Doom and gloom won't do it - here's how to sell the climate change message - 2 views
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John Pearce on 24 Sep 14"Each of the 125 leaders attending the New York climate summit this week has been given four minutes to speak to the world. They (or their aides) may well have dipped into the climate literature to add scientific ballast to their speeches. But they may not be as familiar with the vast array of academic studies on effective communication about climate change. They should be. If world leaders and climate advocates really want to improve the chances of mobilising political will and citizen action behind a new deal, they will need to think carefully about what sort of key messages actually work. Clearly there is a balance to strike between doom-ridden messages and "bright-side" opportunities, and uncertainties around the science and the expected effects of climate change must be factored in too. Can risk language help?"