A recent UN report has bleak news on climate change. Our planet is soon going to pass the safe temperature threshold of 1.5 C degrees of warming set by the 2015 Paris Climate Accords. Our long time dependence on burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and methane has caused an unstoppable increase in extreme weather events that we see more and more often in our daily lives. On September 13, seven inches of rain were dumped on Fairfield County causing extensive flooding, in what Governor Lamont described as a “rain bomb.”

Many of us, and that means thousands of Sierra Club members and supporters, do what we can. And we continue to ask what more we can do to stop, or at least slow, the catastrophic future we are facing. One of the most important things we CAN do, is to talk about climate change. 

Awareness is growing, as reflected in recent political polling indicating that more voters are likely to vote for a candidate who prioritizes a green planet and clean energy policies. Yet, there are still many who don’t acknowledge the crisis we are in or are feeling hopeless to make a difference.

Yale Climate Connections (YCC) has conducted extensive research into how to reach people with this vital message: We can still make a difference. Every tenth of a degree that we can prevent, or draw down, from the warming of the Earth, will make a significant difference to the impacts of climate change. It is crucial that we work together to spread this message of hope. And there are some important things to remember when you do that.

Many people hesitate to talk about climate change. It can be controversial in some company, or could be a downer in a social context. You don’t want to trigger hostility or ridicule—I know I don’t!

But talking about it is powerful. A majority of Americans are concerned about climate change, and a small minority are very loud climate deniers. How do we reach the rest?  We may need to talk about it in a different way.

If you are leading by example, by driving an EV or installing a heat pump in your home, talk about it. I have found that people are interested and often have questions about how to do it themselves.

Find an interesting angle—don’t just repeat the basic headlines. You can make the connection by discussing local impacts of climate change, such as flooding, heat waves, or air quality.

Meet people where they are. Listen carefully to what the others are saying. Often a subject comes up that you can add to with new and interesting information related to climate change. If it’s a topic they care about, your information will have an impact. For example, a friend is talking about their road trip this summer. You ask for more details, listen, then add your experience on a road trip in your EV. Or a conversation involving invasive plants or Lyme disease in pets could include the impacts climate warming is having on plants and insect/disease zones. 

Know your facts. Here’s a great resource for questions you may get.

Facts are good, stories are better. People remember stories. 

Do you have a story about an experience in extreme weather? How did your community work together during a weeklong power outage? Did that motivate you to add solar to your roof? Can you add a little humor or fun details like cooking on a camp stove?

Here are some resources on storytelling in climate communications.

Talking about climate change with a like-minded friend or other Sierra Club members is a great way to refine your messaging. There is a lot of misinformation out there about climate change and other environmental issues. You can use role-playing to practice some of these tips.

Next month Part 2 will address combatting misinformation in more detail.

Susan Eastwood is Chair of Sierra Club Connecticut’s Communications Committee.