How
to talk about climate change
From books to magazine articles to documentaries, U.S. media embraced
global warming in 2007. Yet according to geographer Susanne Moser and
biologist Lisa Dilling, the message hasn’t yet mobilized the
masses. With support from NSF and the MacArthur Foundation, Moser (NCAR)
and Dilling (University of Colorado) organized a 2004 workshop on communication
and climate change that brought together more than 40 experts. Out
of that workshop grew the 2007 book Creating a Climate for Change,
a compilation of relevant research and best practices edited by Moser
and Dilling. Among the communication problems they identify: using
fear as a motivator, and assuming that people would be moved to act
if only they understood climate science more clearly. “Fear-
and guilt-based appeals can make people resentful or even apathetic,” Moser
says. Moreover, she adds, increased knowledge doesn’t necessarily
spur action. “We need to offer pragmatic solutions, broaden the
range of messengers, and find a new way forward that engages and empowers
the public.”
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Suzanne Moser |
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