How to Have a Conversation about Climate Change

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Less than 40% of Americans admit to talking about climate change with other people.

Nearly 70% of all Americans recognize that global warming is happening, yet less than 40% admit to having conversations about it with other people. There’s a reason for the silence: it’s an uncomfortable topic that can be very divisive. However, it is something that needs to be discussed. A study by Goldberg et al. (2019) found that talking to friends and family about climate change encourages them to engage more with the issue. People in your social circles are also more likely to listen to you than people on TV or social media because they have a relationship with you. 

Going into a conversation with someone in your life who might not recognize the importance or impact of climate change can be hard. To make it easier, make a plan. 

Step One: Dig Deep
Before you start thinking about what you’ll say or who you’ll talk with, take some time to think about why climate change matters to you. Identify any emotions or thoughts that come to you when you think about climate change. This will help you explain where you’re coming from during a conversation about climate change.

Step Two: Focus on Your Audience
If it’s your first conversation about climate change, start with someone with whom you feel comfortable talking and potentially disagreeing. Then, work up to other people in your life who may be more vocal or have more separated viewpoints.

Step Three: Keep it Natural
Instead of forcing a conversation, try to work climate change into conversations you already have with people. This could include linking climate change to topics like health, food, politics, travel, and more. Climate change impacts every facet of life and making these connections can help you and others start thinking about many of these intersections. 

Step Four: Be Realistic
Don’t go into a conversation expecting to completely change someone else’s mind about climate change. Smaller goals like opening them up to have a conversation in the first place is a great first step. Complete agreement is not necessarily the end goal for this first conversation. Baby steps.

Step Five: Start Small
Instead of jumping into the statistics and projections of climate change, start with simple questions. Ask the other person “What do you know about climate change?” to gauge where they are at. Work up to questions like “What do you think can be done to combat climate change” and “What can you do to combat climate change?”

Step Six: Be a Good Audience
Don’t immediately respond to what they say, especially if you don’t agree. Instead, try to understand their point of view by asking active listening questions like “Can you tell me more about that?” or  “Can you explain why you feel that way?”

Step Seven: Make Your POV Personal
When it’s your time to speak, personalize your explanation. One way to do this is to share your climate story. A climate story describes your firsthand experience with climate change. This could include increased frequency of extreme weather events in your community, climate vulnerability, or your own fears about climate change. Studies have shown that our brains are more engaged with stories than factual evidence. 

Step Eight: Walk Away with Respect
Finally, be okay with not reaching a resolution. Disagreements are okay and often necessary. One of the best ways to break through this divisive issue is to start talking about it. Additionally, sometimes these conversations plant seeds of curiosity in other people’s minds. Just because you might not see an immediate resolution doesn’t mean that these conversations have no impact!

Step Nine: Onward!
Don’t stop with one conversation or with the topic of climate change. Keep challenging yourself and the people around you by connecting environmental issues to social ones. As you get more comfortable having these conversations, start talking to people you might not have approached previously. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! 

Many people are concerned about climate change and the disproportionate effects it brings. Although this topic can be scary, we must prioritize talking about it with each other.