The Social Construction of 2035: Communicating the Imagined Future to Adapt to Climate Change

Abstract: Imagining our personal futures over the next twenty years, how do we reflect what we expect from global warming and the likely climate change impacts in our community? If we see climate change as personally relevant, what can we do as an individual faced with a global challenge? How do we talk with friends and family about this unfolding future and what we might do differently because of it? Hear how these questions are addressed in PhD research by Liese Coulter of Griffith University in Australia. Using in-depth interviews with Australian and Canadian professionals who have extensive climate knowledge, this transdisciplinary research intersects studies of climate change, narrative communication and future thinking.

About Liese Coulter: For 10 years Liese had a professional practice as a sculptor in glass, exhibiting in Canada, the US and Europe before moving to Australia. She managed communication for the CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, working with scientists to communicate new research to support adaptation. Currently a PhD researcher at Griffith University in Queensland her research topic is: The social construction of 2035: Communicating the imagined future to adapt to climate change. This research addresses issues we face to incorporate climate change information into personal narratives of our imagined futures.