tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12617917483501517952024-03-08T08:21:18.476-08:00The Science UnicornScientist and communications practitioner interested in relationship-building, listening, and contemplative practice in engagement, by Faith Kearns.Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-3978094180468043782018-08-30T13:57:00.001-07:002018-08-30T14:33:16.636-07:00Observations from a mid-career, hybrid scientist communicator<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Having firmly entered my mid-career years as a hybrid academic practitioner, it occurs to me to share a few things I've learned in case it helps those starting out. Although I only attend professional scientific society meetings once a year at most these days, I do still see a whole lot of tweets and am many conversations related to how the current system of training is not serving most students, who will go on to careers outside of academia. As someone who started asking these questions 20 plus years ago and organized quite a few "<a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/profession/careers-in-ecology-55668">alternative science career</a>" workshops in graduate school, it's interesting to reflect on where I am at this point. It also feels like there are enough of us that have already chosen or otherwise been on this path that there should be some lessons learned that can be shared.
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</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2018/08/observations-from-mid-career-hybrid.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-35076668100398790832018-01-18T07:47:00.001-08:002018-01-18T07:51:10.419-08:00Relationship first: An experiential workshop on relationship-centered approaches to climate communication<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gathering a stellar and open-hearted group of scholars and practitioners at the Mayacamas Ranch in northern California. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Last spring, </span><a href="https://humanecology.ucdavis.edu/clare-gupta" style="text-align: left;">Clare Gupta</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and I received support from </span><a href="http://www.invokingthepause.org/" style="text-align: left;">Invoking the Pause</a><span style="text-align: left;"> to hold a workshop on relationship-centered approaches to climate change, which I've </span><a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/125837/fighting-climate-change-will-take-science" style="text-align: left;">written a lot about</a><span style="text-align: left;"> in recent years. The basic idea is "relationship first," meaning that even when it comes to these heady scientific topics, it can be helpful to prioritize relationships with people over making a point. But, doing so definitely invites deep learning, self-reflection, and adaptation. The good news is that other fields like law, medicine, and psychology have made a lot of progress in how professionals navigate this terrain, and so there are a lot of resources out </span>there.</div>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2018/01/relationship-first-experiential.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-9353838277168201562017-12-14T17:20:00.001-08:002017-12-14T17:20:10.007-08:00Goodbye and farewell to 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a Santa Rosa neighborhood destroyed by wildfire, residents display their sentiments. By Faith Kearns.</td></tr>
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It's been a long year, for me and most everybody I know. And, it's been almost a year since posting anything here, though I've tried to stay productive elsewhere.<br>
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The year started with some good news on the water front. We saw at least a pause in the California drought in late 2016/2017, and now we're <a href="http://bit.ly/187Z8Bt">waiting with baited breath</a> to see what happens this winter. So far, it's not much in terms of rain or snow. And, as most folks know, what we've ended up with instead is a whole lot of out-of-season fire instead.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2017/12/goodbye-and-farewell-to-2017.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-33499940510211172362017-04-13T15:39:00.001-07:002018-01-17T14:56:36.396-08:00Is there more to water than our use of it? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first real, in the wild, naturally occurring vernal pool experience involved not just one, but three pools at the Merced Vernal Pools and Grasslands Reserve, part of the UC Natural Reserve System. So much love.</td></tr>
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One of my biggest challenges in working on California water is that it's all about water <b>use</b>. It doesn't matter whether we're talking supply or demand, efficiency or conservation, wastewater or infrastructure, above or under ground storage -- it's all about human use of water. The closest we get to joy or awe at the simple existence of water comes in around rain and snow, especially after many years of drought, but even those conversations become almost immediately about how much we need it and whether or not we are making good use of it.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2017/04/is-there-more-to-water-than-our-use-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-38260989082552538252016-07-12T12:47:00.003-07:002016-07-12T12:47:45.610-07:00Writing on the other blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite water views from Wildcat Peak in Berkeley. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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In addition to writing here on what as become a fairly occasional basis, I write things with some regularity for our blog <a href="http://ucanr.edu/blogs/confluence/">The Confluence</a> (and for other publications, but we'll deal with that later).<br>
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For folks interested in California water issues, the posts I've written this year:<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/07/writing-on-other-blog.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-87205594203598326072016-06-30T07:57:00.000-07:002016-06-30T07:57:46.704-07:00Holding out for a hero<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So often in life, we want to be saved. We want miracles. We want to be rescued by a parent, by a prince, by a god, by technology, by science -- by a hero. And, who can blame us? It's the stuff of myth and legend and the stories we were all raised with.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/06/holding-out-for-hero.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-84604622622276646022016-06-01T11:46:00.000-07:002016-06-03T14:20:42.984-07:00Forging new paths in science engagement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Pacific Crest Trail over the McCloud River. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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I so appreciate this <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2016/may/19/climate-scientists-mourning-earths-losses-should-make-their-voices-heard?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco">beautiful piece</a> on "climate grief" and what it means for climate scientists. It was written by scientist <a href="http://sarahmyhre.com/">Sarah Myhre</a> and in a couple of my favorite passages, she says:<br>
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"We are hamstrung by our need for job security, funding, advancement, and promotion – because we, too, are juggling the demands of child rearing, aging parents, urban gentrification, and the winnowing of the middle-class.<br>
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Regardless, this is the time for a gut-check. Our job is not to objectively document the decline of Earth’s biodiversity and humanity, so what does scientific leadership look like in this hot, dangerous world?"<br>
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"I believe most scientists are also, quietly and professionally, mourning the loss of the balance of Earth’s life. The pain doesn’t stop. It’s carried upon every wildfire, coral bleaching, or marine die-off. But, we can use these waves of pain to inform our moral commitment to the present and future. It requires the brave integration of science and self, the acceptance of loss."</blockquote>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/06/forging-new-paths-in-science-engagement.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-39917441197802186892016-04-04T14:54:00.003-07:002016-06-03T14:15:30.629-07:00Chronic versus acute problems<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When the California drought really got going, in the sense of a generalized panic about it, it was late 2013 / early 2014. The drought had actually started at least a couple of years before that. Now, here we are, a couple of years later, and by most accounts it looks like we're entering year five, despite a relatively wet winter in some parts of the state.<br>
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In those early days, I treated the drought much like I used to treat wildfire events when I worked on fire issues: as an acute problem -- an intense, urgent event that would have at least a somewhat distinct end. This is as opposed to a chronic problem -- one relatively unchanging in condition and with no definite end.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/04/chronic-versus-acute-problems.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-34835439177544342072016-03-31T09:33:00.001-07:002016-03-31T09:41:28.824-07:00Data and values<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There have been some prominent new calls for more and better data on water during the last couple weeks. Charles Fishman kicked things off with an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/opinion/the-water-data-drought.html">opinion piece</a> in the <i>New York Times </i>saying that the best and simplest answer to changing how we think about water is to "fix water data."<i> </i>Several days later, the White House held a first-of-its-kind <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/share-your-input-activities-and-actions-build-sustainable-water-future">water summit</a>. During the live event, many speakers made references to better data, which were further echoed in the event <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/documents/White_House_Water_Summit_commitments_report_032216_v3_0.pdf">materials</a>. </div>
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</div></div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/03/data-and-values.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-86726531820258222232016-01-19T14:17:00.001-08:002016-01-19T14:17:41.162-08:00From drought to storms: El Niño in Hollywood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After ending my post on California water issues showing up <a href="http://bit.ly/1N1clIY">all over the TV</a> with a note about El Niño being next, Sharon Swart at The Hollywood Reporter put out this <a href="http://bit.ly/1P52KbJ">pretty great article</a> on that very topic. It is filled with some kind of crazy stories, like this one from actress Dyan Cannon on the 1982-83 El Niño landing in her Malibu yard:<br>
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"'I ran downstairs, and the ocean was coming into my living room. Then I saw firemen falling into the pool; they didn't know it was there because it's covered with water.' While her house was drying out in Malibu, Cannon rented a place in Coldwater Canyon, where 'torrential rains came and the roof caved in.' She now lives in an L.A.-area condo, in part due to her El Niño misfortunes."<br>
</blockquote></div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/01/from-drought-to-storms-el-nino-in.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-58438072888710451662016-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:002016-01-10T11:22:00.663-08:00California water and drought on the TV box<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm a television watcher -- or more accurately, a watcher of what passes for TV these days: streaming things onto various screens. What can I say? I adore pop culture and I work pretty hard with my brain all day and sometimes it likes to rest on entirely brainless things.<br>
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But, here's where my worlds are colliding. The thing I tire my brain out on all day is water. And, more and more, water is showing up on TV. As much as I try to ignore it, it's been super interesting to see how far the California drought is oozing into the deepest reaches of our psyches, at least as reflected in everything from family dramas to reality shows. <br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2016/01/california-water-and-drought-on-tv-box.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-81036803459830034472015-12-15T11:41:00.003-08:002015-12-15T14:45:04.180-08:00Comfort with discomfort -- my theme for 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great start to a snowy California winter on the Truckee River. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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I've got a <a href="http://bit.ly/1OtY3Sv">new article</a> up at <i>The Conversation</i> on working with conflict and emotion around climate change issues (thanks also to <i><a href="http://bit.ly/1ZaJ8nV">New Republic</a></i> for picking it up!). It's basically all around the idea of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable during a time when things are changing pretty rapidly. It has been a really interesting time to try to write about climate change -- I finished the article before the Paris climate talks started, but it just came out today, which might be even better timing, even though trying to keep it relevant as the talks progressed was a challenge.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/12/comfort-with-discomfort-my-theme-for.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-48583263553939408532015-10-21T12:05:00.001-07:002015-10-21T14:50:59.037-07:00Longing for a revolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to go really far away to a watery, watery land to find a really helpful book. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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Some days, I feel certain that we are on the verge of some major cultural shifts. Other days...not so much. During the latter, I am grateful for anything the reawakens a deep sense of possibility. Recently, that thing was a serendipitous encounter with <i><a href="http://www.phaidon.com/store/art/land-and-environmental-art-9780714835143/">Land and Environmental Art</a>, </i>a book that contains some unexpected parallels for where I feel we are in the sciences right now and provides a really interesting look at working from the margins.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/10/longing-for-revolution.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-15529859500001533552015-10-19T17:51:00.000-07:002015-10-19T18:06:42.589-07:00Tuning out, tuning in<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">The sound of thunder and lightning and a million grains of sand being stirred by monsoon winds in the desert. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/1eiIzBi">Listening</a> is something I spend a lot of time doing and thinking about, but over the past year or two I have noticed that my feelings about it have evolved quite a bit. In a nutshell, I'm seeing more and more that the times when I just <b>can't bear to listen</b> have as much to teach me as anything else.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/10/tuning-out-tuning-in.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-17551676444768058542015-09-02T16:34:00.001-07:002016-06-03T14:18:15.663-07:00Dry spells<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After what felt like a really productive first half of 2015 where I wrote a bunch of articles and a book chapter, I think needed a couple months of silence. There is a way that working on drought issues full time can really dry a person up -- literally and figuratively. Somewhat paradoxically, a long sojourn to the desert last month helped a lot.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/09/dry-spells.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-76068563533352254642015-06-10T14:10:00.002-07:002015-06-10T14:10:41.589-07:00Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated, California?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drought looks and is felt differently <br>across California. (photos mine)</td></tr>
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Last year, on one of the hottest days of southern California's fall (it was about 108 in Palm Springs), I <a href="https://twitter.com/jfleck/status/511927308643360768">bought a rain jacket</a> because, well, it was on sale and I needed one. Shortly afterward, I spent a couple weeks without a kitchen as my landlord replaced the roof on part of my apartment because it had started to leak. In both cases, lots of jokes were made about the need to protect myself from the rain -- I mean, what rain? Then, it rained. Quite a lot. And I was happy to have a rain coat and a solid roof, and felt slightly less crazy.
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</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/06/whyd-you-have-to-go-and-make-things-so.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-22276375709749149212015-05-19T12:48:00.002-07:002015-05-19T12:48:38.962-07:00California's water paradox -- new article up at The Conversation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">California never ceases to amaze. The Trinity Alps, photo by me.</td></tr>
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<br>My colleague Doug Parker and I have a <a href="http://bit.ly/1L0sQXe">new article</a> up at <a href="https://theconversation.com/us">The Conversation</a> that expands on some of the concepts explored in my previous blog post -- namely that when it comes to water in California, <a href="http://bit.ly/1INKZWo">enough will never be enough</a>. Here we go a bit further in articulating that strategies for contending with that kind of paradox come down to more of a significant paradigm shift than a solutions mindset.<br>
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</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/05/californias-water-paradox-new-article.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-1904213061624384532015-04-09T09:10:00.001-07:002015-04-09T09:10:19.842-07:00When enough isn't enough<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Look at this gorgeous (and, yes, sadly snowless) place we live. Lakes Basin National Recreation Area in Plumas County, CA -- March 28, 2015. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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We have enough and we'll never have enough. This is the unresolvable paradox at the heart of so many issues, and one that is playing itself out daily when it comes to discussions about California water. Since the now infamous "<a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html">one year of water left</a>" headline ran last month (don't worry, it was quickly <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0320-drought-explainer-20150320-story.html">refuted</a>) and the governor announced a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/california-drought-mandatory-water-reductions/70780554/">25% water reduction for urban users</a> in the middle of a snowless Sierra meadow last week, anxiety has skyrocketed and finger pointing has commenced.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/04/when-enough-isnt-enough.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-60578889809939257642015-03-20T11:27:00.001-07:002015-03-20T11:27:52.834-07:00On Being: Stepping Stones of Integrating Emotions into Practicing Science<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1g9tYj9Hvo/VQiKY11025I/AAAAAAAAeS0/Qha5zKfwuC4/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1g9tYj9Hvo/VQiKY11025I/AAAAAAAAeS0/Qha5zKfwuC4/s1600/Capture.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
I could not be more thrilled to be a guest contributor at <a href="http://onbeing.org/">On Being</a>. For those that don't already know it, it's a platform that explores the questions "what does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live?" hosted by the incomparable Krista Tippett. I love the blog and the podcast, and am so so so honored to be in the company of contributors like <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/blog/to-instruct-myself-over-and-over-in-joy/7296">Parker Palmer</a> and <a href="http://onbeing.org/blog/reuniting-with-awe/7355">Courtney Martin</a>.<br />
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You can read the full post -- "<a href="http://bit.ly/1wQ6kxC">Stepping Stones of Integrating Emotions into Practicing Science</a>" -- and dig around for some other inspiring content (like podcasts with <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/mary-oliver-listening-to-the-world/7267">Mary Oliver</a>, <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/joanna-macy-a-wild-love-for-the-world/61">Joanna Macy</a>, <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/john-lewis-on-the-art-and-discipline-of-nonviolence/5126">John Lewis</a>, <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/listening-generously/124">Rachel Naomi Remen</a>, and <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/program/seth-godin-on-the-art-of-noticing-and-then-creating/5000">Seth Godin</a> - <a href="http://www.onbeing.org/programs/latest">so many</a> good ones!) at their website. I have so much gratitude for the work they do.<br />
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<b>Related posts:</b><br />
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<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1gRbnBE">The emotional lives of scientists</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/19wT8QE">Grief and science</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1bDdhkF">Contemplative practice in the sciences</a></li>
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Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-28411544429129116632015-03-18T14:56:00.000-07:002015-03-20T10:23:05.472-07:00Drought anxiety<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"<a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html">California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now?</a>" This was the *slightly* provocative title of an <i>LA Times</i> op-ed written by Jay Famiglietti, a UC Irvine hydrologist currently at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. He has <a href="https://twitter.com/JayFamiglietti/status/577783366231044096">since said</a> that the title was not accurate, asking that people read the article itself.* Unfortunately, judging from a lot of my conversations, it was hard for many to read past the fold.<br>
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Today, Mark Morford of the <i>San Francisco Chronicle</i> wrote a pretty irreverent (as is his style -- big fan) article on what he is calling "<a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2015/03/17/california-water-anxiety/">California Water Anxiety Syndrome</a>:"<br>
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that sinking feeling to trump all sinking feelings, that sour knot in the pit of the collective stomach, unnerving and strange and, let’s just admit, unutterably depressing.<br>
</blockquote></div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/03/drought-anxiety.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-16828926263854694022015-03-17T12:44:00.000-07:002015-03-19T10:33:39.570-07:00The Art and Science of Waiting (for rain and other uncertain things)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most depressing hikes I've taken. Photo by me.</td></tr>
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California rancher <a href="http://flyingmule.blogspot.com/">Dan Macon</a> knows firsthand that waiting can be an excruciating experience. As a small-scale sheep rancher in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, he has spent a lot of time waiting for rain during the state’s ongoing drought. Macon’s livelihood is tied to the land and particularly to water: a vital ingredient in creating the unique grasslands his animals depend on. Good-natured and thoughtful, he waits for rain and tries to get through with, as he puts it, a mix of “humor and commiseration.”<br>
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<a href="http://psychology.ucr.edu/faculty/sweeny/index.html">Kate Sweeny</a>, an associate professor of psychology at University of California, Riverside, studies the kind of waiting that Macon is faced with—that is, waiting for uncertain news. As <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00423">Sweeny writes</a>, waiting for things that we can generally depend on like getting a table a restaurant is vastly different from waiting for uncertain and unchangeable news such as a medical diagnosis.<br>
<a href="http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/15/6/302.full"></a><br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-art-and-science-of-waiting-for-rain.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-49553276441375266132015-02-27T11:13:00.000-08:002015-03-03T12:09:13.251-08:00The problem with consensus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The issue of scientific consensus on climate change is back in the news again. For a good primer, see Chris Mooney's latest piece in the Washington Post: "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/26/can-this-gateway-belief-get-people-to-accept-climate-change/?postshare=8761425050207122">Researchers think they’ve found a “gateway belief” that leads to greater science acceptance</a>." I just want to jump quickly to what I find so challenging with focusing on consensus (and there are many) as a means to sway public opinion: if you view the climate change issue through a conflict lens, consensus is not the answer. Research actually shows the opposite -- that in intractable conflicts, which I believe climate change has become, introducing nuance, shades of gray, and multiple perspectives is what leads to change.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-problem-with-consensus.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-84182721515640839352015-02-21T15:56:00.000-08:002015-03-17T14:14:03.180-07:00Scientists Have Feelings Too<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was a scientist just a few years out of graduate school when I had a career-altering experience speaking with a man in tears at a community workshop. A large cluster of wildfires had burned through his small, close-knit northern California town, and many residents were forced to evacuate their homes. They were worried that their properties would be unprotected in the time they had to stay away: firefighting resources were strained due to additional wildfires in other parts of the state. Emotions ran high for everyone as my colleagues and I presented our work on how houses burn during wildfires.<br>
</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/02/scientists-have-feelings-too.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-78845443267462488622015-01-07T12:15:00.001-08:002015-01-07T12:16:08.991-08:00Relationships, listening, conflict (and an actor) in science & communication<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For the past five or so years, I've been writing and speaking extensively about the value of <a href="http://bit.ly/1bSsSP0">relational work</a>, including <a href="http://bit.ly/1eiIzBi">deep listening</a>, in science and communication. It's so heartening to see others joining that chorus. Alan Alda (yes, that Alan Alda), who is now a visiting professor at a science communication center named after him at Stony Brook University, has a beautiful reflection on his work teaching scientists to communicate more effectively. In <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/science-in-the-words-of-alan-alda/384218/">an interview</a> in <i>The Atlantic</i> with Jessica Lahey, he says:<br>
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</div></div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2015/01/relationships-listening-conflict-and.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261791748350151795.post-57561273289337563162014-12-19T12:10:00.000-08:002014-12-19T16:02:32.437-08:00A new writing adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today I've got a new article up with the excellent folks at <a href="http://read.hipporeads.com/">Hippo Reads</a>, who are working to bring academic voices to bear on important, timely topics. My first piece with them is "<a href="http://bit.ly/1GyWgtF">5 Key Facts about the California Drought—and 5 Ways We’re Responding to It</a>." Of course, today it's pouring buckets here in northern California (those of us working on water here have decided the best way to get it to rain is to have a drought meeting, guess it works with writing too!).<br>
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The article is intended to be quick primer on the drought, a bit of a one-stop guide to some of the issues that have made it such a big deal this year. I talk about everything from California's reliance on snowpack to groundwater depletion to climate change - all informed by the latest research. I also discuss some our recent groundwater legislation, the water bond, and urban water conservation innovation. It's (hopefully) a nice overview of the range of issues at play.
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</div><a href="http://scienceunicorn.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-new-writing-adventure.html#more">Read more »</a>Faith Kearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14318125337357708742noreply@blogger.com2