Climate change is a complex, pervasive and unprecedented challenge facing all living beings and ecosystems (IPCC, 2022). During MACAL 502 Climate Communications course, I have found that communicating about climate change is as challenging as achieving emissions reduction targets and attaining the necessary adaptation of mindsets, society, and infrastructure. At the very least, I have learnt that providing alarming scientific facts about future events will not spur sufficient action and can cause psychological paralysis, distancing, indifference, or apathy. In addition, and worse, there has been a concentrated, well-funded effort to oppose the science and emissions reduction efforts by those who fear that emissions reduction will impede the growth of their industry (Lewandowsky, 2021; Treen, 2020). If this is not enough of a challenge, different audiences react differently to the information provided and how it is communicated (Hine, 2016). As Howarth et al. (2020) point out, “The choices people make will be guided by government regulations, social practices, and individual decisions, all of which will be shaped by the availability of information and how it is communicated”(p. 320). Fortunately, the science of climate change communications has been developed in a relatively short time and offers insights into what has worked and what might work going forward (Moser, 2016). I am grateful to have been introduced to this body of work that can help me be more effective in my communications. Now, as I write or talk about climate change, I am thinking about the emotions fearful messages create in myself and others, as well as the worldviews and values of the audience, and looking for optimal ways to deliver a message that can effectively motivate positive action.
As I struggle to maintain my sense of hope with the slowness and tepidness of government actions, I have learnt that the perceived lack of action and the complexity of the issue can impact individuals’ willingness (or motivation) to act and increase fear, anxiety, and apathy (Moser, 2016; O’Neill & Nicholson-Cole, 2009). This was brought home to me when I mentioned climate change in a recent conversation with my daughter. She asked why I always talk about climate change, a topic she finds “so depressing”. As a young person, she is not alone in this feeling. A Lancet Medical Journal survey of 10,000 youth on climate anxiety found that 75% think the future is frightening, and 50% felt several negative emotions, including powerlessness and hopelessness (Hickman et al., 2021). In their discussion of the failure of government and those in power to act, the authors are scathing, claiming that “[s]ubjecting young people to climate anxiety and moral injury can be regarded as cruel, inhuman, degrading or even torturous” (Hickman et al., 2021, p. 9). This is also important to consider when delivering climate news. Climate communications researchers found that framing climate change sensationally when communicating with students increased perceptions of risk compared to those reading neutral information (Schuldt et al., 2018). Sensational messages also elicited “stronger negative emotions toward climate change” (Schuldt et al., 2018, p.61). As noted, fearful messages can cause psychological distancing; however, this can be minimized by including a pathway or solution for the audience to deal with the threat (Howarth et al., 2020). I also need to recognize my reaction to fearful or sensational messages as well as the reaction of others so that I can be empathic to the audience and reframe the message to include a pathway forward whenever possible.
Paths forwards can include encouraging audiences to be aware of their mindset. Mary AnnaÏse Heglar’s blog post, Home is Always Worth It (2019), captures her feelings of shock and hopelessness when confronted with bleak and dire proclamations for the future. However, she quite pragmatically points out that we have “no time for nihilism” and that “we can recognize that hopelessness does not mean helplessness”(Heglar, 2019). Similarly, Hannah Richie, in her article Stop Telling Kids They’ll Die From Climate Change notes that she needed a change in mindset (Richie, 2021). She reframes her thinking by acknowledging that the world is slowly moving to lower carbon options and that “we need a new message for climate change … that drives action through optimism” (Richie, 2021). Although I recognize the necessity to acknowledge the feelings of hopelessness, I want to find ways to motivate climate action. To this end, I have looked for ways to include solutions, pathways, and benefits from implementing the solutions in my communications. Thinking about the benefit triangle (Figure 1) has been practical and helpful in achieving this.
Figure 1
Benefit Triangle
Note. The Benefit Triangle is a helpful tool. From: (Bennett, 2021, p. 2).
In Climate Messaging that Works, Bennett et al. (2021) found that when communicating about a challenge, it is effective to connect solutions and benefits with the challenge being communicated. Hence the Benefit Triangle. The authors note that the benefit triangle “allows you to keep things simple amidst all the noise — to connect the dots between what people care about and what can be done” (Bennett et al., 2021, p. 2). The next time the topic of climate change came up between my daughter and me, it was in a conversation about flooding from a local river. I mentioned the municipality’s commitment to restoring the riverbanks as a means of adaptation. This nature-based solution allows nature to provide the infrastructure and many other benefits for the environment instead of a single-purpose retaining wall. This time the message was received with interest. She could see the benefit of this pathway as it improved an essential and valued watershed.
Bennett et al. advise climate communicators to “[h]one in on the benefits of climate action most relevant to audiences by talking about what will improve for their lives … or other things they care about”(p. 3). Taking this to heart, I recently developed the blog post, Nanaimo citizen’s climate action story gallery, which showcased friends and family taking positive climate action measures. The post also incorporated images and audio and was written to assist those with visual impairments and cognitive challenges. Actions featured in the blog ranged from starting a seed library to cycling for transportation to installing heat pumps and solar systems. While the actions reflect the individuals’ interests, ages, and access to capital, each action contributes to emissions reduction, health and well-being and community building. Using narrative was a new and previously untried approach for me. I found that doing the research and writing was a positive personal experience and, to my surprise, gave me hope.
MACAL 502 included readings about Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, which has stretched my thinking, world view and understanding in new and improved ways. Understanding or at least having an inkling of Indigenous knowledge offers an insightful approach to climate change communications and validates my innate connection to nature. Through this learning, I have come to understand that climate change is a symptom of colonialism and capitalism that has separated humans from being connected to nature (Kimmerer, 2013; Whyte, 2017). In writing about the Indigenous Knowledge Keepers who attended the Onjisay Aki International Climate Summit, Cameron et al. (2021) share the Elders’ insights regarding climate change. The Elders at the summit suggested that solving greenhouse gas emissions with technical fixes will not work without going deeper and finding the underlying cause of the problem(Cameron et al., 2021). Understanding the underlying causes resonates with me as a way to understand why those in power and many others are threatened and dismissive of climate action.
The Elders identified the core of the problem as self-centred human values such as greed, arrogance, and domination, which lead to destructive behaviours and actions such as extraction and exploitation (Cameron et al., 2021). Ultimately these actions result in climate change, biodiversity loss and other impacts on the ecosystem. Although these consequences are devastating, the Knowledge Keepers generously offer a way forward that includes “Indigenous peoples reclaim[ing] positions of leadership to help guide humanity in returning to a way of life in balance with the Earth’s limit and laws”( p. 8). We can look at the root cause of climate change as “a deeply human story about the relationality between humans and the planet” (p. 16). As Robin Kimmerer (2013) notes, “we are deluged by information regarding our destruction of the world and hear almost nothing about how to nurture it” (p. 327). Therefore, as a white settler who is sometimes overwhelmed by the grief and magnitude of the climate change message, I can remind myself of the necessity to tell stories with nurturing in mind and look for opportunities to communicate about reconciliation, reconnection with nature and living in reciprocity with the natural environment.
I am grateful for having had the opportunity to delve into the research and science of climate change communications. Studying climate change communications may be a science but applying it is an art. I say this because to be effective I need to understand people’s emotional responses, values and mindsets and appeal to them to consider other ways of seeing or being in the world. I may have intuitively understood some of this in the past, but now I can look to climate change communications science for tools and research to help me be effective. Going forward, I will use the benefit triangle, increase my narrative and storytelling skills, promote a deeper connection to nature and look to the wisdom of the Indigenous peoples. In addition, my future writings will include using message frames, careful use of imagery and icons and maybe other forms of media beyond the blog.
Reference
Bennett, A., Hatch, C.,& Pike, C. (2021). Climate Messaging that Works, Climate Narrative Initiative, Climate Access. https://climateaccess.org/sites/default/files/Climate%20Messaging%20that%20Works%20-%20Talking%20Energy%20Transition%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20Canada.pdf
Cameron, L., Courchene, D., Ijaz, S., & Mauro, I. (2021). ‘A change of heart’: Indigenous perspectives from the Onjisay Aki Summit on climate change. Climatic Change, 164(3), 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03000-8
Heglar, M. A. (2019, September 17). Home is Always Worth It. Medium. https://medium.com/@maryheglar/home-is-always-worth-it-d2821634dcd9
Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: A global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3
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