Climate science is a highly technical topic, so it’s often difficult for general audiences to understand it.

In this video, Rutgers climate scientist Tony Broccoli provides tips for scientists and journalists on how to better engage their audiences through the use of real-life examples and “teachable moments.”

I shot and produced this video for The Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media.

For many youth, a warming world is more than an abstract threat. Within the lifetimes of today’s young adults and children, climate change could lead to food shortages, changing coastlines and catastrophic storms. An October 2009 Pew Research Poll found that young Americans are more likely than any other age group to view climate change as “a very serious problem.” About 2,000 young people voiced those concerns at the 2009 United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen, where world leaders tried – and failed – to agree on a treaty to curb heat-trapping gases. Despite the collapse of the talks, youth activists vowed to continue pressuring politicians to put a stop to climate change. (Note: This story was reported with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.)

The residents of Meigs County, Ohio, live beneath the towering smokestacks of four coal-fired power plants. Elisa Young worries about the health effects of the plants, but others in her community are eager for the jobs a new plant could bring. Learn more at Powering A Nation.

This story was part of a package on coal that won first place in the Society of Environmental Journalists 2010 Awards for Reporting on the Environment for the category “Outstanding Student Reporting.”

It also received top awards in the National Press Photographers Association monthly multimedia contest, the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards and the Student Society for News Design’s annual contest.

My Powering A Nation colleague Chris Carmichael was the lead producer of this story. I served as co-producer and shot the interviews as well as the video for the protest sequence that starts at about 3:45.

This story received an Award of Excellence at Pictures of the Year International 2009 and second place for a documentary video in the 2010 Best of Photojournalism contest.

In March 2009, I was inspired to do a story about the hidden importance of energy to American life. I worked with two of my Powering A Nation colleagues to create this short piece. The final version was co-written by me, Melissa Moser and Ashley Zammitt, with graphics by Zammitt.