This website and blog is designed to inspire people like me, who already understand that it is society’s overuse of fossil fuels that is leading to climate change, to take effective action. However we probably all know a few people who for whatever reason don’t understand or believe the problem or its urgency. So here are a few good links to some sites that will give you some great points to argue with your climate-change disbelieving friends, and a few other ideas to motivate and inspire even your slackest climate-change believing friends to act!!
Skeptical Science lists climate myths sorted by taxonomy.
The DeSmogBlog research database is very useful if you want to know if someone is a reliable source on climate change.
Here is a great article which talks about some important research that was done recently in which some of the best known climate change denying research was replicated to test it. Let’s just say that none of it did very well. One of the authors, Katharine Hayhoe has a very engaging and informative facebook page which I also highly recommend for general information on CC.
One other side of the debate to consider is people preaching doom and gloom without necessarily having the credentials. One examples is Guy McPherson who argues that human extinction due to climate change may happen in the not too distant future, say 10 years time! A recent article critiquing Guy McPherson’s claims is worth a read. This critique is not saying that we aren’t in peril, but that the window for saving our planet is still open.
Here’s an article with some great tips about ways to engage different people on the topic of climate change. One size doesn’t fit all, and stories focused on people have a lot of power.
There is some debate amongst safe-climate activists whether it’s a good idea to scare people about the possible futures we face in a climate affected world. Psychological studies suggest that mixing the scary stuff in with hopeful and inspiring pieces is the way to go. One study suggests that for every scary article you share, or point you make, that you share three hopeful, inspiring things. This TED talk below, by Per Espen Stoknes, discusses this, and is super inspiring too!! It will inspire you to turn “distance, doom, dissonance, denial and identity” into “social, supportive, simpler actions, signal success, and better stories” 🙂 It also reminds us that climate change is personal and talking about how it can impact human health, and how improving human health can also help the planet, is a way to focus this.
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Image credit: Pierre Bouillot
Climate K.I.S.S. 