Studies compare the effectiveness of persuasion and learning through “stakeholder forums” versus the effectiveness of political debate and regulation in warning about the effects of climate change. This image of a Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is, for many viewers, an effective form of persuasion about the seriousness of global climate change and the struggle of this species to survive on its shrinking winter hunting grounds. As the artist says: “My painting shows a polar bear under water: eyes closed, air bubbling from his nose, a bear that will either swim to the surface and live, or drown. The differences in the visibility of portrayals of this consummate swimmer, utterly dependent on precious, disappearing ice floes, can serve as an indirect measure of cultural attitudes toward scientific research. Again, as the artist says: “It is our responsibility to prevent this animal from disappearing.” Not everyone agrees.
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