S1 E8: How do we move forward?

S1 E8: What can one person do about the climate crisis? 

It’s a question that’s nagged Christina from the beginning of this podcast, and one she seeks to answer in the final episode of our series. With seven episodes under her belt, she wants to know how she can put all of these learnings into practice in her own life, and perhaps most importantly, how to share everything she’s picked up with the people around her.

She finds out that all this “talking about it” is actually a pretty big deal. Dr. Katharine Wilkinson and Professor Sarah Jaquette Ray make the case for having these climate conversations. So, Christina sets out to understand what climate communication is all about. What’s the best way to talk about all of this? And, will anyone even listen? 

Susi Moser, climate change communicator and researcher, shares tangible ways we can all start talking about climate change today -- in ways that will engage and motivate others. It turns out that these seemingly small nudges can make a profound difference.

Highlights:

• What are climate change deniers up to these days? (4:01)
• This could be the number one thing we can all do to fight climate change (5:31)
• What actually makes people change their minds? (6:42)
• Trustworthy messengers make all the difference (8:38)
• Lessons we can learn from climate change communicators (9:37)
• Balancing hope and reality (11:35)
• Three steps to start climate conversations in your own life (14:46)
• What it really means to “do our part” (26:06)

Terminology:

• Climate denial
• Climate change communication
• Information deficit model

Resources:

• The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it
• Learn more about climate change knowledge and attitudes from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
• Climate Engagement and Activism (Pew Research Center)
• Find more of Susi Moser’s work here.
• Listen next: Our 6 Favorite Podcasts Inspiring Climate Activism
• Read next: 7 great sources for staying up to date on climate change