Vizualizing climate change: A guide to visual communication of climate change and developing local solutions

Climate change may be all around us, but it is often difficult to see. Carbon dioxide is invisible, and the prevailing imagery of climate change is often remote (such as ice floes melting) or abstract and scientific (charts and global temperature maps). Nobody really knows what 2° or 4° of global warming might look like in their community. The causes of climate change that surround us are often only dimly perceived or concealed, and there are as yet few examples of effective community solutions that people can see. Using spectacular visual imagery, this book demonstrates new ways to make carbon and climate change visible where we care the most, in our own backyards and communities. It aims to change people's perceptions about their society, seen through the lens of climate change and the man-made carbon cycle that drives it. Using 3D and 4D visualizations of future landscapes, community mapping, and iconic photographs, it illustrates not only the impacts of climate change where people live, but also the local causes (sources of community greenhouse gas emissions) and the possible local responses, to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impacts. The colour imagery stunningly reveals how we often conceal, misinterpret, or overlook the evidence of carbon usage and climate change impacts, and demonstrates various ways in which these critical realities can be made more tangible and compelling for local communities. The book provides powerful new visual tools for communities, action groups, and planners to use in building awareness and neighbourhood capacity, as a catalyst for accelerated action. It links community outreach and planning through future visioning processes based on the available science. These tools offer every community the chance to visualize their alternative futures, and choose or design their own path into an uncertain future.

Preface. Foreword Part1: Setting the Scene on Climate Change 1. An Invisible Truth? Perceptions and Misperceptions of Climate Change 2. Limited Vision: Understanding Perceptual Problems with Climate Change 3. A New Climate Change Lens: Principles for Shifting Perceptions of Climate Change 4. Learning to See: Reframing Community Perceptions of Carbon and Climate Change Part2: Knowing, Seeing, and Acting on Community Carbon &, Climate Change 5. Right Before Our Eyes: Seeing Carbon 6. Hot in My Backyard: Seeing the Impacts of Climate Change 7. Cutting the Carbon: Seeing Mitigation Solutions to Climate Change 8. Being Prepared: Seeing Adaptation Solutions to Climate Change 9. Seeing the Big Picture on Community Carbon and Climate Change Part3: Switching Lenses: Changing Minds with Visual Learning Tools 10. Landscape Messaging: Making Climate Change More Visible In the Community 11. Visual Media: Knowing Climate Change When You See it in Pictures. 12. The Modern Crystal Ball: Visualizing the Future with Climate Change 13. Local Climate Change Visioning: Enhanced Processes for Planning Community Futures Part4: With New Eyes to See: What the Future Looks Like With Climate Change 14. Realizing Future Community Visions: Getting to Low-carbon, Attractive, Resilient Communities. Appendix: Code of Ethics for Landscape Visualization.List of Figures and Figure Credits. References. Index.