Hi friend,
As the U.S. political climate has grown rapidly more divisive over the past decade, many families have become split along party lines — including mine. According to a recent New York Times poll, around one in five voters feel that their relationships with friends and family have been hurt by politics.
Especially after the recent midterm elections, which did not result in the widely predicted “red wave,” tensions may become even stronger at the dinner table.
It’s heartbreaking for me to look back and realize I have not even talked on the phone with some of my extended family since the pandemic began.
But the silence is going to be broken very soon. In one month, I will be attending a cousin’s wedding that everyone will be attending.
Friend, from one EnviroVoter to another, I am admittedly nervous about the conversations that will undoubtedly arise. Even as someone who works in climate communications, it’s not easy to face someone whom you love but deeply disagree with, and engage with them on divisive topics.
So in preparation for the wedding, and to help out anyone else who is about to brace for tough conversations at the Thanksgiving dinner table tomorrow or any other time this holiday season, I wrote a guide: How to talk to your family about the climate crisis.
