Visuals as a Catalyst for Climate Science Communication

Visual science communicators (aka science illustrators) are an underutilized resource in the collaborative effort underway to foment changes in policy and behavior necessary to address the unfolding climate crisis. While science illustrations have a robust history in textbooks and picture books, they are quickly replaced with stock imagery outside those realms, particularly when describing climate change topics. Visual science communicators are practitioners who have a mastery of graphic design principles and various art forms, but are also, importantly, fluent in scientific concepts. With this unique combination of skills, the visuals they produce can deliver complex information in concise, easy-to-understand ways and make climate information more culturally accessible, ultimately resulting in broader community engagement. In order to bring the benefits of illustration into the climate education effort effectively, climate advocates must budget for visuals and bring professional visual science communicators into the fold.