Communicating Climate Change

This episode features a conversation with seasoned scholar, author, and expert on all-things activism, Professor Dana R. Fisher. It was recorded in October 2023.Dana is the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity at American University. She’s a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution, is President of the Eastern Sociological Society, and is the chair-elect of the Political Sociology section of the American Sociological Association. She served as a Contributing Author for Working Group 3 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Review, writing about citizen engagement and civic activism, and her media appearances include, to name but a few: ABC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, NPR, BBC, and CBC. And her words have appeared in likes of the Washington Post, Slate, TIME Magazine, Politico, Vox, and the New York Times. Professor Fisher has authored over 75 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and her seventh book, Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action, which formed the basis of our conversation, will be will be out in early 2024. Pre-order it here.Amongst other things, Dana and I discussed the role of disruptive tactics within the broader climate movement, the relationship between such tactics and the media, and what the future will likely hold when it comes to activism associated with the climate crisis.Additional links: Pre-order Dana’s latest book Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate ActionVisit Dana’s websiteSee Dana on TMZ talking about the radical flank effect

This episode features a conversation with Kevin Green, of international conservation and development organization, Rare. It was recorded in October 2023.Kevin leads Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment, collaborating with field staff, partners and researchers in bringing the best insights from the science of human behavior to bear on the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.Kevin, who holds a Master’s degree in international development and economics from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology from Washington and Lee University, is a faculty member of the Kinship Conservation Fellows program. He has previously held roles in research at the Nature Conservancy and the Worldwatch Institute.Amongst other things, Kevin and I discussed Rare’s eight principles for effective and inviting climate communication, the unrivaled ability that humans have for solving certain types of problems, and the challenge communicators therefore face in communicating climate change in such a way that makes it the type of problem we’re already adept at solving.Additional links: Rare’s Eight Principles for Effective & Inviting Climate CommunicationRare’s Center for Behavior & The EnvironmentSwitch by Dan and Chip Heath, a book recommendation from Kevin telling the story of the St. Lucia parrot. The smart-meter study that Kevin referred to in our chat about norms.

This episode features a conversation with international communications expert, Josephine Latu-Sanft. It was recorded in September 2023.With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, communications, and education, Josephine’s work focuses on global issues like climate change, ocean protection, and sustainable development. Advocating for the empowerment of small island developing nations or, as I’ll be calling them from now on, big ocean sustainable states, Josephine draws from her personal experience growing up in climate-vulnerable Tonga. Amongst other things, we discussed the need to challenge portrayals of climate-vulnerable peoples in the media, the ways that words can influence reality, and the power that shifting established narratives can have on the perceptions and perspectives of such communities. Additional links: Check out Josephine’s TEDX talk hereFollow Josephine on X (formerly Twitter)

This episode features a conversation with disaster communication specialist, Dr Dennis John Sumaylo. It was recorded in June 2023.In his work, Dennis investigates the intersection of pre-disaster communication and community engagement in the context of geographic isolation and socio-economic inequalities. Examining these issues has helped him design multimodal and gamified learning tools for supplementing disaster risk reduction classes in the Philippines. His new book, entitled, Engaging Isolated Communities in Disaster Preparation and Communication in the Philippines is published through Springer Nature, explores social power, relationships, and experiences as avenues to community engagement in pre-disaster communication.Amongst other things, Dennis and I discussed a range of real-world audiences and the ways that their respective experiences with disasters impact their communications needs, we delved into the roles of trust and power in disaster communication, and the value of a media spotlight when it comes to disaster recovery and relief. Additional links: Dennis’ book Engaging Isolated Communities in Disaster Preparation and Communication in the PhilippinesThe fantastic book on climate communication that led me to Dennis’ work

This episode features a conversation with Melis Figanmeşe, campaigns lead at IFRC, The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. It was recorded in June 2023.Through her work, which focuses on climate communications, Melis is tasked with bringing together 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and 14 million volunteers around the world to campaign together.In this capacity, she’s launched an award-winning campaign, #ClimateChangedMe, together with Greta Thunberg, and continues to find compelling ways to raise the alarm on the climate crisis through storytelling. Amongst other things, Melis and I discussed how stories can help audiences relate to the ways that climate change is impacting the lives of others, the importance of cutting out the jargon and communicating with accessible language, and some practical tips for running successful campaigns at scale. Additional links: The #ClimateChangedMe campaign International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

This episode features a conversation with youth climate activist and advocate of indigenous perspectives, Keshoe Isaiah. It was recorded at the end of June 2023.Keshoe, who hails from Kenya’s Maasai community, works to amplify the voices of indigenous and local communities. He is a member of Fridays For Future Kenya, contributes to Penn State’s UN-supported Global Youth Storytelling and Research Lab, serves as the country representative for Kenya at the youth-led Mock COP summit, and is also the Head of Environment and Climate Change at Kenya’s National Youth Caucus.He currently studies economics and finance at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, focusing on climate finance. Amongst other things, Keshoe and I discussed the indivisibility of nature and culture within the Maasai community, the role of indigenous perspectives in conservation and adaptation, and the power of stories to carry important information across generations. Additional links: Fridays For Future KenyaPenn State’s UN-supported Global Youth Storytelling and Research LabThe Mock COP summitKenya’s National Youth CaucusMAIN Network

This episode features a conversation with climate communications expert and business activist, Lucy von Sturmer. It was recorded in February 2023.Lucy is the initiator and chair of Creatives for Climate, a global non-profit turning professionals into change agents through training courses, collaborative projects, and a fast-growing community committing their creativity to driving positive impact. She is also CEO of The Humblebrag, an award-winning climate communications agency working to support business leaders and brands in taking a stand on social, cultural, and environmental issues. Recognized by The University of Auckland as a “40 Under 40” change-maker and featured in Forbes as a creative leader to watch, Lucy has over a decade of experience building movements and leading global brands to have a positive impact at scale.Amongst other things, Lucy and I talked about theories of change, divesting talent from polluting industries, and how inevitable personal limitations make radical collaboration a weapon of choice.Additional links: Join Creatives for ClimateCheck out the Creatives for Climate Greenwash Watch trainingWhat’s a theory of change anyway? Badvertising - Stop adverts fuelling the climate emergencyClean Creatives - Cutting ties with the fossil fuel industry

Over past episodes, we’ve heard from communications practitioners, academics, activists, and many more, all sharing their respective insights into how we might better communicate climate change. Despite the range of perspectives, though, these guests all had one thing in common: They’re adults. This time, I wanted to explore a very different worldview, that of a child, to see if there might be valuable lessons we could learn and incorporate into our own approaches to communicating climate change. And, I have to say, by the end of this episode, I think you’ll agree that there are plenty. This episode features a conversation with 11-year-old climate podcaster, Zachary Fox-DeVol. It was recorded in April 2023. Zach is the host of We The Children, a podcast discussing climate change and solutions to global warming from a kid’s perspective.Amongst other things, Zach and I talked about climate anxiety and feelings of helplessness in younger generations and the wider public, the gaps he perceives in climate communication as it stands today, how he stays up to date on climate news, and who his climate heroes are and why. I also got the chance to ask one of Zach’s moms, Carol, a few questions about the impact that raising such an engaged child has had on their family life, as well as any advice she might have for parents in a similar position.Additional links: Zach’s website can be found here.

This episode features a conversation with Solveig Zophoniasdottir, Head of Learning at the EU’s main climate innovation initiative, Climate-KIC. It was recorded in March 2023.Solveig, who’s worked to expand and facilitate the learning processes of organisations for over 15 years, focuses on skill building and shifting mindsets to catalyse transformation in the climate space. She’s an expert practitioner, working to create change both within and across different cultures, and is passionate about systems change and systems innovation. Amongst other things, Solveig and I discussed the need for systems perspectives in efforts to address the climate crisis, what communicators can learn from this kind of thinking, and the value of embracing uncertainty, complexity, and experimentation.Additional links: The Climate-KIC websiteDave Snowden - How to organise a children’s partyThe Cynefin Framework

This episode features a conversation with writer, researcher, campaigner, and advisor, Robin Webster. It was recorded at the end of March 2023.Robin, who’s been knocking around the environmental world for twenty years or so in a variety of roles, first became interested in the disconnect between political debate about climate change and how we talk about it in real life, whilst working as a campaigner for Friends of the Earth. She went on to help start the now-mighty Carbon Brief when it began life as a climate science and energy blog, and has spent – her words, not mine – more time than is healthy, digging into the intricacies of climate policy, including as a researcher for the European Climate Foundation. Robin worked at UK-based climate communication organisation, Climate Outreach, from 2018 to 2023, focusing on providing civil society campaigners with knowledge, tools, and research to help them engage all kinds of audiences on climate change. At the moment she is taking a break, which she thinks everyone in this sector should do on occasion, but I caught her just before she embarked on this new chapter.Amongst other things, Robin and I discussed the challenges associated with talking about climate change with family, friends, and others; what doing so can achieve in relation to the bigger picture; and what a good climate conversation looks like.Additional links: The Climate Outreach Talking Climate HandbookJulia Steinberger's article that Robin quoted - "The kids are not OK"Climate Outreach report on communicating climate justice with younger people across Europe is hereClimate Outreach website