Book By Local Experts Hopes To Slow Misinformation Tsunami On Climate Change, Environment

The hope that one book on climate change can make an environmental perception impact is a literal and figural drop in the ocean. But for marine scientist Ellen Prager and meteorologist Dave Jones, co-authors of “Megalodons, Mermaids and Climate Change: Answers to Your Ocean and Atmosphere Questions,” their goal is to start the scientific, evidence-based conversation needed to remove misinformation pollution and definitively declare climate change is real, but mermaids are not, and data proves it.

“Our goal is to improve the public’s understanding of the world around them,” Prager said. “We know people have questions, and those questions have answers derived from data. We hope this book allows for a greater appreciation of science and how science can explain the unknown.”

About 17 years ago, the stars aligned, and weather patterns converged to form not the perfect storm, but a perfect collaboration. Prager and Jones, then living in Florida and Severna Park, respectively, would frequently attend the same conferences or work on similar projects through their intertwined professions. Both prolific speakers, the two have colloquially “heard some stuff,” and as a scientist and meteorologist turned founder of StormCenter Communications, they have also “seen some stuff.”

“It didn’t matter if I was speaking to children in a classroom or professionals at a conference,” Jones said. “People are fascinated by the atmosphere, the weather, the ocean, all of which can be mysterious.”

And, from depths of the great unknown, questions and myths arise.

“We started sharing our own experiences and realized we have heard many of the same questions,” Prager added. “So, we reached out to professional colleagues and asked them, ‘What are the wackiest things you’ve heard about our environment and atmosphere?’”

Richard Spinrad, administrator of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Kenneth Graham, director of the National Weather Service and former director of the National Hurricane Center; and Eddie Widder, oceanographer, marine biologist and the co-founder, CEO and senior scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, are just a few of world’s preeminent scientists whose input helped shape the contents of the book.

The co-authors compiled a collective list of those most frequently asked and downright zany questions about the ocean and atmosphere, grouped similar topics and started to write “Megalodons, Mermaids and Climate Change: Answers to Your Ocean and Atmosphere Questions,” with easy-to-understand language, the pair’s trademark humor, fun illustrations, and photos from scientific organizations in an effort to combat the tidal wave of misinformation that’s so easily accessible.

“This isn’t an encyclopedia,” Prager said. “We made sure that everyone (ages) 12 to 120 could understand this book. We present the data but also provide a lengthy resource section for people to do their own research.”

The 200-page book includes 14 quick-read chapters: Deep Vast Sea; Dangerous Marine Life; Supernatural, Suspicious, or Science; Coral Reefs; Weather Forecasting and Extreme Events; and of course, Climate Change, just to name a few. There also is a 20-plus-page section just on resources. And, the authors unequivocally debunk Facebook, TikTok and most social media as evidence- or science-based.

Released in October, the book has good early reviews. Jones shared the book during the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Conference for Broadcast Meteorologists’ June meeting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where it got the attention of many people, including the society’s president, at whose request the book will be shared at the AMS’ annual January 2025 meeting in New Orleans.

“The plan is to form a community partnership where the books will be distributed to schools, libraries and community centers,” said Jones, adding that the 5,000 society members, at the time of registration, will be able to purchase a discounted book to be given away.

Prager also noted that she is working on grant writing to cover the costs of getting the book into school libraries and classrooms, and she and Jones plan to speak at school assemblies and science classes, Earth Day events, community gatherings and more.

“How can we use this book as a stepping stone to do more?” Prager rhetorically asked. “We believe strongly that this book should be in the hands of every science teacher, because if we are hearing these questions, we know they are, too.”