Regular public discussion is essential for civic engagement because it increases awareness of the need for change and facilitates cooperation and collective action. Yet few regularly talk about climate change, with one barrier being a perceived lack of knowledge. Thus, effective communication about climate change could prompt greater discussion of the issue and mobilize action.
Nathan Geiger and colleagues from Penn State University, USA, and New Knowledge Organization leveraged a training program in which presenters at informal science learning centres, such as zoos and aquariums, were taught evidence-based techniques for communicating climate change, including how to use empirically tested analogies to explain causal chains, and increase the salience of community action. Respondents in a national survey who attended a participating institution reported engaging in more discussions about climate change compared to those who attended similar, non-participating institutions. This effect was driven by higher perceived ability to discuss climate change, and greater perception that discussions about climate change could have positive impacts. These results suggest that knowledge-based interventions applied in the real world can be effective in promoting discussion about climate change.
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Richler, J. Real-world interventions. Nature Clim Change 7, 314 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3292
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3292
