Climate change as a communication challenge (CCCC). In: Winter School on Impact of Climate Change on Indian Marine Fisheries held at CMFRI, Cochin 18.1.2008 to 7.2.2008

Climate change (CC) science has come a long way in understanding the fundamentals of global warming. There is no doubt anymore in the mainstream scientific community that the Earth is warming, and increasing evidence shows that humans have a significant part in it. (IPCC 2007; Hansen et al, 2007; Dutt and Gaioli, 2007). We do knowthat certain gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, play a crucial role in determining the Earth’s climate by preventing heat from escaping the atmosphere. Researchers have also been able to document that the increased concentration of such gases in the atmosphere results from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and land degradation, cattle ranching, and rice farming. The fingerprint of humans causing, at least in part, the global warming we now experience, has been documented in a growing number of studies