.uk or text 'SMS Inspired' to 88833 for more information. This e-mail and attachments are intended for the named addressee only and are confidential. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately, delete the message from your computer system and destroy any copies. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not reflect the views of the National Museum of Science & Industry. This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System.