Dining with Della: John Clague at Cotto
April 18, 2016
John and I met at Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria in Burnaby, a modest Italian spot with "certified Neapolitan pizza" conveniently located close to SFU. We did not indulge in the pizza but their other menu offerings were ample and tasty.
John is often quoted in media about disasters and hazards such as earthquakes, floods and the impacts of climate change. That is what inspired me to ask him to participate in this blog series. A professor who cares deeply about issues of major societal importance and works to find ways to share his knowledge is a communicator's dream. This man is continually looking for opportunities to help people prepare for and understand how to deal with the earth's ever-changing systems and atmosphere.
I met John six years ago through work with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC and I was always intrigued by his scholarly pursuits. I wanted to know how a young boy of six who loves rocks becomes such a highly respected and leading authority on environmental earth sciences. As with many academic students, his interest in geoscience came via a mentor in university. As he said, his mentor dabbled in a range of areas and he has done the same, labeling himself a generalist. Never ending curiosity is what fuels his ongoing interests. He retires from full time teaching next month to become Professor Emeritus and focus more on research, some consulting and travel time with his wife.
John was happy to share his thoughts for this blog... here, in his own words, are the lessons from this esteemed, yet down-to-earth (no pun intended) purveyor of wisdom.
What worked...
What one bit of communication impacted your life?
Of course, it's difficult to choose only one bit of communication with a large impact on my life -- As a life-long learner and a 'communication addict', my life has been profoundly impacted by family, teachers, colleagues, and friends.
But OK, if I have to choose just one, it would be the comment of one of my early professional colleagues while working for the Geological Survey of Canada. He told me that, no matter what you do in life, be passionate about it and have fun. To some, that advice might seem trite, but I don't think it is. To be the best you can be, you must know yourself well, and find and pursue what you are both good at and enjoy doing. A problem is that this is not inherently easy. Too many people get stuck in jobs that they do not enjoy and for which they are not well suited. Life is short; strive to have few regrets at the end! I took my colleague's advice and have thoroughly enjoyed my 40-year career as a geologist. Along that road, I have been paid well to do what I love doing.
(Della note: John exudes enjoyment when discussing his work. Over lunch, we chatted about natural disasters and the work being done in those areas. His eyes light up when talking about the challenges of earth sciences. Having a prof like him could make anyone excited about this field.)
But OK, if I have to choose just one, it would be the comment of one of my early professional colleagues while working for the Geological Survey of Canada. He told me that, no matter what you do in life, be passionate about it and have fun. To some, that advice might seem trite, but I don't think it is. To be the best you can be, you must know yourself well, and find and pursue what you are both good at and enjoy doing. A problem is that this is not inherently easy. Too many people get stuck in jobs that they do not enjoy and for which they are not well suited. Life is short; strive to have few regrets at the end! I took my colleague's advice and have thoroughly enjoyed my 40-year career as a geologist. Along that road, I have been paid well to do what I love doing.
(Della note: John exudes enjoyment when discussing his work. Over lunch, we chatted about natural disasters and the work being done in those areas. His eyes light up when talking about the challenges of earth sciences. Having a prof like him could make anyone excited about this field.)
What did not work...
By nature, I wish to engage in public debates over key societal issues. A key example is climate change, a subject that I have expertise in. Looking back over my career, however, I realize my engagement in issues such as this has been constrained by the fact that I believed I must maintain scientific objectivity and a certain clinical detachment. Yet I have learned, as David Suzuki learned long ago, that science alone does not 'carry the day' in debates around such issues. Most people are not responding to the clarion call from scientists that a change in behavior is required to moderate the threat of climate change. This inertia is not because of science, but rather because of human cognitive and behavioral barriers. Ezra Markowitz and Azim Shariff, two psychologists at the University or Oregon identified the key barriers to addressing the threat of climate change: 1) the abstract nature of climate change makes it non-intuitive and difficult to grasp; 2) climate change caused by humans provokes self-defensive biases; 3) the politicization of climate change fosters ideological polarization; unintentional action is viewed as being blameless; 4) uncertainty breeds wishful thinking; and 5) long time horizons and faraway places delay action. It has taken me too long to recognize that scientific knowledge alone does not solve societal problems. I am now pursuing greater engagement on societal issues outside the scientific community.
(Della note: John sent me an article detailing the above psychologists findings. This reinforces my belief that scientists, communicators and marketers must work together to help connect the dots for policy makers, media and the public.)
(Della note: John sent me an article detailing the above psychologists findings. This reinforces my belief that scientists, communicators and marketers must work together to help connect the dots for policy makers, media and the public.)
What if...
What advice would you give to your younger self to enhance your ability to communicate with others – and why?
Even though I excelled as a student and throughout my career as a research scientist with Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), I was uncertain of myself and loathe to take risks. It took me some time to mature (my partner says that, at age 70, I'm still not there, but that's another story!). Over time, however, I realized the positive impact I was having in my professional life and became more confident and more willing to take risks. This came to a head when, after working for 24 years with the GSC and feeling that I was in a rut, I made the decision to quit and start a consulting company - a risky proposition at best! However, before I could get the company off the ground, I learned of an academic opening at Simon Fraser University - the Shrum Chair in Science. The Shrum Chair is a university-endowed chair in the Faculty of Science. I applied and was short-listed for the position, along with two other scientists. To my disappointment, the position was offered to a chemist who was then based on the University of Toronto. Two weeks later, however, I received a phone call that the chemist had declined the offer, and I was next in line. That was the start of an amazing 18-year 'ride' in the Department of Earth Sciences at SFU. I pinch myself when I think how lucky I was to have this fantastic 'second career'.
The point of this story, in the context of advising my younger self, is be more confident and less risk-adverse. e.e. cummings put it this way -- "Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit."
John is a testament to another great e.e. cummings quote - "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." The earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan this past week remind us all of the tragedy that unfolds. The more we can learn about these inevitable disasters, the better. Thank goodness for people like John Clague.
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