Talk to someone you know about climate change

The majority of people accept climate change as reality, but it isn't something they think or talk about often due to the feelings that it tends to bring up, or generally feeling like it's inevitable. However, talking about it is an important step in bringing this issue more to the forefront of people's minds, which is how society's norms can change over time. The goal is more around building a connection and getting people thinking about it, and not trying to prove anything. 

It also helps to remember that many people care more than we assume. Our World in Data highlights a common perception gap: people often think others care less about climate change than they actually do. Knowing that can make starting the conversation feel less intimidating.

If you are worried that a conversation will lead to argument, keep in mind that you don't need to convince anyone of anything for this to be effective. In many cases, they might even think things are actually worse than they are. Go into it more from a place of curiosity, and don't push if they are at the "hoax" stage, since those conversations are not usually productive (fortunately, only ~7% of people have this mindset!). Learning how others think about it can be a great way to understand how we can find common ground and depoliticize the issue.

As an introvert, the idea of bringing this topic up is pretty daunting (talking to people at all is a bit daunting for me), so if conversation isn't your strong suit, here's some ways I work up to it:

• Start online – I personally feel more comfortable sending a chat vs in-person conversation, so try starting with a chat like: "I know this is random but do you ever worry about climate change? It crosses my mind a lot lately."
• Practice with chat roulette – Go to sites like randotalk.com and ask people: "So I'm doing a bit of an experiment and asking people this – how do you feel about climate change?"
• Talk to people you know well – Start with like-minded friends before trying to talk to people with differing views.

Share what has worked for you

One way to make these conversations easier is to talk about climate actions you have tried and how they benefited you. A lot of climate actions also have immediate co-benefits, like improving health and saving money.

• "I started washing clothes on cold and my energy bill dropped."
• "I turned on power-saving mode and my battery lasts longer."
• "A home energy audit helped me cut heating and cooling costs."

If you want more ideas, browse our Actions page and pick one or two that genuinely resonate with your experience.

Check out this TED Talk by Katherine Hayhoe, a climate scientist who focuses on communicating about climate change and keeping it productive.