Resources

How we missed the boat, and can’t miss it again;

1. “Losing Earth: The decade we almost stopped climate change.”This is a stunning long-form work of journalism by Nathaniel Rich in The New York Times magazine. It addresses a decade-long struggle starting in 1979 to tackle climate change, and explains, in vivid detail, why that effort ultimately did not achieve its goal.

Why communicating climate is such a challenge

2. “Communicating climate change: History, challenges, process and future directions” by Susanne Moser. Moser is a prominent voice in the field of environmental communication. Her piece explores some of the reasons that communication and engagement on climate can be such a challenge. 

Why the first thing to do is understand your audience

3. Global Warming’s Six Americas. This is the gold-standard report on understanding audiences for climate communication. Conventional journalism often treats the audience as if they are a monolithic, largely passive  whole. But knowing who you are talking to is crucial for effective climate communication.

Why hopeful messages and solutions matter

4. “Contesting conflict: Efficacy, advocacy and alternative media in British Columbia.” SFU Proferssor Shane Gunster makes a solid case for solutions-oriented reporting on climate. He also makes an important distinction between conflict frames that are destructive versus those that can actually be helpful. 

5. “Environmental melodrama.” By Steven Schwarze. This is a solid academic piece that makes a case for more dramatic narratives in climate communication. Schwarze argues that polarization can actually play a helpful role when it comes to mobilizing action.

Additional resources