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Planet Now
Blog on Effective Environmental Communication
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Not many teenagers get to meet members of the U.S. Congress. Before she even began college, Caitlin Flanagan used her voice to encourage federal policymakers to fight climate change. Some of the policymakers included Rep. Ted Budd (NC-13), former Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11), Rep. David Price (NC-04), and Sen. Thom Tillis (NC). For this week’s blog post, I spoke with Flanagan to learn about her climate work and advice for climate advocacy. Now a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, Flanagan is involved in many efforts to slow climate change at and beyond her college campus. She is president of the UNC chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that pushes for federal policies to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change. She is leading the chapter to involve more people in grassroots efforts like text banking to encourage President Biden to include a carbon price in budget reconciliation. Plus, Flanagan’s organization is attempting to collaborate with a conservative group on campus to promote climate policies. Flanagan is a great example for other people who want to lead change through their institutions. Flanagan’s Background Growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Flanagan valued environmental preservation since her dad is a wetland ecologist. When she reached middle school, she learned more about climate change and felt strongly that it was a problem caused by humans. Flanagan got involved in climate advocacy her junior year of high school. Feeling nervous about climate impacts, like heat and hurricanes, she attended a Project Drawdown climate summit that brought together students who were passionate about creating environmental change. At the event, she learned about CCL and decided to jump into lobbying because it sounded fun. Through CCL, she traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with Congresspeople. “I had a really great time immersing myself and getting to know the ins and outs of interacting with Congresspeople and communicating about climate in a bipartisan way that builds relationships,” Flanagan shared. At UNC, she became the vice president for the UNC CCL chapter as a first-year student. She helped lead the chapter in building relationships with UNC faculty to get endorsements for the university to pass a climate plan. Recommendations for Climate Advocacy Through her climate leadership, Flanagan has learned key lessons that can benefit people who are beginning their climate advocacy journeys.
Flanagan said that no matter a person’s career focus, they can find ways to use their interests and skills in climate advocacy. As a student majoring in environmental studies and public policy, she said she is thinking about being a legislative director or researcher for a climate advocacy organization. She is also interested in doing policy work for clean energy companies. I am thankful for Flanagan’s efforts to fight climate change and look forward to seeing what she does next. Who inspires you to advocate for the environment? Look for people in your community who are climate leaders, and reach out to see what you can learn from them!
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Newsflash: the news has not been great lately. (Is it ever?) The heartbreaking Russian invasion of Ukraine has already caused two million people to flee the country. Even while COVID-19 case numbers decline, the virus continues to take some lives. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report on February 28 that said the world has a narrow window of time to avoid further climate disasters that displace people from their homes and limit food and water. When I read and hear these stories, I feel sad and overwhelmed, which makes me struggle to focus on environmental advocacy. How does it make you feel? Spending time outdoors makes me feel better, and it could help you if you also feel upset about current crises. Now, in no way am I suggesting that we ignore all of these problems. Rather, we must take time to recharge our personal batteries so we have the energy and motivation to advocate for causes important to us. I want to share some of my favorite outdoor spots and what I love about them! Bogue Sound of North Carolina My family visits Bogue Sound every year. It is near Emerald Isle and about a three-hour drive from my home in Apex. The calm water is perfect for kayaking and swimming. The occasional speedboat brings fun waves to ride. Sometimes I kayak to the tiny islands in the center of the sound so I can look at the seashells and wildlife. I have spotted stingrays, crabs, and even dolphins while kayaking. I also like to sit on the pier of the house we stay at and observe the water. Unfortunately, Hurricane Florence, which climate change likely intensified, destroyed the pier in 2018 (it has been rebuilt). Also, my parents and grandparents have observed the water darken from pollution over the past few decades. Every time I visit the water, I fall in love with it again and also remember the importance of protecting the environment so people can enjoy places like Bogue Sound for a long time. Coker Arboretum in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Coker Arboretum is a peaceful oasis for finding quiet and solitude on the bustling campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. Its scenery changes with the seasons. Visitors can walk the paths and sit on the benches. It is easily accessible for most members of the UNC community. Having green space, or areas with vegetation, in communities helps mental health. People may not have to go far to find places to recharge. Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina Visiting the mountains can be a reminder that the world is large, making people’s worries seem small in comparison. The blue ridge is an iconic aspect of these mountains, as their name suggests. They are a great place for hiking, reading, and spending time with family. Recharging does not mean people have to be alone! Spending time outside reminds me that we live on a beautiful planet and motivates me to protect it. Practicing gratitude by remembering why I love these places also helps me develop a positive mindset and remember that we can take steps to help the earth and have some control over the future. As spring break approaches for many of you, I hope you can enjoy the outdoors. Where do you like to go to spend time outside? Comment below or send me an email! In a 2021 poll, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that only 47% of Americans think climate change will harm them personally. A strategy for effective climate communication is showing people how climate change will likely affect them. One impact of climate change that will probably affect most people is the reduced availability of some foods and drinks. What we eat and drink is a core part of our lifestyles. Showing people how climate change, mainly caused by burning fossil fuels, threatens this part of our lives can help them understand why it is important to slow the problem. Then they may take steps themselves to slow the problem. Here are some foods and drinks that climate change could limit: Chocolate Drought is a growing problem in West Africa, where more than half of the world’s cocoa is grown. As climate change reduces humidity in this region, less land will be suitable for growing cocoa. Less cocoa means less chocolate. Health-conscious people may not be concerned about less chocolate, but communication with them could include health benefits of dark chocolate. For example, it has several vitamins and reduces people’s risk of heart disease and diabetes. Potatoes Do you like mashed potatoes or french fries? Hot temperatures and dry weather make potatoes more difficult to grow and can give them unattractive bumps and dark spots that consumers do not prefer to purchase. The good news is that scientists are creating new potato varieties that are more resilient to weather changes, showing the importance of research to help agriculture adapt to climate change! People should still be aware that climate change affects common foods like potatoes. Not all food has the option for resistant varieties. Also, hurricanes can destroy sweet potato farms. North Carolina is the top producer of sweet potatoes in the United States. Hurricane Florence, which climate change likely worsened, washed away the majority of some farmers’ sweet potatoes in North Carolina in 2018. Fish Shockingly, climate change could cause 60% of fish species to go extinct by 2100. It is already harming fish like salmon by creating ocean acidification that kills their food. Lowered fish availability is a problem since about 3 billion people rely on seafood for protein. Coffee Coffee is a necessity in the diets of many college students and workers, but high temperatures and precipitation have caused spores to grow on coffee plants. The spores have prevented coffee berries from growing, especially in Central and South America. The spread of these spores could reduce land suitable for coffee production by 50% by 2050. Wine Climate change leads to wildfires that threaten vineyards in regions like California, Australia, and Spain, which are known for producing wine. Even distant wildfires can cause wine to have a smoky taste. These foods and drinks are just some popular sources of fuel for our bodies that climate change threatens. Other foods that climate change may make less available include rice, almonds, peaches, and cranberries. In North Carolina, climate impacts like heat, droughts, and floods have already destroyed crops like corn, soybean, and wheat, causing these industries to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. The supply of food is not the only challenge. As the world population grows, demand for food will increase, which could also increase the costs of food. Do you want to keep these foods and drinks readily available? Have conversations with family and friends about climate change and how it affects food. Vote for politicians who take climate change seriously. Support companies and brands that are sustainable. Join environmental organizations; they can connect you with resources to write letters to lawmakers. While climate change is already happening, the extent of the impacts depends on how much our society continues to contribute to the problem by burning fossil fuels. We can still fight to protect our environment—and our food.
Like many young adults, I enjoy taking personality tests. What can they teach us about communication to help the environment? The Enneagram is one personality test that can provide insight about the types of messages that resonate with us and other people.
The Enneagram system categorizes people into nine personality types based on their worldviews and emotions. The lines in the chart below connect each Enneagram type to two other types that represent how they act when they are experiencing personal growth or stress. For example, a person who is an Achiever becomes like a Loyalist when growing and becomes like a Peacemaker when stressed. Learn more about Enneagram types here. It is not necessary to understand all the details of the Enneagram to use it as a communication tool. The important part is that these personality categories show there are many ways for people to think, so different messages will motivate people to protect the environment. The Enneagram could be beneficial if you plan to communicate about climate change with an individual and know that person’s Enneagram type. You could find ways to connect to that person based on the characteristics of their personality. Even if you are communicating with many people at once, you can still consider how information will resonate with people of different Enneagram types. Here are some ways Enneagram types may respond to communication about climate change: 1. Reformers are rational and principled. They may engage with content about the reasons people, businesses and governments are responsible for mitigating climate change. As a Reformer myself, I like how Dr. Katharine Hayhoe’s book Saving Us explains how people can communicate about industries causing climate change in order to encourage policy changes. Recognizing my Enneagram type reminds me that accountability is a topic that appeals to me but may not appeal to all Enneagram types. 2. Helpers are caring and generous. Messages about climate threats people face and how to help could appeal to this group. 3. Achievers care about success and images. They may engage with information about climate careers or ways to make lifestyle changes that align with images of being sustainable. 4. Individualists are sensitive and expressive. Emotional imagery could be an effective way to reach this group. For example, images or videos of animals suffering from heat could motivate Individualists to fight climate change.
A polar bear looks for food in the Canadian Arctic in 2017. It struggles to find food since climate change has melted ice that it needs to catch seals. This video could appeal to an Individualist.
5. Investigators are intense and innovative. Information about entrepreneurial initiatives to solve climate change could engage this group and motivate them to find more solutions.
6. Loyalists are committed and responsible. Effective communication with this group could focus on showing them ways they can commit to climate advocacy, like volunteering for environmental organizations. 7. Enthusiasts love to be busy and have fun. Communication efforts could show them how they can use their time to mitigate climate change in enjoyable ways, like attending protests with friends or volunteering at community gardens. 8. Challengers love power and confrontation. Effective climate communication could show this group how they can confront the powerful oil and gas industry to encourage a transition to cleaner energy sources. 9. Peacemakers are easygoing and agreeable. They could be successful at connecting with people who disagree with them about climate change. Effective communication with this group could teach them how to talk with others to help more people understand climate change. This approach is out of this world! Of course, people do not fit perfectly into Enneagram categories, and there is no guarantee that a message will appeal to someone because they received a certain Enneagram result. The Enneagram is still a unique way for someone to understand how others may view the world differently. It could help people get creative with generating new ideas and strategies for communicating about climate change. Your turn! I encourage you to take the free Enneagram test if you have not taken it before. Once you have your result, read the description about your Enneagram type and reflect on how it affects the ways you communicate. Answer the poll to share your Enneagram type! Since many young adults feel concerned about climate change, it is comforting to see a climate scientist expressing hope. I recently read Dr. Katharine Hayhoe’s book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. In the book, Hayhoe clearly explains the science of climate change and why it is a serious problem already harming the planet. However, she shares several communications strategies that show readers how to successfully encourage people in their lives to help slow the problem. Hayhoe is Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a professor at Texas Tech University. She is a co-author of three other books and released Saving Us in September 2021. Saving Us is unique because Hayhoe shares her personal experiences as an evangelical Christian advocating to protect the environment. “Evangelical Christian” is probably not the first description that comes to mind when people think about a leader in climate advocacy. In fact, Hayhoe refers to an October 2020 poll that found white evangelical Christians tend to be less worried about climate change than people from other combinations of racial and religious groups in the United States. In her book, Hayhoe explains how she uses her religion to connect with people who do not think climate change is a serious problem. To reach other evangelical Christians, she tells them that climate change disproportionately harms people who are poor, hungry and sick and that the Bible instructs people to care for others in need. Hayhoe finds that connecting with people over their shared faith leads them to trust her and begin to recognize the problem of climate change. Hayhoe’s experiences teach an important communications strategy: people should find ways to connect to others’ values in order to be trusted messengers about climate change. Religion is not always a shared value, but people could connect over other values, such as the economy and justice. In addition to connecting with people through religious faith, Hayhoe maintains faith that people can reduce the impacts of climate change with quick action. She explains that she feels hopeful when she sees kids leading climate strikes. As a climate scientist, she understands the serious threats and consequences of climate change, so it is meaningful that she nevertheless has hope for mitigating the problem. Her hope gives me confidence that it is worthwhile to talk about climate change and take individual actions, like composting. Hayhoe explains that there is not one single solution to climate change but a variety of small solutions, reminding me that every small reduction in greenhouse gas emissions could reduce the severity of climate impacts, including natural disasters. The combination of unique personal experiences and hope makes me give the book a 10/10 rating! I have read several books about the environment, but this book stands out because Hayhoe’s positivity made me feel motivated to continue advocating for the planet. The communications strategies in Saving Us closely align with the strategies I describe in my book Planet Now, although Hayhoe and I write about different individual experiences with advocacy. If you have enjoyed this blog and my book, you should find reading Saving Us to be an intriguing way to continue learning how to slow climate change using strategic communication. To learn more about Hayhoe’s work and communications strategies, follow her on Twitter and listen to her TED Talk: Hayhoe explains the importance of science communication to show people how they can help solve climate change. She spoke at a November 2018 TED Talk in Palm Springs, California.
Most of us have a lot of responsibilities in life, and it can be tough to commit to lifestyle changes to protect the environment. However, you should make the point to take each of the following actions at least one time. These actions could be more fun and less challenging than they may appear! 1. Read a book about the environment. Books can help people better understand and discuss complex environmental topics. Also, reading about the beauty of the environment could inspire action to protect it. One book that shares stories of hope for solving climate change is All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson edited this book. See this list for more books about climate change. 2. Compost food waste at home. The USDA’s Economic Research Service found that Americans waste about 31% of the food they buy. Uneaten food contributes to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases in landfills. To reduce food in landfills, people can compost by first collecting food scraps in small bins. They should avoid collecting meat and dairy. Then they can add the scraps to backyard compost bins or bring them to drop-off sites, such as community gardens. The scraps will break down into fertilizer that can improve soil and grow more food. 3. Join an environmental organization. People can join environmental organizations to contribute to larger efforts to reduce climate change. Through these organizations, people might install solar panels in communities or collect signatures on petitions for climate policies. Participating in environmental organizations can remind people that they are not alone in attempting to slow climate change. Some organizations, like the Sierra Club and the Sunrise Movement, are national organizations with local chapters. Some examples of regional organizations in North Carolina are Appalachian Voices and Save Our Sandhills. College students may have several options of environmental organizations they can join through their schools. For example, at UNC-Chapel Hill, I lead an organization called United Solar Initiative. It teaches students about solar energy and reduces climate change by adding solar panels to homes in the community. 4. Attend an environmental protest. Protests with clear purposes can encourage politicians to pass climate policies or can inspire more people to call for action to protect the environment. Climate activist Greta Thunberg is known for encouraging students to skip school on Fridays in protest of a lack of international action to prevent climate change. Her protests have been effective at inspiring millions of students around the world to advocate for slowing climate change, although Thunberg said in November 2021 that international leaders have failed to take meaningful action to prevent climate change so far. In September 2019, I attended a peaceful protest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to encourage town, state, and national leaders to pass policies reducing greenhouse gas emissions. About 200 people attended. The protest did not directly lead to policy changes, but it did show me that other students and community members care about reducing climate impacts. At the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in September 2019, people protest a lack of government climate action. 5. Start a conversation about climate change with someone who does not seem concerned about the problem. Encouraging one person to think about climate change in new ways can make that person influence others to think differently. A recent post shares tips on motivating people to care about climate change. These actions are meaningful! Making efforts to protect the environment can make environmental communicators appear more trustworthy to Americans. Communicators’ willingness to make changes suggests that they believe climate change is real and serious. Therefore, taking these actions can help you communicate more effectively. On average, people spend about 90,000 hours of their lives at work. As climate change continues to threaten food supply, energy supply, public health and lives, a major way for people to help is to have careers focused on slowing the problem. Even if you have already chosen a major or started a career path, do not fear! People can mitigate climate change and its consequences through many different fields.
The above examples are just some ideas for mitigating impacts of climate change in different fields. The Sunrise Movement is a youth-led nonprofit organization that advocates for slowing climate change. It created a quiz to determine the types of careers people should have to protect the environment based on their skills and personalities. My result is “The Communicator,” which is fitting since I am studying communications and communicating about the environment through this blog! The Sunrise Movement estimates that investing $10 trillion in green infrastructure, like public transportation and renewable energy sources, can create over 15 million green jobs across the United States. In North Carolina, investing in green infrastructure could create about 463 jobs per 10,000 people. Not all of the jobs require college degrees. Many young adults do not know what they want their career paths to look like. When talking with people who want to protect the environment but do not know how, make sure they know that many careers may fit their strengths and reduce impacts of climate change. The Sunrise Movement promotes its Green New Careers quiz through this video.
Being part of Generation Z often means loving TikTok, wearing oversized clothing and feeling terrified of climate change. If you resonate with that last part, you may wonder why some people say they believe climate change is happening but still do not take steps to help the environment. A strategy for communicating about the environment is to connect the impacts of climate change to a person’s values. Speaking of TikTok, this strategy will help you keep “Pushin’ P” as you work to protect the earth that you value. Connecting climate to communities, justice and the economy are just a few ways to help people realize they should care about climate change. Communities People tend to view climate change as a distant threat in time and space, but it is already affecting many communities. For example, climate change has caused sea level rise at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Even small storms flood the roads. Residents may have to move away or pay significant property taxes for new infrastructure. Flood insurance rates are high, which can make the area unaffordable. Climate communicators should help people see how climate change is a problem here and now since it harms communities in people’s home states or areas where they like to take vacations. Justice Some people may not realize that protecting the environment is about protecting people. Climate injustices occur when impacts of climate change do not affect all people equally. These injustices take many forms. Wealthy people are responsible for more carbon emissions because they tend to buy more items and travel more often than others, but they have more money to evacuate during climate-related natural disasters. Younger people, over their lifetimes, will experience more of the climate impacts that older people caused by emitting greenhouse gases throughout their lifetimes. Communities of color often face more risks from air pollution compared to white communities as a result of a history of residential segregation and unequal access to health care. Climate change worsens air pollution in these communities. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change will help create a just society. Environmental communicators should discuss these injustices to show that caring about climate change means caring about people. The Economy If people value a healthy economy, they should know that climate change could cost the United States $1.9 trillion each year by 2100. Major reasons for this cost include hurricane damage, real estate destruction, increased energy demand and limited water supply. Damage from Hurricane Florence cost North Carolina $22 billion in 2018. Some people think climate policies will hurt the economy, but reducing climate impacts saves individuals, governments and businesses money over time. When someone says they think climate policies will hurt the economy, make sure they understand that failing to slow climate change will have huge economic costs. Your Turn!
Do not feel discouraged if that person does not immediately express more concern about climate change. Recognizing connections between climate change and values could make that person pay more attention to climate news and care more over time. Eventually, they may explore ways they can help solve climate change. If you use this strategy, share your experience in a comment below! If you have not talked with someone yet, you can also share ways you plan to help them understand connections between climate change and their values. From arguments over COVID-19 vaccines to debates about different ways to respond to climate change, people often disagree about policies in the United States. Climate change is polarizing since more Democrats than Republicans think the federal government should take further steps to slow the problem. Have Americans ever come together to protect the environment? Yes, partly thanks to Rachel Carson! Carson was a marine biologist who studied human impacts on wildlife. In the mid-twentieth century, people used pesticides like DDT to grow crops and kill insects that could cause disease. However, Carson found that these pesticides had tragic consequences. These pesticides killed birds and could cause cancer in humans. Carson faced challenges communicating these dangers to the public because she was battling breast cancer and knew that chemical companies would attack her for sharing the dangers of their products. Nevertheless, Carson published the book Silent Spring in 1962 to call attention to the need to limit harmful chemicals in the environment. She claimed that chemical companies had spread disinformation about pesticides to make them seem safe when they are deadly. (Disinformation is incorrect information that has been intentionally spread.) As Carson expected, chemical companies attacked her, saying she was spreading disinformation and that people should not listen to a woman. Carson’s personality was as calm and quiet as the waters she studied, so it might be surprising that her written voice captured the attention of Americans. The book helped Americans understand the dangers present in the environment, leading to bipartisan support for policies protecting the environment. Carson targeted housewives, who had various political views, because many of them had seen dead wildlife in their yards and might experience moral concern about the dangers of pesticides to people. Carson died of breast cancer (possibly as a result of working with pesticides) in 1964, just two years after publishing Silent Spring, but her writing led to an environmental revolution. In 1970, President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress passed the Clean Air Act. In 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT and Congress passed the Clean Water Act. In some ways, the debate about pesticides in the 1960s is similar to the debate about climate change today. Fossil fuel companies attack environmental scientists who write about the threats of climate change for humans. These companies spread disinformation to make people think climate change is not as big of a threat as scientists say. Polarization around the environment has made an increased awareness of science less likely to make people support environmental policies. Rachel Carson’s work is one of the reasons I became interested in environmental communications. When I was in high school, I did a project about her life and impact on the environment. I realized that writing about the environment to make people aware of problems is a way to encourage change.
Given Carson’s contribution to the environmental movement, climate advocates should know her story and share it with other people who may wonder about the importance of environmental communication. I am thankful that Carson helped the American public understand the dangers of pesticides despite knowing that she would receive criticism from chemical companies. Perhaps Carson’s story will encourage more people to advocate for slowing climate change and see that it is possible to bring people together to protect the environment like Silent Spring did. The following documentary segment from PBS provides a further look at Carson’s life and the battles she faced when communicating about environmental dangers. Discussions about climate change with friends and family members can lead to frustration if those people do not trust climate science. However, a March 2021 report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication said 70% of Americans think that climate change is happening and only 15% of Americans deny that climate change is happening (other Americans are undecided). Instead of spending time and energy attempting to convince people about climate facts, environmental communicators should show those people who already trust climate science how to take steps to slow the problem. To encourage people to make environmentally friendly decisions in their own lives, environmental communicators can share stories about why they care about the environment and the steps they are taking to protect it. For example, I began caring about human impacts on the environment as a kid when I saw neighborhoods replace forests in my rapidly growing hometown of Apex, North Carolina. My concern about climate change led me to start an environmental club at my high school and study the environment in college. I was shocked to learn that the world’s oceans will likely have more plastic than fish by 2050! Now that I am older, I recognize that sometimes people need to cut down trees for homes and that trees probably once stood in the same spot as my own home. Nevertheless, my experience seeing deforestation helped me realize that humans should be careful about how they affect the environment, especially when polluting oceans or releasing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and its devastating consequences, including severe hurricanes, wildfires and droughts. Why should you read my advice about environmental communication? I am in the Environment and Science Communication dual-degree program at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-Chapel Hill. Through this program, I have taken several courses in environmental science, environmental policy, sustainability and communication. In September 2020, I published a book called Planet Now: Effective Strategies for Communicating about the Environment. My next goal is to use this blog to share strategies from my classes and research to help people learn how to effectively communicate about the environment to slow climate change. Some people may not have personal stories about climate change, but they could use several other strategies to communicate about the environment. These strategies can help them influence other people to take steps to reduce climate change. In this blog, I will share strategies to help people discuss climate-related problems and solutions with other people in their lives, especially those people who are willing to listen. People who want to help the environment should have a communications strategy for discussing the urgent problem of climate change, so they need to plan it now, or rather, “Planet Now.” |
Welcome to my blog! It is a combination of posts from my strategic writing (spring 2022) and personal branding (spring 2023) courses at UNC. I hope you will enjoy reading the posts and learning about the environment and communication.
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