Maxwell T. Boykoff

Maxwell (Max) Boykoff is the Director of the Environmental Studies Program (where he is a Professor) and is also a Fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. He also Adjunct faculty in the Geography Department. Previously, he was Director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, which was part of CIRES. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California-Santa Cruz and Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

Max has ongoing interests in cultural politics and environmental governance, decarbonization, science and environmental communications, science-policy interactions, political economy and the environment, and climate adaptation He has experience working in North America, Central America, Africa, South Asia, Oceania and Europe, and is a co-author and editor of seven books and edited volumes, along with over sixty articles and book chapters.

Max’s research and creative work has developed primarily in two arenas:

cultural politics of science, climate change and environmental issues = this refers to ways that attitudes, intentions, beliefs and behaviors of individuals and groups shape (and are shaped by) the perceived spectrum of possible action in the context of science-policy, climate change and environmental issues.
transformations of carbon-based economies and societies (with emphasis on the interface of science and practical action) = this refers to decarbonization politics, policies and decision-making, with particular interest in how these activities find meaning in people’s everyday lives, as well as how they, in turn, feed back into science-policy decision-making.

Max integrates these research and creative works with ongoing commitments to mentorship, teaching and service.

Current Courses

Additional Readings

Books

Creative (Climate) Communications
by Maxwell T. Boykoff

July 2019

Culture, Politics and Climate Change
Edited by Deserai A. Crow and Maxwell T. Boykoff

March 2014

Successful Adaptation to Climate Change
Edited by Susanne Moser and Maxwell Boykoff

Routledge
May 2013

The New Carbon Economy: Constitution, Governance, and Contestation
Edited by Peter Newell, Maxwell Boykoff, and Emily Boyd

Wiley-Blackwell
January 2012

Who Speaks for Climate? Making Sense of Media Reporting on Climate Change
by Maxwell Boykoff

Cambridge University Press
September 2011

The Politics of Climate Change: A Survey
Edited by Maxwell Boykoff
November 2009

Contentious Geographies: Environmental Knowledge, Meaning, Scale
Edited by Michael K. Goodman, Maxwell T. Boykoff, and Kyle T. Evered
May 2008

Current Research

My research and creative work center on two themes. One is the ‘cultural politics of science, policy, and the environment,’ which refers to how the attitudes, intentions, beliefs, and behaviors of individuals and groups shape (and are shaped by) the perceived spectrum of possible action in the context of environmental challenges such as climate change. A second is the transformations of carbon-based economies and societies, with a particular emphasis on the interface of science, sustainability, and practical action, including policies. Through many connected projects and collaborations, my research commitments involve questions of how climate science and policy find meaning in people’s everyday lives, as well as how this, in turn, feeds back into science- policy decision-making. Together, my work has sought to critically analyze the role of various actors and organizations shaping political and cultural dimensions of environmental science and policy discussions in the public arena.

For example:

Through the Media and Climate Change Observatory, colleagues and I monitor media coverage of climate change at various scales, updated monthly. We have established and maintain appraisals of 82 sources across 40 countries around the world and monitor country-level coverage in Australia, Canada, Germany, India, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, through collaborations with Rogelio Fernandez-Reyes in Spain, and Midori Aoyagi-Usui and Shoko Yamaguchi in Japan, we maintain country-level counts there as well. As offshoots from this work, we work with many partners (e.g., Lancet Countdown on climate change and health issues) and we have produced a number of related reports and journal articles.
With colleagues Beth Osnes (Theater Department) and Rebecca Safran (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department) we run a multi-faceted project called ‘Inside the Greenhouse’. This project works to deepen our understanding of how issues associated with climate change are/can be communicated, by creating artifacts through interactive theatre, film, fine art, performance art, television programming, and appraising as well as extracting effective methods for multimodal climate communication. We also seek to build competence and confidence in the students with whom we work. The project effectively fosters a deliberative space for CU Boulder students to experiment with creative climate communications and build capacity for more systematic, capable and effective environmental communication strategies. As part of this project we teach numerous courses and produce seasonal events and various research outputs.

Projects

ICECaps: International Collective on Environment, Culture & Politics Founded in 2012 at the University of Colorado Boulder, the International Collective on Environment, Culture and Politics is a research group that examines some of today’s most pressing environmental issues. ICE CaPs members and affiliates cross disciplines to apply a wide range of theories and perspectives to study issues at the human-environment interface. We work across scales from the individual to the global. Read more ...

Inside the Greenhouse Max Boykoff and Beth Osnes of the Theater Department at University of Colorado Boulder are working to deepen our understanding of how issues associated with climate change are/can be communicated, by creating artifacts through interactive theatre, film, fine art, performance art, television programming, and appraising as well as extracting effective methods for multimodal climate communication. Read more ...

Media Coverage of Climate Change/Global Warming Monthly updated figure tracking newspaper coverage of climate change or global warming in 50 newspapers across 20 countries and 6 continents. Max Boykoff (University of Colorado) and Maria Mansfield (University of Exeter) continue to track newspaper coverage of climate change or global warming in 50 newspapers across 20 countries and 6 continents. They update this figure on a monthly basis as a resource for journalists, researchers, and others who may be interested in tracking these trends. Max Boykoff also has a book coming out with Cambridge University Press in September 2011 titled Who Speaks for Climate? Making Sense of Media Reporting on Climate Change. Read more ...

Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre Internship Program This program seeks to improve climate change communication and adaptation decision-making in response to climate variability and change within the humanitarian sector. It connects humanitarian practitioners from the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre [RC/RC CC] an affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [IFRC] with science-policy graduate student researchers at the University of Colorado. Read more ...

A Note for Prospective Graduate Students

If you are considering applying to the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado and would like to work with me, please send an email with these three attachments:

A C.V.
A description of why you’d like to enroll in the Environmental Studies program, and work in my research group
A statement about how your research interests may relate to one of these two research projects (where I am currently interested in advising students):

Max Boykoff in southern Zambia as part of the CSTPR and Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre collaboration, working on climate adaptation and resilience. Photo: Wisford Mudenda

Max Boykoff speaking at side event at the United Nations Conference of Parties meeting on climate change (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco. Photo: Gregg Walker

View Publications

Leon, B; Boykoff, MT; Jordan, CR (2021), Climate change perception among Spanish undergraduates. A reception study on the combination of the local, global, gain and loss frames. Version: 1 COMMUNICATION & SOCIETY-SPAIN 34 (1) 57-75, issn: 2386-7876, doi: 10.15581/003.34.1.57-75
Almiron, N; Boykoff, M; Narberhaus, M; Heras, F (2020), Dominant counter-frames in influential climate contrarian European think tanks. Version: 1 CLIMATIC CHANGE 162 (4) 2003-2020, issn: 0165-0009, doi: 10.1007/s10584-020-02820-4
Timm, KMF; Maibach, EW; Boykoff, M; Myers, TA; Broeckelman-Post, MA (2020), The Prevalence and Rationale for Presenting an Opposing Viewpoint in Climate Change Reporting: Findings from a US National Survey of TV Weathercasters. Version: 1 WEATHER CLIMATE AND SOCIETY 12 (1) 103-115, issn: 1948-8327, doi: 10.1175/WCAS-D-19-0063.1
Boykoff, M; Oonk, D (2020), Evaluating the perils and promises of academic climate advocacy. Version: 1 CLIMATIC CHANGE 163 (1) 27-41, issn: 0165-0009, doi: 10.1007/s10584-018-2339-3
Boykoff, M. and O. Pearman (2019), Now or Never: How Media Coverage of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5C Shaped Climate-Action Deadlines. One Earth Version: 1 1 (3) , doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2019.10.026
Watts, N; Amann, M; Arnell, N; Ayeb-Karlsson, S; Belesova, K; Boykoff, M; Byass, P; Cai, WJ; Campbell-Lendrum, D; Capstick, S; Chambers, J; Dalin, C; Daly, M; Dasandi, N; Davies, M; Drummond, P; Dubrow, R; Ebi, KL; Eckelman, M; Ekins, P; Escobar, LE; Montoya, LF; Georgeson, L; Graham, H; Haggar, P; Hamilton, I; Hartinger, S; Hess, J; Kelman, I; Kiesewetter, G; Kjellstrom, T; Kniveton, D; Lemke, B; Liu, Y; Lott, M; Lowe, R; Sewe, MO; Martinez-Urtaza, J; Maslin, M; McAllister, L; McGushin, A; Mikhaylov, SJ; Milner, J; Moradi-Lakeh, M; Morrissey, K; Murray, K; Munzert, S; Nilsson, M; Neville, T; Oreszczyn, T; Owfi, F; Pearman, O; Pencheon, D; Phung, D; Pye, S; Quinn, R; Rabbaniha, M; Robinson, E; Rocklov, J; Semenza, JC; Sherman, J; Shumake-Guillemot, J; Tabatabaei, M; Taylor, J; Trinanes, J; Wilkinson, P; Costello, A; Gong, P; Montgomery, H (2019), The 2019 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate. Version: 1 LANCET 394 (10211) 1836-1878, issn: 0140-6736, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32596-6, PubMed ID: 31733928
Osnes, B., M. Boykoff, and P. Chandler (2019), Good-natured comedy to enrich climate communication. Comedy Studies Version: 1, doi: 10.1080/2040610X.2019.1623513
Wibeck, V; Linner, BO; Alves, M; Asplund, T; Bohman, A; Boykoff, MT; Feetham, PM; Huang, Y; Nascimento, J; Rich, J; Rocha, CY; Vaccarino, F; Xian, S (2019), Stories of Transformation: A Cross-Country Focus Group Study on Sustainable Development and Societal Change. Version: 1 SUSTAINABILITY 11 (8) , Art. No. 2427, issn: 2071-1050, doi: 10.3390/su11082427
Ghosh, A; Boykoff, M (2019), Framing sustainability and climate change: Interrogating discourses in vernacular and English-language media in Sundarbans, India. Version: 1 GEOFORUM 99 142-153, issn: 0016-7185, doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2018.11.014
Boykoff, M; Osnes, B (2019), A Laughing matter? Confronting climate change through humor. Version: 1 POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY 68 154-163, issn: 0962-6298, doi: 10.1016/j.polgeo.2018.09.006
Watts, N, M Amann, N Arnell, S Ayeb-Karlsson, K Belesova, H Berry, T Bouley, M Boykoff, P Byass, WJ Cai, D Campbell-Lendrum, J Chambers, M Daly, N Dasandi, M Davies, A Depoux, P Dominguez-Salas, P Drummond, KL Ebi, P Ekins, LF Montoya, H Fischer, L Georgeson, D Grace, H Graham, I Hamilton, S Hartinger, J Hess, I Kelman, G Kiesewetter, T Kjellstrom, D Kniveton, B Lemke, L Liang, M Lott, R Lowe, MO Sewe, J Martinez-Urtaza, M Maslin, L McAllister, SJ Mikhaylov, J Milner, M Moradi-Lakeh, K Morrissey, K Murray, M Nilsson, T Neville, T Oreszczyn, F Owfi, O Pearman, D Pencheon, S Pye, M Rabbaniha, E Robinson, J Rocklov, O Saxer, S Schutte, JC Semenza, J Shumake-Guillemot, R Steinbach, M Tabatabaei, J Tomei, J Trinanes, N Wheeler, P Wilkinson, P Gong, H Montgomery and A Costello (2018), The 2018 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: shaping the health of nations for centuries to come. Lancet Version: 1 392 (10163) 2479-2514, issn: 0140-6736, ids: HD5RO, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32594-7, PubMed ID: 30503045
Boykoff, M (2018), Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore. Nat. Clim. Chang. Version: 1 8 (10) 853-853, issn: 1758-678X, ids: GV2NO, doi: 10.1038/s41558-018-0288-5
Leon, B; Boykoff, M; Huda, J; Rodrigo, C (2018), Framing in Climate Change Videos. Version: 1 COMMUNICATING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH ONLINE VIDEO: RESEARCHING A NEW MEDIA PHENOMENON 107-119, Ed. Leon, B; Bourk, M, isbn: 978-1-351-05458-4; 978-1-138-48349-1
Watts, N, M Amann, S Ayeb-Karlsson, K Belesova, T Bouley, M Boykoff, P Byass, WJ Cai, D Campbell-Lendrum, J Chambers, PM Cox, M Daly, N Dasandi, M Davies, M Depledge, A Depoux, P Dominguez-Salas, P Drummond, P Ekins, A Flahault, H Frumkin, L Georgeson, M Ghanei, D Grace, H Graham, R Grojsman, A Haines, I Hamilton, S Hartinger, A Johnson, I Kelman, G Kiesewetter, D Kniveton, L Liang, M Lott, R Lowe, G Mace, MO Sewe, M Maslin, S Mikhaylov, J Milner, AM Latifi, M Moradi-Lakeh, K Morrissey, K Murray, T Neville, M Nilsson, T Oreszczyn, F Owfi, D Pencheon, S Pye, M Rabbaniha, E Robinson, J Rocklov, S Schutte, J Shumake-Guillemot, R Steinbach, M Tabatabaei, N Wheeler, P Wilkinson, P Gong, H Montgomery and A Costello (2018), The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: from 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. Lancet Version: 1 391 (10120) 581-630, issn: 0140-6736, ids: FV5VB, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32464-9, PubMed ID: 29096948
Boykoff, M (2016), Climate Change as Social Drama: Global Warming in the Public Sphere.. Am. J. Sociol. Version: 1 122 (1) 299-301, issn: 0002-9602, ids: DR8DS, doi: 10.1086/686044
Boykoff, M. T. and G. Luedecke (2016), Elite News Coverage of Climate Change. Oxford Res. Encycl. Clim. Sci. Version: 1, doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.357
Goodman, MK, J Littler, D Brockington and M Boykoff (2016), Spectacular environmentalisms: media, knowledge and the framing of ecological politics. Environ. Commun. Version: 1 10 (6) 677-688, issn: 1752-4032, ids: EI4UM, doi: 10.1080/17524032.2016.1219489
Fischhendler, I, D Boymel and MT Boykoff (2016), How Competing Securitized Discourses over Land Appropriation Are Constructed: The Promotion of Solar Energy in the Israeli Desert. Environ. Commun. Version: 1 10 (2) 147-168, issn: 1752-4032, ids: DE5DN, doi: 10.1080/17524032.2014.979214
Boykoff, MT (2016), CONSENSUS AND CONTRARIANISM ON CLIMATE CHANGE HOW THE USA CASE INFORMS DYNAMICS ELSEWHERE. Metode Sci. Stud. J. Version: 1(6) 89-95, issn: 2174-3487, ids: DK5OE, doi: 10.7203/metode.85.4182
Fischhendler, I, G Cohen-Blankshtain, Y Shuali and M Boykoff (2015), Communicating mega-projects in the face of uncertainties: Israeli mass media treatment of the Dead Sea Water Canal. Public Underst. Sci. Version: 1 24 (7) 794-810, issn: 0963-6625, ids: CQ5EE, doi: 10.1177/0963662513512440, PubMed ID: 24357623
Gold, AU, DJ Oonk, L Smith, MT Boykoff, B Osnes and SB Sullivan (2015), Lens on Climate Change: Making Climate Meaningful Through Student-Produced Videos. J. Geogr. Version: 1 114 (6) 235-246, issn: 0022-1341, ids: CZ8DB, doi: 10.1080/00221341.2015.1013974
ONeill, S, HTP Williams, T Kurz, B Wiersma and M Boykoff (2015), Dominant frames in legacy and social media coverage of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Nat. Clim. Chang. Version: 1 5 (4) 380-+, issn: 1758-678X, ids: CE5AM, doi: 10.1038/nclimate2535
Anderegg, WRL, ES Callaway, MT Boykoff, G Yohe and TL Root (2014), AWARENESS OF BOTH TYPE 1 AND 2 ERRORS IN CLIMATE SCIENCE AND ASSESSMENT. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc. Version: 1 95 (9) 1445-1451, issn: 0003-0007, ids: AS7MY, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00115.1
Suarez, P, JM de Suarez, B Koelle and M Boykoff (2014), Serious fun Scaling up community-based adaptation through experiential learning. Version: 1 COMMUNITY-BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: SCALING IT UP 136-151, Ed. Schipper, ELF; Ayers, J; Reid, H; Huq, S; Rahman, A, ids: BA2EB, isbn: 978-0-415-62370-4; 978-0-203-10506-1; 978-0-415-62
Bailey, A, L Giangola and MT Boykoff (2014), How Grammatical Choice Shapes Media Representations of Climate (Un)certainty. Environ. Commun. Version: 1 8 (2) 197-215, issn: 1752-4032, ids: AH2HO, doi: 10.1080/17524032.2014.906481
Liverman, D, SC Moser, PS Weiland, L Dilling, MT Boykoff, HE Brown, ES Gordon, C Greene, E Holthaus, DA Niemeier, S Pincetl, WJ Steenburgh and VC Tidwell (2013), Climate Choices for a Sustainable Southwest. Version: 1 ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES: A REPORT PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT 405-435, Ed. Garfin, G; Jardine, A; Merideth, R; Black, M; LeRoy, S, ids: BA8DA, isbn: 978-1-61091-484-0; 978-1-59726-420-4, doi: 10.5822/978-1-61091-484-0_18
Boykoff, MT (2013), Public Enemy No. 1?: Understanding Media Representations of Outlier Views on Climate Change. Am. Behav. Sci. Version: 1 57 (6) 796-817, issn: 0002-7642, ids: 201BC, doi: 10.1177/0002764213476846
Boykoff, M. T. and S. K. Olson (2013), �Wise contrarians�: a keystone species in contemporary climate science, politics and policy. Celebrity Studies Version: 1 4 (3) 276-291, doi: 10.1080/19392397.2013.831618
Boykoff, MT and T Yulsman (2013), Political economy, media, and climate change: sinews of modern life. Wiley Interdiscip. Rev.-Clim. Chang. Version: 1 4 (5) 359-371, issn: 1757-7780, ids: 201UV, doi: 10.1002/wcc.233
ONeill, SJ, M Boykoff, S Niemeyer and SA Day (2013), On the use of imagery for climate change engagement. Glob. Environ. Change-Human Policy Dimens. Version: 1 23 (2) 413-421, issn: 0959-3780, ids: 135YV, doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.11.006
Boykoff, MT (2012), Digitally Enabled Social Change: Activism in the Internet Age. Contemp. Sociol.-J. Rev. Version: 1 41 (4) 486-487, issn: 0094-3061, ids: 965IC, doi: 10.1177/0094306112449614h
Rick, UK, MT Boykoff and RA Pielke (2011), Effective media reporting of sea level rise projections: 1989-2009. Environ. Res. Lett. Version: 1 6 (1) , Art. No. 14004, issn: 1748-9326, ids: 746RE, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014004
ONeill, SJ and M Boykoff (2010), Climate denier, skeptic, or contrarian?. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. Version: 1 107 (39) E151-E151, issn: 0027-8424, ids: 655AA, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1010507107, PubMed ID: 20807754
Knight, J, C Caseldine and MT Boykoff (2010), Why We Disagree About Climate Change. Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity.. Geogr. J. Version: 1 176 267-269, issn: 0016-7398, ids: 635CW, doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2010.00371.x
Boykoff, M (2010), Turning down the heat: the politics of climate policy in affluent democracies. Environ. Plan. C-Gov. Policy Version: 1 28 (3) 569-570, issn: 0263-774X, ids: 625LU
Bottrill, C, D Liverman and M Boykoff (2010), Carbon soundings: greenhouse gas emissions of the UK music industry. Environ. Res. Lett. Version: 1 5 (1) , Art. No. 14019, issn: 1748-9326, ids: 575VR, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/5/1/014019
Boykoff, MT, D Frame and S Randalls (2010), Discursive stability meets climate instability: A critical exploration of the concept of climate stabilization in contemporary climate policy. Glob. Environ. Change-Human Policy Dimens. Version: 1 20 (1) 53-64, issn: 0959-3780, ids: 557MF, doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.09.003
Boykoff, M. (2009), Los medios y la comunicaci�n cient�fica. Infoam�rica Version: 1 1 117-127
Boykoff, M (2009), El caso del cambio clim�tico: los medios y la comunicaci�n cient�fica cient�fica. Infoam�rica Version: 1 Agosto-Diciembre 117-127
Hulme, M, M Boykoff, J Gupta, T Heyd, J Jaeger, D Jamieson, MC Lemos, K O'Brien, T Roberts, J Rockstrom and C Vogel (2009), Conference Covered Climate from All Angles. Science Version: 1 324 (5929) 881-882, issn: 0036-8075, ids: 445KD
Boykoff, MT (2009), We Speak for the Trees: Media Reporting on the Environment. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. Version: 1 34 431-457, issn: 1543-5938, ids: 523NW, isbn: 978-0-8243-2334-9, doi: 10.1146/annurev.environ.051308.084254
Boykoff, M. (2008), The Real Swindle. Nature Reports Climate Change Version: 1 2 (2) 31-32, doi: 10.1038/climate.2008.14
Boykoff, MT (2008), The cultural politics of climate change discourse in UK tabloids. Polit. Geogr. Version: 1 27 (5) 549-569, issn: 0962-6298, ids: 349JQ, doi: 10.1016/j.polgeo.2008.05.002
Boykoff, MT and M Mansfield (2008), 'Ye Olde Hot Aire'*: reporting on human contributions to climate change in the UK tabloid press. Environ. Res. Lett. Version: 1 3 (2) , Art. No. 24002, issn: 1748-9326, ids: 319PX, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/3/2/024002
Boykoff, MT (2007), From convergence to contention: United States mass media representations of anthropogenic climate change science. Trans. Inst. Br. Geogr. Version: 1 32 (4) 477-489, issn: 0020-2754, ids: 227PY, doi: 10.1111/j.1475-5661.2007.00270.x
Boykoff, MT (2007), Flogging a dead norm? Newspaper coverage of anthropogenic climate change in the United States and United Kingdom from 2003 to 2006. Area Version: 1 39 (4) 470-481, issn: 0004-0894, ids: 232NA, doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4762.2007.00769.x
Khalsa, SJS, MB Dyurgerov, T Khromova, BH Raup and RG Barry (2004), Space-based mapping of glacier changes using ASTER and GIS tools. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens. Version: 1 23rd International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS 2003) 42 (10) 2177-2183, TOULOUSE, FRANCE, JUL 21-25, 2003, issn: 0196-2892, ids: 863ZP, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2004.834636