There are so many resources to read about climate communications. And not just ‘read’ but listen to and watch as well. Where do you begin?
We’ve gathered three of our favourite resources to help you dive in, going from the classic, to the serious, to the hopeful. If you want to jump start your climate action reading, these resources are a great way to begin.
1. Don’t even think about it: why our brains are wired to ignore climate change
✅ Why we like it: This is a classic published in 2015 by Climate Outreach founder George Marshall. It really delves into the psychological barriers that are hampering our ability to take more action.
Description: What is the psychological mechanism that allows us to know climate change is true but act as if it is not? George Marshall’s search for the answers brings him face to face with psychologists and Texas Tea Party activists; leading climate scientists and those who denounce them; liberal environmentalists and conservative evangelicals. He discovers that our values, assumptions, and prejudices can take on lives of their own, gaining authority as they are shared, dividing people in their wake.
We’re fascinated by how the brain absorbs and uses climate knowledge. Check out more ‘brain and psychology’ resources here.
2. Communicating the climate crisis
✅ Why we like it: This is a comprehensive overview of the different issues and best practices of climate communications – a serious resource that helps to describe how to move people to climate action. And that’s what we’re all about at the Hub!
Description: A lot of communication about climate change gets it right about the risk and possible negative scenarios, but wrong about how we try to accomplish the critical goal of not just raising public concern, but moving people to action. This online guide shines a light on the challenges and barriers in climate communications while providing some key lessons and pointers to help better communicate the climate crisis.
We’re convinced that the climate crisis is, in part, a communications crisis, and that communication can foster climate action. Check out more climate action resources here.
3. Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
✅ Why we like it: This is a more upbeat read that delves into the need to connect with people on a human level to talk more about climate change. The writer is one of the most prominent climate scientists turned communicators.
Description: In Saving Us, Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. We need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and personal stories, Hayhoe shows that small conversations can have astonishing results. Saving Us leaves us with the tools to open a dialogue with your loved ones about how we all can play a role in pushing forward for change.
It’s not all doom and gloom. We need to share messages of positivity about the world we can create. Click here to read more resources about hope.