https://isabelledrury.substack.com/p/how-to-talk-about-climate-change
Photo by Rene Asmussen
2023 has been the most intense year of the climate crisis yet; we had the hottest month (and summer) on record, we teetered the 1.5C warming limit, we saw the skies of New York turn bright orange from wildfire smoke and flooding across Europe and Africa. The list is ever-growing and endless.
And whether your family is full of reusable-mug-toting tree huggers, or gas-guzzling truck-lovers, it’s a topic that is inevitably going to come up during the festive period. So, how do you talk about the climate crisis and still remain semi-civil with your loved ones? Let’s take a look.
I’d like to start by noting, you don’t have to talk about climate change.
Yes, it’s important to make people aware of the changing climate. Yes, we have a duty to spread the message of the crisis. But you don’t have to talk about it all the time. You don’t have to ruin family relationships over it. You don’t have to talk about it this year if you don’t feel able.
The last year–the last few years–have been tough, if you need a restful month then don’t feel pressured to talk about the big, fat, burning elephant in the room.
Because this isn’t an easy conversation to have. Talking about climate change with no forethought often feels like handing someone a ticking time bomb and saying “Have fun with that!” and looking away as it explodes in their lap.
And that’s if they even believe you. I am stuck with “Younger Sister” or “Baby Of The House” syndrome and sometimes, however hard I try, however much I explain that this stuff is literally my job, half of my family still thinks I have no idea what I’m talking about.
Educating your family and friends on the issues of the world is not your sole responsibility. It’s hard to talk about this stuff. It’s heavy, it’s uncomfortable, it’s weird. Especially if you come from a family that refuses to talk about Bad Things. If I tried to bring up climate change at my dinner table I would be shut down instantly.
Honestly? Sometimes it’s not worth the aggravation. Don’t ruin your holidays just to have this conversation. There’s an entire year to nudge your family in the right direction if you decide to take a pass this time.
I understand the importance of facts–I even started this article with some statistics–but please when it comes to climate change leave ‘em out.
There’s a myth in the climate space that if people only knew the truth about climate change, and knew how real its effects were, then we would all suddenly jump into action. But I do not know a person on this planet who could read a fact stating “Emissions must drop 7.6 per cent per year from 2020 to 2030 to keep temperatures from exceeding 1.5°C”, and think to themselves, “Oh crap, we have to do something about this!” and then immediately do something about it. Most likely, you’re going to read the statistics, think “shit” and then shut your laptop and eat your dinner.
Sure, there are some people who are quick to act. For example, I know a few people who went vegan immediately after watching a documentary about animal welfare. But with an issue as large and complex as climate change, it’s effectively impossible to live in modern society without an environmental footprint, you can’t immediately jump to action.
Even if you were to buy land and live off it completely, with no outside interventions, it’s going to take a while to get your crops ready to eat, there’s still a huge gap between you learning about the information and living entirely ‘sustainably’.
Lean on the science if you believe they’ll be effective, but personally, when I read statistics like “1 million species are currently on the brink of extinction” my eyes glaze over and my brain turns off. I can’t even comprehend the fact that there are a million species on this planet, let alone that they’re dying off at an alarming rate.
There are times when we need a handful of scientific arguments in our toolkit to combat ridiculous climate change arguments we may come across–“No, Auntie Jean, wildfires are not caused by lasers from alien spaceships”–but for the average person, I don’t believe you’re going to be stuck arguing on the data, statistics don’t move people to action, people are not going to be frightened into caring.
Talking more about climate change won’t drive results. Talking about the immediate benefits of climate change does. As long as normal routines continue, sceptics won’t be persuaded to take meaningful action. But if we bring their attention to issues happening outside of their front door, then it shifts the attention away from the hypothetical effects and makes the issue impossible to deny.
By focusing on the immediate, the qualitative, and the beautiful, we don’t have to equate environmentalism with science and institutional authority. If we awaken everyone’s ecological consciousness by appealing to them on a human level, we can make everyone care about climate change.
There is definitely a class issue when it comes to the climate crisis–and I’m not simply talking about how the lowest earners are expected to be the most affected by the changes.
What I mean is that climate change isn’t very high up on your list when you’re struggling to pay your energy bills or can’t afford to put dinner on the table–nor should it be. When all you can afford is plastic-wrapped, processed food from super-low-priced supermarkets, you’re not going to be thinking about packaging waste or food miles, are ya?
Instead, here it’s essential to connect more on real-world issues. Rather than promoting community gardening as a tool to reduce carbon-intensive imports, frame it as an incredible way to access low-cost healthy food that can build resilience and connect you with others in your local area.
The changing climate affects almost everything we care about–our health, our families’ health, our community’s prosperity, and so on–by talking about the stuff you have in common, it is much easier to discuss what can be done, and what is being done, to fix things.
When we keep it local, we might find our perspectives suddenly shift. When you can see the impacts of climate change here and now it becomes a lot easier to start caring about it. Doing so will make inspiring action a lot simpler.
There should be no barriers to acting in ways that heal the planet. To care about climate change, you simply need to be a human being who lives on Earth and wants a better future. Unsurprisingly, that person is you, as well as everyone else you know.
I think we’re all (un)lucky enough to have a few climate deniers in our friends or family sphere. From phrases like “I’m just an individual, what can *I* do” and “We should be worried about China’s emissions more than our own!” all the way to “The earth is NATURALLY warming, actually” or “It’s the volcanoes’ fault”. You might even have a family member particularly concerned about the government taking away their woodburning stove or fiddling with their thermostat.
We’re all deniers in our own way, but if you’re dealing with stringent deniers, there are a few ways to get around their blockades.
In her book Saving Us,
Katharine Hayhoe explores how, when it comes to climate change, often the fear of solutions outweighs their fear of the impacts. “Even people who agree that climate is changing due to human causes still see the impacts as distant and far off. But that’s only half the problem. The other half is that they view the threat from potential climate solutions as imminent. They believe government’s and society’s attempts to address climate change will decrease their quality of life, pummel the economy, and compromise their personal rights.”
So what can you do about this?
Katharine shares many many incredible examples in her book of ways she helps move deniers to action. Notice I didn’t say change their mind there, her work isn’t always about forcing people to have the same opinions as her. Instead, it’s about connecting on the issues people care about the most and making them see the problem from a different perspective.
One of her stories discusses using faith and religion to help people create connections around their stewardship of the planet. Another includes leaving climate change out of the conversation altogether and relating with super-conservative Texans on their water issues, and things that can be done about it.
We need everyone involved to reduce our impacts on this Earth, and this isn’t going to happen if only atheist, middle-class, left-leaning individuals are allowed to take action. We need the Christians, the Buddhists, the Pagans, the old, the young, the city folk, and country dwellers, too,
We have somehow created a culture where if an organisation isn’t completely aligned with your values or a person doesn’t share the exact same political opinion as you, then they are wrong and you should avoid associating yourselves with them.
This is wild, it’s inaccurate, and it’s holding us back. As Terry Lepage wrote, “I am formed by unjust systems and embedded in unjust systems; there is nowhere for me to stand free from participating in oppression.” There is no one right answer, politically, socially, or economically to the issues we find ourselves in today. Sometimes we have to make do the best we can with the system we’ve got and the people around us.
In reality, if your family are hard-hitting conservatives and you’re within the Green Party’s top 10% of supporters, but you both agree that the effects of a warming climate are real, then you’ve got to put politics aside and connect on the issues that matter most.
If you disagree about the realities of climate change, but both agree soil erosion is a big issue, then you can put your heads together to bug your MP/government officials or promote alternative forms of farming in your local areas.
Activist Loretta J. Ross advised if you share about 50% of someone’s agenda and values you are wise to set the rest aside and work with them on common ground.
Whether or not to tell children about climate change is a hot topic. I am childless myself, and my oldest niece is only 5 years old, so I can’t say I have tons of experience in this area. But as a former child, I can say I believe kids intuitively know what’s going on, even if you don’t think they do.
Don’t go tell your kid the world is ending. Don’t ruin their childhood. On occasion, let loose and gift them the new toys or clothes their friends are raving about. But also try to embed within that them that their worth is not found in wealth, status, or power. And please don’t tell them they are responsible for saving the world.
Terry Lepage has a great chapter on this from a post-doom perspective in her book Eye Of The Storm, she writes “Notice what your child fears and tread lightly. Teach them tools for relieving fears, without expecting immediate results. Notice how they find strength and courage. Lift those skills up for them. Allow them to dream. And don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. ‘I don’t know what will happen, But we’ll get through it together. I’ll be here for you.’”
From all the conversations I’ve had about the changing climate, I think the best piece of advice I could give you is aim to inspire.
What activities or solutions would the person you’re talking to get excited about? What climate-adjacent event can you invite your friend or family member to which they would flourish in? Can you connect on a racial or gender issue where it intersects with climate change? Can you knit or crochet warming stripes together?
No one is going to engage with you if you sit at the dinner table and tell your friends and family that we’re all gonna die. But If we can lead these conversations with empathy, connect deeply with people on their most pressing concerns, and spark inspiration and positive action, we will find ourselves in a much more resilient place to take on the issues of our world.
We are the guardians of our own future, we are the stewards of our Earth. If we inspire each other and work together to heal the planet, we can save ourselves.
P.S. If you enjoy my writing, you can buy me a coffee to fuel my work.
