This summer of disasters has shown us that climate impacts are not political, and it is past time we stopped talking about them as if they were. A flood doesn’t knock on your door and ask who you voted for in the last election before it sweeps your house away, nor does wildfire smoke distinguish between Republicans and Democrats before it chokes the air.
People who raise awareness about climate change know that how you communicate your message matters, and there’s much to learn from them. We surveyed the top organizations and individuals who regularly communicate about climate change across the U.S. and Canada. Almost none said that advocating for candidates or policies was the goal of their work. Their top priority was helping people understand what’s happening and why it matters: we’ve always had heatwaves and droughts, storms, and floods—but the faster the planet warms, the worse these events get.
Climate change is loading the weather dice against us, and its effects are growing. A recent study estimated that deaths caused by extreme heat are vastly under-reported. Air pollution, whether from burning fossil fuels or wildfire smoke, is responsible for a growing list of health impacts, from increased risk of asthma and dementia to premature death. The financial toll of climate change is also on the rise as climate-related expenses, including rising utility bills and insurance premiums, are already adding at least $400 to $900 to yearly household budgets. And as we have seen over the past few years, there are no climate havens: we are all at risk.
Here’s the thing, though: when people connect what’s happening to why it’s happening, their support for all sorts of climate action grows. This fact is true in the U.S., in Canada, and in dozens of other countries too. Why? Because we need solutions at scale that make the easiest, most affordable choice the best choice for the planet and our future. This requires action at every level: individual, community, and corporate action, but also government policy that enables and accelerates the rest.
Even as the impacts from climate change grow, data show that we still aren’t hearing or talking about it enough. Just under half of Canadians and 41% of Americans read or hear about climate change once a week. Only 20% of Americans discuss global warming with family and friends a few times a month or more. And nearly half, 44%, say they never discuss it at all.
Why aren’t we hearing about it more? Why do so many articles about the devastation of the Nepal floods, the soaring costs of home insurance, or the escalating health risks of wildfire smoke fail to make the connection between these issues and climate change?
There are many reasons, but one is the fact that polarized public discourse has made climate conversations more difficult, and even well-meaning efforts to “move climate change up” people’s priority list often fundamentally misrepresent the risks. The reality is that climate change doesn’t need to move up any list; it is already impacting any homeowner’s, farmer’s, teacher’s, or parent’s top concerns. But that connection isn’t always obvious: it needs to be made, again and again.
Given this contraction in public climate conversations, we wanted to learn from those who are still doing climate communication. What’s working, and how can we amplify it? Here’s what we found.
The first and most important lesson is that talking about climate change means talking about everyday life. When we asked climate newsletter writers, podcast hosts, people who regularly post on social media, and those building climate content for non-profits, their response was clear. Their first priority is to connect the climate crisis to other concerns people face: our jobs, our health, the places we love. They don’t set up climate change as a rival to those worries. Instead, they understand that climate change is already shaping the things people worry about. When we connect the dots between what we love and how climate change threatens it, it becomes obvious that nearly all of us have our own reasons to care and act.
The second priority climate communicators identified was shifting public perceptions and norms. And this issue is equally vital. Three years ago, 71% of Canadians and 63% of Americans reported they were worried about climate change. But most people keep their worries to themselves and underestimate how many others share their concerns. When people don't hear their neighbors, coworkers, and friends talking about climate change, they’re less willing to bring it up themselves. Conversely, of everything people can learn about climate change, knowing that others care best predicts whether people speak up. And here's why it matters: if we don't talk about climate change, how will we know who else cares about it—and if we think we're alone in our concern, why would we act?
Climate communicators are not pushing to make this a partisan issue—in fact, only 4% prioritized advocating for elected officials or candidates. Instead, they’re working to inform and educate their audiences about climate action, climate science, risks, and impacts, in hopes of equipping others to talk about climate change themselves.
Climate communication that isn’t polarizing and connects directly to what we already care about is exactly what we need; we just need more of it. Yet only 41% of the communicators surveyed report having received any financial support for their climate communication in the past five years. A third work entirely alone, and two-thirds work either alone or with a small team of ten or fewer colleagues. Even with these limitations, they are producing content and getting the word out: nearly eight-in-ten say they’re publishing content about climate change at least once a week.
We know that climate shocks, like the ones we’ve experienced this summer, open windows of opportunity: people who live through climate change-exacerbated extreme events are more supportive of climate science and climate action and are more civically and politically engaged. On this warming planet, we all need to learn from what the few who are talking about climate change are already doing. Research has shown that friends and family are trusted messengers who can initiate a pro-climate conversation loop. We all need to become climate communicators and stop letting those who want to delay climate action as long as possible polarize it and silence us.
To care about climate change today, one doesn’t need to be anything other than a human being living on planet Earth. And when we stop talking about climate change like it’s a political issue and start talking about it as a shared challenge that we all need to work together to solve, that’s when we’ll finally be able to start talking about saving ourselves.
