When it comes to communicating climate change and the urgency for action with the public, we must move beyond the debate of whether climate change is real and when it is time to take action. In the face of powerful industries that profit off of environmentally degrading activities, we must spur individual and collective action. Both of these require a deep understanding of the attitudes and behavior of individuals you are targeting with your message and a strategy to deploy that messaging. 

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TALKING CLIMATE:
HOW COMMUNICATIONS CAN
PROMPT ACTION, COUNTER
OPPOSITION

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AGENDA
US ATTITUDES ON CLIMATE
Bessie Schwarz, strategist at the Yale Program on
Climate Change with extensive experience designing
and running national and local grassroots campaigns.
THE BATTLE TO SAVE THE PLANET
Jeff Nesbit, executive director of Climate Nexus; former
legislative and public affairs director at the National
Science Foundation and author of This is the Way the
World Ends.
HELPING MEDIA TELL CLIMATE STORIES
Susan Joy Hassol, director of Climate Communication,
and senior writer on three National Climate
Assessments with 30 years experience making complex
science issues accessible to policymakers and the
public.

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CLIMATE CHANGE
IN THE AMERICAN
MIND

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Most Americans Think Global Warming
Is Happening

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How worried are you about global warming?
December 2018. Base: Americans 18+.
Only 23% of Americans Are “Very Worried”

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Americans think other global warming will
harm others

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Global Warming’s Six Americas
December
2018
n=1,114
Highest Belief in Global Warming
Most Concerned
Most Motivated
Lowest Belief in Global Warming
Least Concerned
Least Motivated
Alarmed Concerned Cautious Doubtful Dismissive
30% 9% 9%
Disengaged
5%29% 17%
Illustrationby
Michael Sloan
December
2018 N = 1,114

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Global Warming’s Six Americas
5 Year Change (2013-2018)

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27%
20%
24%
29%
15% 16%
26%
27%
22%
26%
29%
30%
39%
34%
44%
52%
41%
54%
48%
20%
18%
14%
10%
18%
8%
18%
16% 16%
18%
15%
18%
22%
19%
24% 24% 23%
28%
25%
10%
5%
7%
5%
4%
3%
6% 5%
7%
4%
8%
6% 6%
8%
5%
7%
10%
7%
5%
0%
11/08 1/10 6/10 5/11 11/11 3/12 9/12 4/13 11/13 10/14 3/15 10/15 3/16 11/16 5/17 10/17 3/18 12/18 4/19
Democrats Independents Republicans
Do you think each of these issues should be a low, medium, high,
or very high priority for the next president and Congress? [Global
warming]
Base: Registered Voters.
Global Warming Should be a “Very High” Priority
for the President and Congress

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In 2020, there will be an election to choose the U.S. president. As of today, how important will the
following issues be to you when you decide who you will vote for in the 2020 Presidential election?
April 2019. Base: Registered American Voters.
Rank by
“very
important”
All Registered Voters
(N = 1,097)
Liberal
Democrats
(n = 264)
Moderate/Conservative
Democrats
(n = 209)
Liberal/Moderate
Republicans
(n = 165)
Conservative
Republicans
(n = 320)
1 Healthcare Healthcare Healthcare The economy Border security
2 The economy Environmental protection The economy Healthcare The economy
3 Social Security Global warming Education Social Security Immigration reform
4 Gun policies Income gap Social Security Terrorism Terrorism
5 Education Education Environmental protection Border security Abortion
6 Terrorism Developing clean energy Income gap Immigration reform Healthcare
7 Immigration reform Gun policies Gun policies Gun policies Gun policies
8 Federal budget deficit Russian election interference Global warming Education Federal budget deficit
9 Environmental protection Social security Russian election interference Federal budget deficit Social Security
10 Tax reform The economy Federal budget deficit Tax reform Tax reform
11 Improving roads, etc. Race relations Developing clean energy Improving roads, etc. Foreign policy
12 Russian election interference Disaster relief Race relations Energy independence Education
13 Income gap Abortion Terrorism Foreign policy Improving roads, etc.
14 Border security Improving roads, etc. Improving roads, etc. Environmental protection Opioid crisis
15 Abortion Federal budget deficit Tax reform Opioid crisis Energy independence
16 Developing clean energy Energy independence Disaster relief Disaster relief International trade
17 Global warming Tax reform Criminal justice reform Race relations Russian election interference
18 Disaster relief Terrorism Immigration reform Russian election interference Criminal justice reform
19 Race relations Campaign finance reform Opioid crisis Abortion Disaster relief
20 Foreign policy Foreign policy Energy independence Developing clean energy War in Afghanistan
21 Energy independence Immigration reform Campaign finance reform Income gap Same-sex marriage
22 Opioid crisis Same-sex marriage Foreign policy International trade Legalizing marijuana
23 Criminal justice reform Criminal justice reform International trade Global warming Campaign finance reform
24 International trade International trade Legalizing marijuana War in Afghanistan Environmental protection
25 Campaign finance reform Wall Street reform Wall Street reform Criminal justice reform Income gap
26 Same-sex marriage Opioid crisis Abortion Campaign finance reform Developing clean energy
27 Legalizing marijuana Legalizing marijuana War in Afghanistan Legalizing marijuana Race relations
28 War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan Border security Same-sex marriage Wall Street reform
29 Wall Street reform Border security Same-sex marriage Wall Street reform Global warming
Global Warming Is #3 Voting Issue for Liberal D’s

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Democrats Republicans
All Reg
Voters Total Lib
Mod/
Con Ind Total
Lib/
Mod Con
(Unweighted base) (1,097) (475) (264) (209) (95) (488) (165) (320)
% % % % % % % %
Fund more research into renewable energy
sources such as solar and wind power
86 96 98 92 75 77 89 72
Provide tax rebates for people purchase energy-
efficient vehicles or solar panels
84 94 98 89 81 75 87 70
Regulate carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse
gas) as a pollutant
74 91 93 88 71 57 72 49
Require electric utilities to produce at least 20%
of their electricity from…renewables, even if it
costs the average household an extra $100/year
64 80 84 74 59 47 66 37
Registered Voters Support
Some Climate-Friendly Energy Policies
- % strongly or somewhat” support policy -
How much do you support or oppose the following policies?
April 2019. Base: Registered American Voters.

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Climate Change in the American
Mind
Bessie Schwarz
Bessie.Schwarz@Yale.edu | Twitter: @BessieSchwarz
climatecommunication.yale.edu

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THE POWER OF
STORIES

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Stories helped end the tobacco wars

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A story can end a career as well

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CIRES Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Colorado Boulder

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Climate science denial in the MSM is largely gone

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Broadcast News finally gets it
NBC News has launched a new “climate unit” that will present reports throughout this week
CBS News has been running “Eye on Earth” reports throughout its programs.
CNN aired a marathon, 7-hour climate town hall with Democratic presidential candidates.
“We are not just going to do a week on this and then won’t be talking about it again,”
says Rashida Jones, senior vice president of specials for NBC News and MSNBC. “This is
the biggest story of our time.”

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Three forward-looking media narratives

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1. Embrace haters, deniers & doubters

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2. Mainstream the clean energy revolution

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3. Recognize victory when it’s in your grasp

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@JeffNesbit
ClimateNexus.org

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HELPING THE
MEDIA TELL
CLIMATE STORIES

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The Secret of Effective Communication:
Simple, clear messages
Repeated often
By trusted sources
Weathercasters are good communicators and trusted sources
Mike Augustyniak
CBS Minneapolis
Amber Sullins
ABC Phoenix

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CLIMATE MATTERS
History and Growth
2010: Begins with an NSF grant: pilot,
one meteorologist
2013: Opened to all U.S. broadcast
meteorologists
2017: Debuted Climate Matters in the
Newsroom: for all journalists
300
171
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Meteorologists
Journalists
22
111
197
790
287
377
479
644

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Text climatematters to 345345

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Here and Now, Local and Personal

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@ClimateComms
ClimateCommunication.org

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KEY
TAKEAWAYS
A growing number of
Americans are concerned or
alarmed about climate
change.
Proactive (versus reactive)
communications strategies
using storytelling work.
Media needs help telling
better climate stories focused
on opportunities rather than
doom and gloom.
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