Prof. Raghu Murtugudde, Univ. of Maryland
Prof. Raghu Murtugudde completed his BS in Aeronautical Engg, from IIT Bombay, MS in Aerospace Engg. and a PhD in Mechanical Engg. from Columbia Univ. He is currently a Prof. in the Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Univ. of Maryland

Climate change remains controversial, and large-scale engagement and action on climate change have largely been elusive despite many years of negotiations under the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change. Most Climate scientists are involved in public outreach on climate change at some level  and the media as a whole is widely proactive in reporting climate change research and impacts, notwithstanding a  very vocal effort from climate contrarians to question the science and the scientists. Are we headed to a full-fledged self-destruction by a global tragedy of the commons or are we capable of making a course correction in time to save ourselves from extinction? Is there anything missing in our communication of climate change risk or is  climate change uncertainty too high for the
human mind to perceive? Is it obvious why biodiversity needs to be saved and can this be accomplished by placing monetary values on ecosystem services? A brief walk through Earth's history indicates that   humans are the most cooperative species on the planet, capable of nonzero sum exchanges at individual to international scales through shared
intelligence. Earth and life have co-evolved with life playing a critical role in determining Earth's climate and  climate change may have been crucial for the evolution of the modern human with one of the most sophisticated brains. Several  evolutionary steps have resulted in a human mind that is split into a rational rider and an emotional elephant and
decisions are made only when the rider is properly motivated and the path is clear for the elephant. Risk perception and investing in the future are thus gender and culture specific in addition to being contextual. All humans have intrinsic values which drive them to stand up for causes such as the environment and biodiversity. Can these values be reached with effective communication and education? Climate change communications must thus be aimed at motivating the rider and shaping the path for the elephant and avoid the constant drumbeat of gloom and doom which can lead to a sense of helplessness. A brief history of the evolution of life from its simplest form to the cooperative species and the standard pitfalls of scientists' approach to commincating climate change are discussed to provide a context for potential pathways to large-scale engagement and action to move the elephant.