{"690554":{"#nid":"690554","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clough Lecture Highlights the Human Side of Climate Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- By Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2026 Clough Lecture, co-sponsored by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, featured Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and author. Marvel opened a space for conversation about how we understand, feel, and communicate climate change and sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe evening opened with remarks from Georgia Tech College of Sciences Dean Susan Lozier, who recognized President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough for his support in making the lecture series possible. Alexander Robel, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, then introduced Marvel, describing her work as being at the intersection of climate science and public communication. Robel highlighted Marvel\u2019s \u201cwarmth and fearless honesty\u201d in her insistence \u201cthat science and feeling are not opposites.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on her recent book \u003Cem\u003EHuman Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet\u003C\/em\u003E, Marvel\u2019s lecture questioned a long-standing assumption in science: that objectivity requires emotional distance. She argued instead that climate science is not only about data and models, but also about human experience. Scientific inquiry, she suggested, does not exclude emotion; rather, it can be informed and motivated by it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarvel began by reflecting on Earth\u2019s uniqueness as a habitable planet, shaped by a delicate balance of atmosphere, temperature, and position in the solar system. The sense of awe inspired by the planet\u2019s unique position, she noted, is often the starting point for scientific curiosity as well as a sense of commitment to a sustainable Earth. From there, she moved to consider the more difficult emotions, including anger and guilt, that may arise as the stability of that system becomes increasingly uncertain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo illustrate how understanding of climate evolves, Marvel walked through a range of potential explanations for changes in the Earth\u2019s climate \u2014 from orbital shifts and solar variation to volcanic activity and deforestation. What stood out was her skillful interweaving of science and storytelling. For example, she noted how the atmospheric conditions created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia influenced European artistic expression. Citing the hyper-real intensity of the sky\u2019s color in Edvard Munch\u2019s 1893 painting, \u003Cem\u003EThe Scream\u003C\/em\u003E, Marvel highlighted the role of human feeling and imagination in making sense of complex environmental change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, Marvel also suggested that climate modeling is not simply a technical exercise. It can be deeply intertwined with narratives about the future. Different assumptions about human behavior, policy decisions, and technological development produce different climate outcomes. In this sense, models reflect not only data, but also the stories societies tell about where they are headed and what future they would like to have.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lecture concluded with Marvel emphasizing the importance of framing climate challenges in ways that connect with lived experience and a sustainable future, suggesting that storytelling can help inspire more meaningful communication and action. She pointed to the \u201chero\u2019s journey\u201d as one framework for climate storytelling \u2014 one in which moments of difficulty and uncertainty are inseparable from growth, purpose, and joy, and where action becomes central to moving toward a better future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarvel now works with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drawdown.org\u0022\u003EProject Drawdown\u003C\/a\u003E, who have developed the Drawdown Explorer, an open-access platform that helps individuals and governments assess everyday decisions and public policies in terms of climate outcomes. The Drawdown Explorer frames daily practices as part of a broader journey toward a more sustainable future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lecture offered an engaging and inspiring perspective, encouraging the audience to think more actively about how sustainability is communicated, what stories are told, and how emotional engagement can contribute to meaningful climate action.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKate Marvel\u0027s talk offered an inspiring perspective on how sustainability is communicated, what stories are told, and how emotional engagement can contribute to meaningful climate action.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2026 Clough Lecture, co-sponsored by BBISS, featured Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and author."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-29 18:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-05-29 18:39:23","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680383":{"id":"680383","type":"image","title":"Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","body":null,"created":"1780079828","gmt_created":"2026-05-29 18:37:08","changed":"1780079934","gmt_changed":"2026-05-29 18:38:54","alt":"Side\u2011by\u2011side image showing a portrait photo on the left and a book cover on the right. The left image shows an individual standing outdoors among trees, wearing a dark jacket over a light shirt, while the right image displays the book Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet with bold red title text and illustrated ocean waves and ice formations. The book cover also includes the author name Kate Marvel at the bottom.","file":{"fid":"264639","name":"Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","mime":"image\/png","size":708275,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/29\/Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png?itok=clsB5lJ6"}}},"media_ids":["680383"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"195156","name":"Kate Marvel"},{"id":"195157","name":"Clough Lecture"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}