Why is it so hard to talk about climate change?

An introduction.

I am grateful to have landed one of my dream jobs: working as a freelance climate writer.

In short, I get paid by organisations that are doing their part in addressing the climate crisis, in exchange for helping them communicate more strategically.

Naturally, I spend a lot of time reading stuff that has to do with the climate, and the vast majority falls into either depressing headlines, anxiety-inducing studies, or blatant corporate greenwashing. None of it is particularly uplifting.

And so after three years in this space, I started wondering… does anyone actually know how to talk about climate change? And why is it so hard to talk about climate change anyway?

In this short introductory article, I’d like to outline three major reasons why climate change poses such a nightmarish challenge for communicators.

#1: Climate Change is Not Tangible 

Don’t get me wrong, the consequences of climate change are undeniable.

There’s no doubt that we can feel the searing heat waves, the devastating floods, the crippling droughts. All of that is tangible, all right. However, the link between these consequences and their human causes is not as obvious.

We cannot see that each flight we take, each car we buy, each time we turn the AC on — all of these familiar actions are contributing to the release of heat-trapping gases that are triggering deep, and irreversible changes across the earth system.

Despite the fact that 99% of world scientists agree on the fact that human activities are the primary cause of climate change – the abstract nature of these connections goes against the way our brains process information.

The problem is that it is hard to care about things we cannot see, touch, or feel. Lack of tangibility breeds distance, and distance breeds apathy.

#2: Climate Action Requires Change (and Change is Scary)

As human beings, we actually have very few interests. Protecting our loved ones, our values, our ways of life — these typically rank at the top of your average person’s priorities.

Change, especially when it threatens these priorities, is inherently frightening.

The problem is that acting on climate change requires both individual and systemic transformations. 

People fear climate change because it is an unwelcome disruption to business-as-usual. But in the same way, people also fear the very actions we need to take in order to get out of this crisis — especially those with the most to lose.

Consequently, many of us engage in a form of normalised climate denial — not by rejecting the reality of climate change per se, but rather by avoiding the implications of what we already know.

#3. Rampant Disinformation

As we know, climate change is a radically complex issue, ripe for miscommunication and mistrust. 

Despite the near-universal agreement among scientists, climate denial persists, evolving into new, insidious forms. Latest forms of denial have switched their modus operandi from questioning the existence of climate change itself, to now targeting the validity of proposed solutions.

In an era already saturated with misinformation, the advent of generative AI has further exacerbated the spread of authoritative sounding but false information.

The fact is, we never communicate about climate change from within a vacuum. 

Our conversations about climate change occur within a crowded space filled with antagonistic forces: fear, anxiety, apathy, and vested interests intent on stifling meaningful conversation and delaying action.

So, how do we move on from there?

I launched this blog with the goal of aiding my own learning journey, while sharing and exchanging with both practitioners and curious readers along the way.

This is what this blog is going to focus on:

• Understanding the barriers to effective climate communication.

• Translating the latest research into practical tips for communicators.

To anyone who’s made it this far – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

For collaborations: please reach out at chloesalmonwork@gmail.com

Until next time.