Navigating Politics and Polarization [Podcast]

Climate change is a charged political issue in the U.S., but it shouldn’t be. How could a global scientific phenomenon that affects every human on the planet be partisan? That’s how Redwood CEO and co-founder Josh Garrett began his conversation with host Dickon Bonvik-Stone on the latest episode of the Communicating Climate Change podcast. His episode focused on communicating the climate crisis across the political aisle. He stated that the most important part of communications, whether climate-focused or not, is to know your audience.  

Once you know who you are speaking to, he suggested three techniques to start a climate conversation.

Find Shared Values

Inspired by Katherine Hayhoe, although you and your conversation partner might not agree on everything, there is likely something you both agree on. A good example could be your kids both go to the same school and the school is considering putting in Heat Pumps to improve air quality.  Start there.

Word Choice Matters

Often the best way to talk about climate is to not talk about climate. In fact, most climate terms, such as 1.5 C mean nothing to the average person. So don’t use them. In the Heat Pump example, focus on the air quality benefits for the kids instead of the climate impacts. 

Talk About Local Impacts 

People are less likely to connect to a threat on the other side of the world. Try to bring the impacts home to them. For example, a river in our community is flooding more often due to climate change. How can we mitigate the harmful effects? 

Knowing what your audience cares about can help you approach the conversation in a productive manner. Josh says the goal of your conversation should be to “ inform people, give them optimism, and give them options [of how they can take action].” 

For more insights, check out the full episode.