The Road To Cop 21: How (Not) To Build Support For Climate Policy
Contacts: Conyers Davis, USC Schwarzenegger Institute at (310) 295-7161 or conyers.davis@gmail.com; Shay Totten, Chelsea Green Publishing, at (802) 295-6300 x125 or STotten@chelseagreen.com
The USC Schwarzenegger Institute and the USC Environmental Student Assembly host author and organizational psychologist Per Espen Stoknes, PhD, who will discuss his book: What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming (Chelsea Green 2015)
Per Espen Stoknes, international award winning author, economist and organizational physiologist, will join the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and USC Environmental Student Assembly to discuss his new book and to outline the five main psychological barriers to climate action. Additionally, Stoknes will identify five strategies for talking about global warming in a way that leads to action and solutions, not further inaction and despair.
Bonnie Reiss, Global Director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute will moderate the event with USC Environmental Student Assembly Executive Director Ahlia Bethea. Reiss and Bethea will facilitate a wide-ranging conversation with the author with a specific focus on how Stoknes’ research can be of value to the upcoming COP 21 UN Climate Summit in Paris and California’s ongoing commitment to addressing climate change.
The mission of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute is to put policy over politics and find and support solutions to challenges facing the state, the nation and the world. The Institute recognizes What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming as an important book in furthering the debate on climate policy and is excited to bring Per Espen Stoknes to the University of Southern California to discuss his research on the subject.
“Continuing the bold environmental leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger during his two terms in office, climate change is a core mission of the Schwarzenegger Institute,” said USC Schwarzenegger Institute Global Director Bonnie Reiss. “We are excited to showcase the exciting work that Dr. Stoknes is doing to further our understanding of what impacts how humans think and behave and how the climate change message has been improperly communicated. Stoknes’ book gives us excellent guidance in how to communicate to the public about climate change in a way that can inspire us to action and is essential if states and nations are to be successful in reaching emission reduction targets.”
“Despite numerous warnings from the scientific community Americans are less worried about climate change now than they were in 1999,” added Ahlia Bethea, Executive Director of the USC Environmental Student Assembly. “This statistic is completely unacceptable and the USC Environmental Student Assembly is determined to reverse this trend. We are grateful for the work that Per Espen Stoknes is doing to address climate change and are excited to bring him to USC to share his research with us.”
When: Thursday, October 29, 2015 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. PST
What: Presentation from Per Espen Stoknes followed by a moderated conversation on his research and its relevance to the upcoming COP 21 UN Climate Summit
Where: The Forum, Room 450, Tutor Campus Center, 3607 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Please contact Conyers Davis (conyers.davis@gmail.com) if you would like to attend the event and/or if you would like to schedule an interview with Per Espen Stoknes, Bonnie Reiss or Ahlia Bethea. Parking and lunch will be provided.
Please contact Shay Totten (STotten@chelseagreen.com) if you have specific questions about What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming (Chelsea Green 2015) or if you would like a copy of the book.
