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 persuasiveness Increase the persuasiveness of the message of the message

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

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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)