How do we talk about climate change?

Talking about climate change is the most important thing we can do. It’s also the hardest.

“Even though more than 7 in 10 Americans believe climate change is happening, and 6 in 10 are worried about it, two-thirds of Americans rarely, if ever, talk about climate change with the people they care about,” according to the Nature Conservancy.

There are some common reasons for our silence. We don’t think we know enough, climate change is frightening, we don’t know what to do, and - let’s face it - it’s awkward. No one wants climate change to be true. Yet, as it’s happening faster than expected, talking raises the awareness needed to collectively respond.

So how do we talk about it? While there’s clearly no formula, here are some tips that might help:

1) Start with the heart. Why does climate change matter to you? There are no right or wrong answers to this question. What matters is getting to our values, as climate change impacts most of them. The focus can be on protecting what we cherish.

Kids are a great motivator, as many people tend to care about their futures. As courage generally comes from serving others, kids provide a great incentive to think about what kind of world we want to leave behind.

2) Remember that having a conversation means participating with active, attentive listening. It also requires exercising tolerance in any disagreement. Listen simply to learn more about the other person and to hear how climate change impacts them.

3) Meet people where they are. Come at it from a place of curiosity and ask questions. What do you not understand? Getting a clear grasp on your questions is a solid first step to finding answers. We cannot solve a crisis we can’t name or don’t understand.

4) Make it personal. Go back to what you care about. Climate change is likely already affecting your life somehow, so share your stories to communicate that impact.

5) Balance hope and fear. Fear is short-lived and does not motivate people. We need rational hope that comes from a vision of a better future. That future might be one of abundant clean energy, a stable economy, and a society where resources are available for all. Action only follows hope and we all need to believe that we can make a difference.

6) Get lots of practice. With repetition, we can shift our thinking to our community, and especially to our kids -- the ones who will live with climate change the most. These conversations have to be genuine, so if you don't know what to say, listen to the other person first. You both will get experience talking about it.

In her book Hope, Jane Goodall says that often we don’t know what to do, and certainly not how to do it, yet we know that not doing anything isn’t an option. As far as climate change goes, step one is talking about it.

There are guides to help. The Nature Conservancy has one called “Let’s Talk Climate” and Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and devout Christian, hosts a TED talk called “The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: Talk about it.” Her book, Saving Us, is available for checkout at the Choteau/Teton Public Library.

Bill McKibben, a climate advocate who recently spoke in Bozeman, defines climate change as the “biggest problem the world’s ever faced.” He questioned if our large brains will be effective enough to respond.

“My intuition is that the real answer to that question depends on the size of the heart that the brain is attached to,” he said, advocating for hearts big enough to accomplish all that we can in the time we have.

To provide you with support, in forthcoming articles we’ll share what others are doing plus offer ideas for action.

Twenty Questions is a series by Heidi Harting-Rex, a Choteau resident and avid climate change reader.
http://www.twentyccquestions.com/

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