American voters have not received enough effective messaging about “Why” Global Warming should be their number one priority.
Too often, messaging from the Greens to the public about Global Warming focuses on the science of “How” Global Warming is happening. Unfortunately, the science is complicated and this message almost always includes the metric system. But Americans do not relate to their world in either degrees Celsius or meters of sea level rise. And most Americans do not have a four-year college degree. So is a Global Warming message wrapped around the complex science of global warming really be the best way to reach and engage voters on this issue?
Another flaw with much of the current Global Warming messaging is a failure to place blame for this catastrophe. Too many times, the message about Global Warming is like this:
“Global Warming is a massive threat to our civilization and we must do something about it.”
But “What” exactly are we supposed to do? Too many messengers leave this last and most important question unanswered. Perhaps this is because many of the messengers are non-profit environmental groups which cannot take explicitly partisan positions. Or perhaps the messengers are mainstream media companies who are hoping to engage the widest possible audience by not placing the clear partisan blame for this crisis where it belongs. But in either case this is a big problem, because here in America solving Global Warming fairly simple – vote Democrat. Yes, it is that simple. And voters need to hear that. Over and Over and Over again.
So if we want American voters to make Global Warming their number one issue, the message must have two components. First, simply focus on “What” is going to happen due to Global Warming. Leave out all the science and the metric system. A lot of bad stuff is headed our way and voters need to know about these consequences, not the complex science behind the consequences. And the messages MUST be geographically specific; tailored to places where voters actually live. Generic “heatwaves”, “droughts”, and “superstorms” are too easily dismissed by an audience as happening somewhere else. And second, the message must empower the audience so that they realize they can help solve the climate crisis through the simple act of voting.
Simple, powerful, geographically specific messages are what we need. Like the message above.