The weather is not as expected! Even though it is already winter, everyone is still wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt. In September and October, despite that the peak of summer had passed, a Typhoon No. 10 and a Typhoon No. 9 attacked Hong Kong respectively, along with a record-breaking black rainstorm. Global warming has made the climate extremely unpredictable, and it is affecting our lives in various ways. It is crucial for us to understand climate change.
On 9 November 2023, the School of Communication held SCOM Talk Series #51. Two guests from the Hong Kong Observatory, namely Ms. Chan Man-yee, Chief Experimental Officer and Mr. Shum Chi-tai, Scientific Officer, were invited to be speakers of the talk to explain climate change to staff and students and share with them how the Observatory disseminates climate messages in practical ways.
The talk was divided into two parts. In the first part, Ms. Chan Man-yee explained the causes of global warming in detail using scientific data. She pointed out that human activities generate a significant amount of greenhouse gases, which are the main cause of the continual rise in temperature. She emphasised that the current emissions of greenhouse gases have reached a staggering level of 56.4 billion tons per year, which is equivalent to the weight of 17 million Boeing 747 airplanes. These numbers reflect that climate change has become severe. She also cited data about the increasing numbers of reports of rising sea levels, glacier melting, and extreme high temperatures. Coupled with the growing threats of intense tropical cyclones and storm surges, these phenomena are already impacting food production and contributing to the spread of global diseases.
Ms. Chan then proceeded to extrapolate future trends in climate change using data. When discussing mitigation measures, she cited examples of international cooperation and ongoing initiatives by governments and regions worldwide as efforts to address global warming. She encouraged individuals to contribute to the fight against global warming by making small changes in their daily lives to reduce carbon emissions and embracing low-carbon, green living.
The second part of the talk was presented by Mr. Shum Chi-tai, Scientific Officer, who shared with the audience the communication efforts of the Hong Kong Observatory. Mr. Shum stated that over recent years, the Observatory has been focusing on the use of various social media platforms to engage the public, and thereby disseminating climate and weather messages to them.
He mentioned, “When the Hong Kong Observatory delivers weather information to the general public, it is important to be ‘down-to-earth’, which means that we need to effectively communicate with the public and convey the information to them.” He emphasised the importance of communication with the public and provided examples of how the Observatory has been using social media to promote weather information in recent years. He remarked that the Observatory has recruited staff with academic backgrounds in communication to serve as social media editors. The purpose is to try to provide diverse weather information through more innovative approaches. Mr. Shum pointed out that the Observatory values the public’s feedback on the information it provides. Based on the public’s responses, the Observatory would tune the content of its messages, hoping that through such processes their communication effectiveness will continue to improve.
Both speakers mentioned that their backgrounds are in science and they used to be more involved in research and analysis of scientific data. However, with the widespread use of social media in recent years, they have significantly increased their interaction with the public. When asked if they feel pressured when receiving both compliments and criticism from the public about their work at the Observatory, the two speakers said that as long as they take that their work is being appreciated in a positive light, they feel relieved. After all, the safety of the public is the Observatory’s priority. The Observatory will continue to serve everyone by upholding the principle of basing their work on science.
It is worth mentioning that before the start of the talk, the School took the opportunity to arrange a visit to the School’s facilities for the group of six guests from the Observatory. During the visit, both sides had the opportunity to interact and exchange their experience and insights about the production of weather report programmes.
The guests visit the School’s facilities.
Professor Scarlet Tso, Dean of the School of Communication, delivers a welcome speech and presents a souvenir to Dr. Yeung Kwok-chung, Senior Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory.
Ms. Chan Man-yee, Chief Experimental Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory, explains climate change issues to students and staff.
Mr. Shum Chi-tai, Scientific Officer, shares with the audience how the Hong Kong Observatory communicates with the public.
Group photo
