Hi John,
We all know the feeling – you’re home with your family for the holidays, it’s a cosy Sunday evening, and everyone’s sat around the dinner table.
Suddenly an uncle you see once a year starts talking about politics. From across the table you hear him exclaim, ‘Actually, the Earth is still coming out of the last ice age, so I’m not sure human-made climate change is something we should be worrying about!’
Your blood is boiling. Half the table is looking at you for a response. How do you react?
Now I’m sure we’ve all chosen option two to keep the peace, and certainly I’ve opted for the momentarily-satisfying option one in moments of frustration.
But if we want to convince our loved ones to join the climate movement, option three is how we win hearts and minds, even though it is often the hardest to do.
Just a note before I start: this isn’t about myth-busting, but rather how we can hear each other with openness and compassion. I’ve found this to be quite useful before, and I hope it helps you with difficult conversations as well.
1. Connect to Real Life
Start with real-life experiences – the climate crisis is real and we see it on the news every day.
Everyone can relate to changing weather patterns locally. It could work as a way to start the conversation, and help invoke emotions when talking about climate change, especially when climate disasters have been on the news.
2. Share Your Own Story – And Listen To Theirs
People love stories – hearing them, telling them. Evidence shows the emotions stories help persuade people much better than simply reeling off facts.
So when discussing climate change, focus on personal experiences and emotions to make your message compelling. Describe local impacts you've encountered and how they've affected you. Share your own story into climate activism – what drove you to take action?
Parents love hearing about their children’s passions, so if you’re talking to your mum or dad, show them exactly how much this means to you.
And remember, you’re not giving a PowerPoint presentation! Just as much as you love telling stories, it’s important to listen, too. Think of it as a chance to really learn why your family believe what they do.
3. Appeal to Their Values
Consider the person you're talking to and frame your argument in language that resonates with their own values. If your family aren’t interested in politics, meet them on their terms.
For a nature or hiking enthusiast, discuss deforestation's impact on natural habitats and ecosystems. For someone interested in technology, discuss exciting new developments in the field of sustainable tech.
4. Offer Hope
It's natural to feel down sometimes, but I've found that people respond better to optimistic messages than gloomy ones. You can share successes in climate action that you've been part of or talk about how we can achieve more victories together when we unite against powerful forces.
Encourage your family to take follow-up actions, like joining 350.org's mailing list or attending a local event. Remember, you can't convince everyone immediately, and that's okay.
If they are interested, you can send them a link to take their first action with us. We’ve drafted a quick message for you to send, all you have to do is click!
You may not turn a skeptic into an activist in one conversation. But if you practice empathy and active listening, and make sure to ask open, non-judgmental questions, it could go further than you think. If a constructive conversation isn't possible, change the topic.
And remember, be kind to each other and to yourself too – you've given your best effort, no matter the outcome.
Onwards,
Tre for 350.org
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