European Geosciences Union Communicating Space Weather to Policymakers and the Wider Public Bárbara...

European Geosciences Union

Communicating Space Weather to Policymakers and the Wider Public

Bárbara Ferreira

EGU Media and Communications Manager

Session ST6.1/EOS16/NH9.14/PS5.6, EGU General Assembly

Vienna, Austria | Friday, 2 May 2014

Contact: [email protected]

Meetings | Publications | Outreach | www.egu.eu


Why you should communicate space weather

It’s cool and fascinating – gets people excited about space & science

It’s a natural hazard so it’s important for the public to know about it

A variety of audiences are interested in space weather (school kids, engineers, policymakers), so easier to communicate than other topics

You are less likely to get it wrong than journalists/sci communicators

Communicating science to wider audiences is great to hone your communication skills (improves your scientific writing too)

Could lead to interdisciplinary collaborations & increase in citations

Justify the taxpayers money that funds your research & attract more public support for your science

Inform policy: make sure legislation relating to space weather (including funding decisions) is based on sound science


How to communicate space weather

Example talk (general public)


Space weather

Changes in the near-Earth space environment, which are caused by varying conditions on the Sun and its atmosphere.

European Geosciences UnionNot to scale!! Credit: NASA/JPL


The Sun

Has a diameter of 1,391,000 km = 109 times the Earth’s diameter

It’s some 150 million km, or 8 light minutes, away

Glowing sphere of hot (ionised or electrified) gas called plasma

Rotation (at the surface, the rotation is faster at the equator than at the poles) and convection

It has a magnetic field (it’s a big magnet), but a very complex one

European Geosciences UnionCredit: Science at NASA

European Geosciences UnionCredit: NASA/Solar Dynamics

Observatory


The Sun




It rotates differentially: at the surface, the rotation is faster at the equator than at the poles

It has a magnetic field (it’s a big magnet), but a very complex one

It has an ~11-year sunspot cycle or solar cycle: max and minimum


Credit: SOHO/NASA/ESA


Credit: NASA/ESA


The Sun




It rotates differentially: at the surface, the rotation is faster at the equator than at the poles

Like the Earth, it has a magnetic field (it’s a big magnet), but a very complex one

It has an 11-year sunspot cycle or solar cycle: max and minimum

It produces a stream of electric particles, the solar wind, that flows out of its upper atmosphere: reaches the Earth (and its protective magnetic shield) and beyond!


Earth’s magnetic shield – artistic impressionCredit: ESA/ATG medialab


Solar wind and aurora

Auroras are one of the most visible effect of space weather


Solar wind and aurora

Auroras are one of the most visible effect of space weather

Occur when the energetic particles carried by the solar wind break through the magnetic field protection and travel along the magnetic field lines entering the Earth’s atmosphere close to the poles

Particles hit the atoms that make up the Earth’s atmosphere and energise them, causing them to release photons (light particles)

Auroras are usually weak and only visible at high latitudes

But sometimes the solar wind carries a lot more radiation, energetic particles, and even plasma, from the Sun


Solar storms and geomagnetic storms

Solar flares: rapid outburst of radiation and energetic particles (can release 10 million times more energy than an exploding volcano)

Coronal mass ejection (CME): a larger scale, violent ejection of material into space – up to a 100 billion kg of plasma

Can happen more frequently at the peak of the solar cycle (more sunspots)

Solar wind carries the material onto Earth, if solar storms are directed towards it – can impact satellites

Strong solar storms can cause geomagnetic storms: disturbances of the Earth magnetic field – can impact technological systems on Earth (and we get to see stronger & lower-latitude auroras!)

On average, these events disrupt human activity 1-2 times per solar cycle


CME & geomagnetic storm animationCredit: NASA


Effects of space weather

Damage to satellites (inc. communications)

Radiation hazard (astronauts, but potentially also for air crews/passengers)

Distortion of radio signals

Navigation errors (GPS)

Power blackouts (e.g. Quebec blackout 1989, Sweden power outage 2003)

Aurora (not all doom and gloom!)


Monitoring and protection

Effects are more damaging now than in the past because we rely more on technology. But our weakness is also our strength – we have spacecraft watching the Sun 24/7

Spacecraft can provide CMEs warning 1-3 days in advance (but geomagnetic storm warning may only be available ~1hour in advance)

Astronauts at the Space Station can seek shelter from radiation

Airplanes can be rerouted

Most satellites have some protection against radiation & energetic particles


Take-home messages

Space weather is a natural phenomena that can be beautiful and, sometimes, can affect our technology

There’s protection from it, but we need to keep watching the Sun!

Investing on protecting our technological system from space weather and on having better warning systems for geomagnetic storms also important

Engineers and policymakers need to be well aware of space weather as they need to make sure space weather is monitored and forecasted properly

You don’t need to worry about space weather!

But you should know about it so you are not surprised/scared when (e.g.) GPS not working properly or there’s a power blackout & so that you understand the need for funding space weather research/monitoring


So, how to communicate space weather?

Show images & short videos/animations

Explain jargon (e.g. plasma = hot, electrified gas)

Everyday examples: give the reader/listener something to relate to (e.g. explain distances/sizes using comparisons with familiar objects)

Make your presentation/text current (e.g. show images of the Sun today, last week, last month)

Bring people closer to solar & space weather research (e.g. tell them they just need to use Google to find out how active the sun is looking today, or what the space weather conditions are)

Show them space weather and its effects are real! (e.g. “geomagnetic storms caused a power blackout in Sweden in 2003”)

Take-away messages: highlight what you want people to keep in mind


General good science communication/writing rules

Assume the audience knows nothing about your research but don’t assume they are stupid and won’t understand it

Short, simple and concise style; be conversational: “Don’t be effulgent or felicitous, be bright and happy instead!”

Speak/write clearly, avoid acronyms and technical terms

Writing: roughly one idea per sentence and one concept per paragraph

Writing: use the active voice, vary length of sentences (some short, some long but not too long)

Target your message to your audience


Target audience: policymakers

Be brief, be balanced, be objective, be clear

Get your facts right, focus on the main messages

Language can be a bit more technical (level of education higher), though still simple and clear to a non-scientist

Background (sun, solar storms, etc.) should be very brief

Focus on the effects & impacts so that they understand space weather can be a problem

Focus on monitoring, forecasting, protection and mitigation so that they know what can be done about it

Focus on funding because government agencies decide on funding for some research agencies


Target audience: policymakers (cont’d)

Example: POSTnote on Space Weather

POST = UK’s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology – provide analysis of policy issues relating to science to help UK parliamentarians examine science and technology issues effectively

Produce short notes (2–4 pages), which take about 2–3 months to research and draft and are reviewed extensively (industry, academics, parliamentary staff, etc.)

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn361-space-weather.pdf (with Chandrika Nath)

More information: ‘How do I brief policymakers on science-related issues?’ by Chandrika Nath http://bit.ly/1gL45l8


How can you get involved in space-weather communication Be pro-active and do more outreach

Blog about your work, talk about it on social media, give popular science talks, go to schools, etc. or contact your press officer if you have new and important/exciting results

Being involved in policy may be harder: be patient, persistent, available

If your story is in the media, it may indirectly influence policymaking since most politicians get their sci information from the media

Make yourself available to provide information for policy briefings, write to your MP or parliamentary office of science

Apply for a science policy initiative (scientist-MP pairing schemes, POST fellowships, opportunities at the European Parliament's Scientific and Technological Options Assessment, etc.)

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