An activist’s guide to tricky climate conversations

You’re trying to talk to people about climate change and they just sit there blankly. Or worse, start laughing or shaking their head. How frustrating is that? We’re talking about our shared future here, and that of the planet. It can be upsetting to feel that some people don’t seem to care about climate change.

There are various reasons behind these attitudes. Maybe they don’t know enough about the risks to care, or they don’t know what they can do about it, or they're climate deniers - they just don’t believe it’s happening, despite the evidence all around us.

Sometimes, this paralysis is rooted in fear - perhaps of lifestyle or behavioural change - or it's simply a head-in-sand response because modern life is overwhelming enough as it is.

Climate activists at organisations such as the Climate Council,  Altiorem and The Sunrise Project have done a lot of research into attitudes and feelings around climate change, and found that there are ways to unlock this impasse and have effective conversations around the topic.  

Here are a few research-backed tips that can improve the outcomes of your climate conversations both online and in person, and encourage more people to take action to reduce emissions – including switching to investments that screen out fossil fuel companies.

DON’T: Start with data

There is plenty of data that tracks global temperatures (from organisations including NASA and the United Nations) and research that predicts about how it will affect us (like these from CSIRO).  

Unfortunately, using facts to drive your conversation doesn't always work. We live in an era of information overload - anyone can claim anything, anywhere; and for every solid piece of data you present, someone will find a conspiracy theory or misinformation campaign presenting alternative evidence.

People often look for evidence that supports their existing viewpoint, which is readily available. You can find 'evidence' to 'prove' the Earth is flat or that it’s run by lizard overlords, if you go looking for it. This is known as confirmation bias. It can form a feedback loop that actually drives down climate concern, creating a battleground when it comes to climate conversation.

There’s ample science to support your discussions around climate – but that shouldn’t necessarily be the first tool out of your toolkit.

DO: Talk their language

The way we talk and the language we use is our most powerful tool for engaging people. This starts with listening. Get a feel for the other person’s attitudes and concerns. What convinces one person will put another person off. Research finds that your average ‘middle-ground’ demographic will be turned off by moral and environmental framing, so using these arguments is likely to send them backwards. However, they do care about jobs, families, safety and continuity – which are also at risk from climate change. So when discussing renewables with them for example, focus on the benefits in terms of jobs, progress, pollution and growth rather than climate obligations, and we’re likely to find a warmer audience here.

If someone’s concerned about job losses, share their concern; something like: “yep, absolutely – jobs can be hard to find in regional areas. Imagine the difference that investment in the clean energy industry could make... they’re having to train people up because the skills are so in demand.”

Acknowledge the other person’s points, and build on them. Avoid the word ‘but’ – instead, try a ‘yes, and…’. Remaining open, calm and approachable will keep the conversation flowing.

DON’T: Roll out the polar bears

Stark warnings about a distant future, or images of hungry polar bears, power plant smokestacks, even bleached coral reefs, can feel like distant, remote issues that don’t reflect what people experience in their everyday life. Many people struggle to connect with things that happen on other continents or in other times.

Of course, when climate change directly affects us with bushfire, catastrophic floods, droughts and wild storms, we do see a rise in climate concern and anxiety among those who are impacted. According to the Climate Council, three-quarters (78%) of Australians are now worried about climate change, with about half of Australians very or fairly worried. Empowering this demographic to take simple, positive action can improve outcomes not only for the climate, but for their mental health.

DO: Bridge the political divide

Although it’s scientific fact, climate change is widely presented as a political issue, and individuals’ political affiliations can drive attitudes towards it. Tailoring your message in a way that speaks to their political values is a good way to build bridges across an ideological divide.

Be open and respectful of divergent political viewpoints. Keep your own words as apolitical as possible, focusing on what individuals, businesses, money and policies can do to solve the problem rather than any particular party. Economic considerations are one of the biggest political footballs around climate commitments, so focus on the sizable economic benefits of climate action: a low-carbon economy in Australia would cut energy costs, and add $680 billion in economic growth and 250,000 new jobs by 2070. Climate change is a shared problem, regardless of who we vote for or which tribe we align to.

DON’T: Be a doom-monger

The climate crisis is urgent, and governments and societies aren’t responding fast enough. But communicating this urgency can be hard. Middle-ground people are shown to be put off by disaster framing – they don’t want to hear about impending environmental cataclysm, or tipping points, or rising sea levels, which present an abstract threat to their world view. How about presenting climate solutions as economic growth opportunities delivering short-term benefits at a local level? Focus on the positives – for example how Australia is a world leader in cutting energy bills with solar, how clean energy opens up job opportunities in regional Australia, or the growth of your Future Super!

DO: Paint a picture

Again, when you’re describing something or sharing an image, think about how to connect to people’s lived experience. Stuff like using words such as ‘pollution’ (which people can see) rather than ‘emissions’ (which you can’t). Refer to nature and local landscapes instead of the environment or ecosystems, and local bushfires rather than an overheating world. You get the picture. Put them into it.

Some studies have found that avoiding adjectives (‘unavoidable, catastrophic, amazing, massive’) is also a good shout because they feel can subjective and dramatic. If you’re sharing images, include people in them and look for something that conveys the direct impact of climate change on Australia’s families and businesses.

Engaging other people in positive conversations is a powerful tool to swing more weight behind the climate movement. People have power; they just need to know how to use it.

Taking action on emissions doesn’t have to be complicated – it can be as easy as joining a fund that screens out fossil fuels companies, like Future Super, which takes five minutes! Boom!

See futuresuper.com.au/how-we-invest/ for information about our screening and investment processes, and what we mean by fossil fuel companies and investments.