“Reporting on Tropical Forest Carbon: The power of words and photographs concerning the Peruvian Amazon and Costa Rica” Panel (Yale Center for Environmental Communication)

Uptake of carbon dioxide by vegetation reduces accumulation of the gas in the atmosphere and slows climate change. One ton of every four tons of greenhouse gasses produced from burning fossil fuels is absorbed by plants. But ongoing global warming influences how effectively plants continue playing this essential function. The socio-political contexts and power structures that govern forests are also critical factors influencing their success in mitigating climate change. 

 

 

 

Science journalist Daniel Grossman and photographer Dado Galdieri collaborated on the Pulitzer Center-supported project Carbon Chronicles. Reporting on carbon uptake in tropical forests in Peru and Costa Rica, the two will highlight how they communicate scientific concepts for a public audience. Blanca Begert, 2020 YPCCC-Pulitzer Center reporting fellow, will share how her social science background and her past research on a contested conservation project in Peru contextualizes her upcoming reporting project on carbon offset initiatives in Amazonia.