We just kicked off a new series on our home page. Over the next year, I’ll be interviewing many of the luminaries that pass through our halls here at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. My goal is to give a big picture perspective from big thinkers in the field of climate risk management and adaptation. Rather than write a full story, I’ll post Q&As, which I think can be effective tools for time-strapped science communicators. I also think serve as good resources for journalists, because the content is primary–straight from the scientists’ mouths.
Here’s an excerpt from my interview with Graeme Hammer…
IRI: Oftentimes, we focus on the information gap that exists in developing countries–getting the information to the groups that can use it. But it also seems it’s not enough to just give them the information. How do you teach someone how to interpret a forecast and how to act on it?.
GH: We’re not giving people just a forecast. We’re giving them the piece of information on which they need to be able to assess their decision position. People making the decision need to know what the consequence of a forecast would be on an outcome if they were to do this or that. And they have to incorporate the uncertainly of the forecast in that analysis. This was one of the key points we tried to build into the development of the IRI and I’m really pleased to see it’s happening. It isn’t the climate forecast, stupid! Giving the farmer just a climate forecast is basically useless. The interaction of the forecast with the decision set at the farmer’s disposal is where the critical action resides. And this involves profit-risk trade-offs and personal perspectives about them. This basic overall principle is the same for all sectors. It has taken the IRI a while to evolve into this position. It changed [in 2005] from an IRI for Climate Prediction to an IRI for Climate and Society, and now you have a director [Stephen Zebiak] who travels the world talking about risk management and the needs of decision makers.
Welcome to the blog of Francesco Fiondella. You'll find examples here of my science and travel writing as well as information related to my current position as communications officer for the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Any opinion, wit or general truculence I happen to express here is my own.
We just kicked off a new series on our home page. Over the next year, I’ll be interviewing many of the luminaries that pass through our halls here at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society. My goal is to give a big picture perspective from big thinkers in the field of climate risk management and adaptation. Rather than write a full story, I’ll post Q&As, which I think can be effective tools for time-strapped science communicators. I also think serve as good resources for journalists, because the content is primary–straight from the scientists’ mouths. 
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