Making Climate Hot: Making Climate Hot: Communication Strategies for Climate Communication Strategies for Climate
ChangeChange
Susanne Moser, Ph.D.Susanne Moser, Ph.D.
National Center for Atmospheric National Center for Atmospheric ResearchResearch
Boulder, COBoulder, CO
Climate Change Forum | San Diego Natural History Museum | November 16, 2004
Let’s talk about climate Let’s talk about climate change!change!
““Communities are groups of people Communities are groups of people communicating…”communicating…” Bill McDonoughBill McDonough
Does anyone care?Does anyone care? ~90% of American public is aware of “global ~90% of American public is aware of “global
warming”warming” For ~30% it is personally serious, urgent, worth For ~30% it is personally serious, urgent, worth
worrying aboutworrying about Still confusion about causes of global warmingStill confusion about causes of global warming Global warming seen as inevitable and unfixableGlobal warming seen as inevitable and unfixable Related to irreversible deterioration of moral valuesRelated to irreversible deterioration of moral values Few know about solutions; most are believed to be Few know about solutions; most are believed to be
ineffective or irrelevantineffective or irrelevant We know little about what people think of adaptationWe know little about what people think of adaptation
““The typical global warming The typical global warming news story overwhelms and news story overwhelms and immobilizes people.”immobilizes people.”
(Frameworks Institute 2003)(Frameworks Institute 2003)
Why do we “not care”?Why do we “not care”? Creeping nature of climate Creeping nature of climate
changechange Complexity and uncertaintyComplexity and uncertainty System lags and lack of System lags and lack of
immediacyimmediacy Human perception limits Human perception limits
and prioritiesand priorities Communication failuresCommunication failures
– Media channels and practicesMedia channels and practices– Failure to explain causes, Failure to explain causes,
solutionssolutions– Bad choice of frames, wrong Bad choice of frames, wrong
mental modelsmental models– Active efforts to distort science Active efforts to distort science
=> polarized debate=> polarized debate
So where are we now?So where are we now?
Climate change is viewed asClimate change is viewed as– uninteresting and irrelevantuninteresting and irrelevant– uncertain, controversial, far off uncertain, controversial, far off
in the future in the future– overwhelmingoverwhelming– unsolvable (at least personally)unsolvable (at least personally)– not urgent like terrorism, economy, not urgent like terrorism, economy,
health care, or educationhealth care, or education
How can we make climate How can we make climate change more salient?change more salient?
Make the problem more Make the problem more scary?scary?
Make us feel more guilty?Make us feel more guilty?
There are better There are better alternatives!alternatives!
Abide by basic Abide by basic communication rulescommunication rules
Address the emotional and Address the emotional and temporal dimensions of temporal dimensions of “urgency”“urgency”
Increase the Increase the persuasiveness of the persuasiveness of the messagemessage
Use trusted messengers, Use trusted messengers, broaden the circlebroaden the circle
Use opportunities wellUse opportunities well Tap into individual and Tap into individual and
cultural strengths and cultural strengths and valuesvalues
Unite and conquerUnite and conquer
400
It will take a long breathIt will take a long breath
Communication legacies Communication legacies of the pastof the past
Ups and downs of issue Ups and downs of issue cyclescycles
Conundrum: when Conundrum: when governments take charge, governments take charge, public concern declinespublic concern declines
Strategies for the long haulStrategies for the long haul Connect climate change to Connect climate change to
issues for which we feel issues for which we feel abiding concern and abiding concern and personal responsibilitypersonal responsibility
Facilitate internalizing Facilitate internalizing motivation to act greenmotivation to act green
Measuring success as pats Measuring success as pats on our collective backson our collective backs
Define a vision of a “better Define a vision of a “better future” future”
Which future?Which future?
““The future may well be decided by The future may well be decided by the images of the future with the the images of the future with the greatest power to capture our greatest power to capture our imaginations and draw us to them, imaginations and draw us to them, becoming self-fulfilling prophecies.”becoming self-fulfilling prophecies.”
adapted from:adapted from:
Historian Frederik Polak (1973)Historian Frederik Polak (1973)
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