“No one empathizes with figures and graphs”

“We need more constructive information, which indicates the seriousness of the problem but also the solutions,” comments climate communicator Ireñe Baños.

There is more and more talk about the climate crisis. Partly because, little by little, more social awareness is being created about the seriousness of this problem. And also partly because the advance of this phenomenon, which is causing everything from infernal heat waves to extreme floods, makes it impossible to ignore the existence of this emergency. But more talk about it is not, in and of itself, a victory. In fact, there are many who, when faced with this type of news, end up developing either a feeling of “climate fatigue” or a feeling of anguish. “Neither of the two reactions is useful to the cause. We need to find another way of talking about the climate crisis so that people feel that it is something that concerns them,” explain several activists, environmental educators and climate journalists.

One of the keys to addressing this debate, as explained by environmental educator Sera Huertas, is to understand that we are facing a complex issue. “We have been organizing seminars on how to communicate the climate crisis for twenty years and we always end up with the feeling that we have not found the right key. But sometimes we have to understand that, regardless of the efforts we make, It’s not always easy to ask people to care about the climate While the inflation shoot up prices, mortgages Images of the massacres that the war is leaving are continually uploaded and sent to us,” he comments. “Even so, it is more important than ever to talk about the climate crisis. And it takes courage to continue driving the debates necessary to address this problem,” he adds.

Right now, much of the climate news tends to focus on scientific reports that warn about the seriousness of the situation. “These alarm messages serve to draw attention to the issue, but not to mobilize action. People do not empathize with figures and graphs, but with human stories“comments the young activist Maria Serra, one of the ambassadors of the European climate pact. “We must talk about the fight against the climate crisis with close examples, inspiring stories and, above all, as an opportunity to create a better future. We need closer, more local stories, anything that helps us put a face and eyes on both this crisis and its possible solutions,” comments this activist who, in her day, was one of the first promoters of the Fridays for future movement in Barcelona.

“Constructive information”

In recent years, the climate crisis has managed to break into the agenda of practically all major media outlets as well as countless entertainment programs. “Before this topic was only talked about in the sections of environment. Now, however, we see that it is being talked about from the field of politics to economics and culture“, comments climate journalist Marta Montojo, a specialist in this type of content. This summer, without going any further, thousands of news stories have been published about the Temperature records and heat extremes. “It is positive that this issue is linked to the climate crisis, but it is of little use to try to raise awareness about the seriousness of this phenomenon if we then illustrate this type of news with people sunbathing on the beach or eating ice cream,” he comments.

The avalanche of news about this summer’s extreme heat also allows us to put another reflection on the table about how we communicate the climate change. “If we only settle for repeating that all this is the fault of the climate crisis, without providing any type of explanation as to why this phenomenon occurs or its possible solutions, the only thing we achieve is causing even more distress to the people who are suffering from it. heat in their own flesh,” reflects climate communicator Ireñe Baños, author of the book ‘Ecoansias’. “We need more constructive information, which indicates the seriousness of the problem but also the solutions“adds the specialist.

Health benefits

The last major obstacle in climate communication, and perhaps the most difficult to overcome, is the famous call to action. That is to say, once the message about the seriousness of this crisis has been conveyed, how will we get people to join the fight against this phenomenon? “It must be explained that This is not only about saving the planet, but also about improving well-being and health of people,” says Sera Huertas. In this sense, as this environmental educator explains, it has been seen that one of the arguments that most convinces people to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle are the benefits that this entails for health. A gesture as simple as replacing a car trip with a walk not only reduces emissions but can also be beneficial for physical and mental health. mental.

“We have to stop talking about the changes necessary to address the climate crisis in terms of sacrifices and start approaching them as a opportunity to live better“comments Bruno Martín, scientific communicator and creator of the ‘Ecoinsomnes’ podcast. When talking about the transformation of cities and the progressive reduction of combustion cars, for example, Martín suggests not focusing the debate in terms of prohibition but on an opportunity to build greener, healthier spaces with more opportunities to live happily in society. “The fight against the climate crisis gives us the opportunity to create a fairer world for everyone,” concludes the communicator, appealing, once again, to the hope.