Theres about 6 inches of fresh white snow on my balcony today where my sit spot is. Anything that was visible before is covered in a blanket of white. Theres a magpie sized indentation in the middle of the untouched snow where the bird perhaps touched down for a moment and then promptly flew off. Like the bird I also am reluctant to sit in the snow. It feels like the snow came later this year than it has in the past, I’m tempted to research and confirm my suspicion but decided not to as I remind myself that this is the weather, and weather does not discern climate. The snow is soft and soothing looking, a momentary clean slate to mark the start of a new season, kind of like the first blank page in a book.
Theres an overwhelming amount of research, knowledge, theories and history in the practice of narrative storytelling. Particularly in regards to climate change, which is a relatively new protagonist- or antagonist (depending on your view) to write about. Sundin (2018) discusses the use of narrative storytelling as an additional tool to help translate scientific knowledge in a more relatable and memorable context, along with traditional communication forms. Michael Segal points out how the story of climate change is wide ranging- and often emotionally loaded in various regards, with many individuals emphasizing differing aspects of the conversation. And Hinyard & Kreuter (2007) pose that along with characters, plot, and conflict that resolution is a key component of narratives. Which makes me wonder how can we utilize narratives in climate action without knowing the end, the solution, the happily ever after? And if it is a happily ever after would this be solarpunk, or perhaps hopepunk (Hull, 2019).
“Both dystopian and utopian narratives have their own rationales and evidentiary support, and there’s no doubt that climate change presents a real and severe danger. But in the public realm, these types of narratives also have a tendency to be useless. They leave the public spectating a stalled debate between extremes and generate ample motivation to check out.” (Segal, 2019)
The Alberta Narratives Project presents a very tangible collection of examples that show how the story of climate change is perceived and communicated where I live. The project showcases how valuable framing climate conversations in an identifiable, appreciative and straightforward way is, and how technical, divisive snd “absolutes” are often received negatively (Corner et al., 2018). It appears there is a recognized balance that is more relatable, and challenge oriented that focus groups narrowed in on. This type of dialogue is very important in Alberta to help bridge the gap between oil and green energy, or economy vs environmentalism which is often the perceived debate when climate change comes up. Rather than focusing on doom or gloom, maybe it’s best to just read the room?
References
Corner, A., Clarke, J., and Marshall, G. (2018). Communicating the Canadian clean energy transition: Principles and case studies for effective public engagement on energy and climate change. Ivey Foundation. http://albertanarrativesproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ANP-Report-I-Final-Online.pdf
Hinyard, L. J., & Kreuter, M. W. (2007). Using narrative communication as a tool for health behavior change: a conceptual, theoretical, and empirical overview. Health Education & Behavior, 34(5), 777-792. (15 pages) https://go.openathens.net/redirector/royalroads.ca?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.sagepub.com%2Fdoi%2Fabs%2F10.1177%2F1090198106291963
Hull, A. (2019). Hopepunk and solarpunk: On climate narratives that go beyond the apocalypse. LitHub. https://lithub.com/hopepunk-and-solarpunk-on-climate-narratives-that-go-beyond-the-apocalypse/
Segel, M. (2019). To fix the climate movement, tell better stories: The missing climate change narrative. Nautilus. http://nautil.us/issue/75/story/to-fix-the-climate-tell-better-stories-rp
Sundin, A. Andersson, K., & Watt, R. (2018). Rethinking communication: integrating storytelling for increasing stakeholder engagement in environmental evidence synthesis. Environmental Evidence 7(6), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-018-0116-4
Thanks for this Ali. One of the things that comes to mind from your final question is that sometimes it can be difficult to read the room, or that the room has been influenced by really powerful storytellers. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t read the room (or try to), but what do we do when we aren’t taken seriously? Not that I expect you to answer that, it’s just what came from your final question!
I think you’re right that we need to understand our audiences as best as we can to actually meet them where they are. In thinking about using hope or solar punk angles or frames for a maybe climate skeptical audience, how would you do that? What would the stories look like for that group? What frames would you draw upon?