The neutrality myth, with Lydia Messling Artwork

Your Brain On Climate

Psychology vs climate change: what we think, why we think it, and how it all adds up to a planet-sized emergency. Each episode host Dave Powell interviews experts in how our brains work - from PhDs in psychology to writers, activists and beyond. They'll talk about how their brains and our brains do (and don't) work, and how all of that might help make sense of the climate crisis - and possibly what to do about it.

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Your Brain On Climate

The neutrality myth, with Lydia Messling

October 30, 2024 • Dave Powell • Episode 35

Is climate science 'neutral'? Should it be? Are humans even capable of being neutral about anything?

In this new-format episode, I dig into accusations that climate scientists risk undermining their work by going on climate marches. Can that really be true? Doesn't the scientific method speak for itself? And is it realistic to expect people to spend all day immersed in awful data, and NOT want to change the world afterwards?

I'm joined this episode by the fab Dr Lydia Messling, climate engagement expert and a very thoughtful and clever person. Lydia talks about her experiences in being told not to go on climate marches, and what she's learned about how climate scientists can be great public communicators. And Lydia helps me understand the big big difference between being 'neutral' and being 'objective': while the former's probably impossible in science or life, the latter is the very heart of what makes science fab in the first place.

This is a new type of episode that I hope will be the norm from now on. But it takes a lot longer to do. So if you want to see more like this, let me know - hello@yourbrainonclimate.com and please do leave a review. And do please consider chucking a few quid at www.patreon.com/yourbrainonclimate.

Owl noises:

08:12 - Lydia et al's Nature piece challenging the 'neutrality myth'...
08:22 - which was a response to this Nature piece from Ulf Büntgen.
12:25 - More on the BBC's change of tack on 'balance' in climate reporting, from the Guardian.
13:20 - The thoroughly unedifying Climategate affair, 10 years on.
15:46 - the audio here is from a great interview with Prof Brian Cox from Champion Speakers on Youtube.
17:37 - Helen Douglas's 2009 book.
28:45 - Lydia's 8 tips for climate science communication.

Your Brain on Climate is a podcast about human psychology vs the climate crisis. Contact the show: @brainclimate on Twitter, or hello@yourbrainonclimate.com.

Support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/yourbrainonclimate.

The show is hosted and produced by me, Dave Powell, who you can find @powellds on Twitter.

YBOC theme music and iterations thereof, by me. Other music in this episode by Daniel Cutter. Show logo by Arthur Stovell at www.designbymondial.com.