One of the most effective ways to drive climate action is engaging in meaningful conversations with your friends, family, and neighbours! After a major weather event like Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton that just hit millions of people in Florida, people want to understand what's happening around them. This presents an opportunity to help them see the connection between fossil fuel pollution, extreme weather and the need for climate action.
First, get the conversation started: For example, “Have you heard about the hurricanes that hit Florida recently?”
Lead with the truth and help people to connect the dots: “These extreme weather events are abnormal, unnatural, and are caused by fossil fuel pollution.”
During your conversation, you may run into some misinformation. You may hear comments about:
Name the misinformation and tell the person that it is not true. For example, “Some people think this extreme weather is within natural variations, but it’s not true.”
Then, redirect the conversation back to the truth. To equip yourself more truths, check out the latest backgrounders from the CAFES Climate Misinformation Team:
Each backgrounder contains speaking notes with credible facts and sources to back them up. We’ve taken the time to dig deep, so that you don’t have to.
Remember to always start and finish with the truth, and dispel the misinformation in between. It’s called a truth sandwich. This proven method can help change people's perspectives and encourage them to join the millions already engaged in climate action.
By speaking up and encouraging more individuals to join the movement for climate action, we can collectively work towards a better future for ourselves and our children. If you use these resources in your conversations or other communications, we'd love to hear about it! Please share your experiences with us by emailing info@cafesottawa.ca!