That headline may seem like the most obvious thing in the world—when you talk about something, people understanding it better. However, in the light of multiple studies showing that convincing people of something they don’t believe is often all but impossible, no matter how much evidence is placed in front of them, this study in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science is something of a relief. But there’s something more here. When this study means “talking about” it doesn’t mean watching the news on television, or posting something on Twitter. It means talking. As in, to another person.
Scientists at Yale and Cambridge looked at the role of interpersonal discussion in convincing people of the science behind the climate crisis and the need to take steps to address it. What they found was that “discussing global warming with friends and family leads people to learn influential facts, such as the scientific consensus that human-caused global warming is happening.” That conversation helped not just with basic understanding of the issue, but helped to support the idea that steps have to be taken to address this crisis. And the more such conversations people had, the more engaged their family and friends became.
For a lot of people, this seems like a big ask. It’s so much easier to madke statements about any topic on a social media site where someone is relatively anonymous, or on a site like Daily Kos where a progressive, informed opinion is likely to enjoy strong support. But talking to people face to face—especially people you know and love—when those people may hold opinions ground into them by Republican politicians, Fox News, and talk radio … that can be hard. After all, no one wants to drive yet another schism into their family, not when the current political situation already has created so many opportunities for division.
But what this study shows is that your personal interactions are important. Much more important than those casual statements that come over the airwaves or the internet.
By letting your family and friends know not the facts behind the human-created climate crisis, you’re not only informing them, you’re approaching them on a topic where the amount of evidence to support your position is overwhelming. And the conversation may actually lead to progress in other areas. As the study says, “climate conversations with friends and family enter people into a proclimate social feedback loop.” That loop might just save the world and your relationships.
Where other research on convincing people of climate science looked at educational and social backgrounds, and often dealt with information being received from sources such as scientists and government agencies, this study looked directly at what happens when people hear about the climate crisis from people they already know.
“Although people seldom discuss climate change with friends and family, discussion with others in one’s close social network can be an important route by which people may learn key facts about an issue, such as the scientific consensus on climate change.”
So stop sending links. Start talking face to face. You have my permission to leave and start right away.