If you’re reading this blog, you probably think that climate change is important. You’ve probably seen or heard about the recent IPCC report, and are aware that climate pressures are mounting.
You also may have had a conversation with somebody who says something along the lines of:
“Eh… it’s a problem for my grandkids haha!”
or
“It’s not affecting me, I don’t care much tbh. Anyway, longer summers might be nice!”
This is a common point of view and with the flurry of information in the media, a lot of people are unsure about the causes of climate change, how it will affect us, or whether it is even real. And that’s understandable… you can’t be up to date with all of the news!
But spreading knowledge about climate change is key to tackling the issue, as we are under time pressure to limit damage before we pass the benchmark of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and things start going seriously wrong. See the article here.
So when you meet someone who isn’t very interested in environmental issues, what can you say?
Here are three key points you can make, to see if you can get them engaged with the issue:
Yes, it’s real
No, it wasn’t invented by the Chinese (thanks for that one Trump – see the full article here).
There is very strong evidence that climate change is linked to human activity and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, 97% or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree. It is happening now, and it is happening fast. NASA says so.
Climate change is a humanitarian issue
Okay, so you don’t care about the polar bears. And you are convinced that climate change is not going to be a problem for you in your lifetime. But climate change is impacting people now. Sea level rise, desertification and increasing tropical storms are pushing people out of their homes. Crops are failing, and people are going hungry. The lack of freshwater in some areas is causing political conflict. Changing climates are impacting people’s health. (Find out more here)
It can also be argued that climate change is in fact an issue of race, gender and class, as it is impacting the underprivileged of society the most. These articles by the Guardian and Climate Science Research Centre, Oxford, can tell you more.
So, it’s not an issue for your grandkids. Climate change is affecting people in our world right now.
If you like TED talks… why not watch this one to find out more?
And actually, it most definitely will affect you!
Climate change is global. That means that it is going to have impacts in all corners of the world. The UK won’t be a desert anytime soon, but there will be impacts here.
If you care more about the economy than the environmental and humanitarian issues, then you should still care about climate change. It is predicted to have negative impacts on the UK and global economies. This article by the Guardian and research by University of Sussex.
And you may end up missing out on some of your favourite imported foods like coffee and chocolate!!
In conclusion…
When you come across somebody who seems apathetic toward the issue of climate change, hopefully these three simple points will draw them in to the topic and help them to see why they should care.
A note for your future climate change conversations: Nobody wants to feel stupid or be told what to do. Try not to be patronising or argumentative, as this tends to lead to less sensible arguments. Simply present your facts, and listen to their point of view. You might not be able to convince someone that day, but you might just send them away thinking about whether they should care a bit more about our changing world.
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