I formally submitted my Masters thesis to the Simon Fraser University library last week. I officially defended it on December 9th in front of a great mix of friends, colleagues and professionals from the fields of environment and ecology.
Man, it feels good to be done!
If you're interested in subjects like public engagement, climate change, environmental communication, or science communication, you'll find lots of useful and practical findings and recommendations inside.
Please don't hesitate to drop me a line if you're interested in further discussion of my research.
Abstract: This case study investigates the role of the intermediary in public engagement on climate change, through interviews with twenty Canadian presenters of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. The study explores the relationship between presenters, audiences and The Climate Project Canada (recently renamed the Climate Reality Project Canada), the organization tasked with training and coordinating presenters. Investigating the development and delivery of climate change presentations, the study looks at each unique phase of presenting, including preparation, personal edits and affective engagement with the public. Areas of emphasis include communication of climate change science, spokesperson credibility, localization, rhetorical strategies, humour, narrative and presentation of solutions. The study concludes with recommendations for how to develop more effective forms of public engagement on climate change.