“Psychology is the X factor for unlocking action on climate and ecological crises,”

says renowned behavioral scientist Dr. Renée Lertzman.

Climate change is scary and talking about it to peers, coworkers, and family can be equally as scary. However, behavioral scientists and psychologists can offer us tips on how to effectively communicate the climate emergency in ways that build trust with peers and move people to action.

This article will outline some of the work of clinical psychologist Jane Morton and behavioral scientist Dr. Renée Lertzman in climate communication.

Photo by A1Cafel via Wikepedia Commons

Jane Morton is a former clinical psychologist and now an Australian climate activist who specializes in climate emergency communication. She is the author of Don’t Mention the Emergency?, a booklet about climate messaging, and is currently leading the campaign ‘Vote Climate Australia.’ Using her background in clinical psychology, she emphasizes the importance of framing climate change as a crisis and offers guidance on how to effectively talk about the existential threat that we face. 

Renee Lertzman, giving a Ted Talk in 2020, Courtesy of R. Lertzman.

Dr. Lertzman is a behavioral scientist who studied psychology at the University of Santa Cruz as an undergraduate and then specialized in environmental communications as a graduate at the University of North Carolina. Since completing her PhD in psychosocial studies at Cardiff University, Dr. Lertzman served as a research fellow and faculty member at several universities and has engaged as a speaker, advisor, and partner to businesses, governments, and non-profits to mobilize a response to climate change. In 2019, she founded Project InsideOut, which offers a guide for people and organizations to take the lead on climate change solutions and environmental policy.

– – – 

The way we speak to people does really matter. Using science, we can find the most effective ways to frame the climate crisis to not only move people to action but also to guide them towards the most important environmental work. Having meaningful conversations about climate change is a vital Climate Step to raising awareness about its severity, emphasizing why taking action matters, and encouraging productive next steps. So, how can we best communicate the climate crisis to make a difference?

Some of Jane Morton’s Guidance:

What language should I use when communicating the climate crisis?

Jane Morton starts a talk at the 19th National Sustainable Living Festival by emphasizing, “Look reality in the eye, do everything you can to keep safe, then let go of worrying.” The teach-in introduces her book Don’t Mention the Emergency? in which she advocates for a transparent portrayal of the threat of climate change. There’s a common notion that emphasizing the gravity of climate change and the danger of our potential future might overwhelm and shut people down. However, Morton stresses that fear appeals, coupled with an action plan or a solution, ARE effective, and that it is guilt, instead of fear, that paralyzes us. In her speech, she covers the importance of using clear communication about urgency and offers tips to communicate effectively.

“Fear appeals ARE effective… it is guilt, instead of fear, that paralyzes us.”

Graphic by Freepik via freepik.com

Drawing on clinical psychology, her book offers guidelines on effective language to highlight the climate emergency: Use quick, highly charged phrases such as climate emergency, climate crisis and chaos, climate disruption, and irreparable damage instead of climate change or Paris targets to stress the scope and gravity of the problem that we are facing. By emphasizing the danger and reality of the climate emergency, we are more likely to convince people why action NOW is important. 

In addressing urgency, she notes the effectiveness of graphs, anecdotes of dramatic weather events, and references to the breakdown of civilization. Morton also emphasizes the effectiveness of high-threat messaging. “A 2015 meta-analysis of 127 public health research studies concluded: “Fear appeals are effective at positively influencing attitudes, intentions, and behaviors; there are very few circumstances in which they are not effective, and there are no identified circumstances under which they backfire and lead to undesirable outcomes.”

Alongside evidence, appeal to people’s values. Framing the climate crisis by how it would impact relationships with loved ones or by how taking action appeals to individual values allows people to connect with their stake in preserving our Earth. She summarizes: “In their hearts, most people value the same things: health and happiness for themselves and their loved ones; good relationships with friends and family; leaving a positive legacy; and a safe climate future for their children.” 

What matters is appealing to the specific values of our audience. For example, if we are talking to a farmer, we should talk to them about the financial impact a warming planet could have on their business or the ability to pass down their farm to future generations of their family. If we’re talking to a neighbor, tie climate change to how it is impacting or will impact our beloved community.

Drone photo by Freepik, via Freepik.com.

Finally, directly address the cause of climate change: immoral billionaires. By turning to statistics such as 83 individuals owning more than ½ the world’s population and 1000 companies being responsible for most GHGs, we are able to accurately and simply portray the problem. She suggests using strong, direct language—such as knowingly lied, doing irreparable damage, an unprecedented crime, destroying freedom of the press, and buying politicians—when the context calls for moral clarity and urgency. Doing so simplifies the root issue and provides people with identifiable counter actions.

Guidance by Renée Lertzman:

How do we create spaces for effective conversations about climate change?

Lertzman’s work is also informed by psychology and behavioral science, and she provides strategies to foster environments in which those we talk to can deconstruct or revise their thinking on climate change. In other words, she teaches us how to create spaces where we can communicate effectively, and where the person we are communicating with can actually hear us. In a recent article, she outlines five strategies:

1. Be real with ourselves and with others. It is important to stay in touch with how we are feeling about the climate crisis and to give ourselves and others space for reflection and processing. First, if we are burnt out or exhausted, we won’t be able to communicate well. Lertzman references the concept of the window of tolerance—the range within which a person can effectively process and respond to difficult emotions without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. Being aware of this helps us gauge both our own capacity and that of others when having emotionally charged conversations. 

2. With others, show that you are human and that you care. Try to communicate with storytelling. How does climate organizing make you feel? How did a certain action impact you? Even if it’s negative, communicating personal stories and experiences establishes a sense of genuineness and empathy that is vital to creating trust and sparking action.

Graphic by Pikisuperstar, via Freepik.com

3. When communicating the climate emergency, reflect on the tone, content, and impact of your message. Is your communication all hopeful or cheery? While optimism has its place, portraying only the positive aspects can lull people into complacency. On the other hand, if your messaging is all doom and gloom, it can paralyze rather than mobilize, as mentioned above. Make space for stories of regrowth, resistance, and action. We need realistic hope—stories that acknowledge the gravity of the emergency while offering a path forward through technology, policy, and our collective action.

4. Consider your use of information: is it overly data-heavy or missing data entirely?  Lertzman notes in her article to also strike a balance between scientific evidence and human-centered storytelling. Data grounds us in reality, but stories move us to care and act. Storytelling with an edge—truthful, urgent, emotionally resonant—can inspire deeper engagement.

5. Help build and foster containers: intentional, relational spaces where people feel safe to process hard truths. These spaces allow for vulnerability, learning, and mutual support. They help cultivate long-term relationships that are essential for sustained, strategic action. In these containers, consistent communication and care allow people to confront reality together, imagine new possibilities, and move toward collective solutions with both courage and connection. If we create a safe environment for difficult conversations, our audience will be receptive and express their own concerns. The goal is to build a space where ongoing, deeper conversations can unfold over time.

 Photo by Freepik, via Freepik.com

 

 

What information about the climate crisis can I reference?

Here are some materials you may find helpful in these conversations. 

The climate crisis and what it can mean for the future:

• Changes in food production: How will climate change affect crop yields in the future? – Our World in Data
• Texas might become unlivable by 2100: Will Texas become too hot for humans?
• How will the U.S. be impacted by sea level rise?: 6 US Regions That Could Disappear Underwater By 2050 – WorldAtlas
• How were the L.A. Fires influenced by climate change: Climate Change A Factor In Unprecedented LA Fires | Sustainable LA Grand Challenge
• How is climate change is impacting air travel: Climate Change is Disrupting Air Travel | Climate Central
• Water crisis in the US: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-americas-looming-water-crisis 

Regrowth, wins, and the outcome of collective action:

• Campaign wins of Greenpeace: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/71853/hope-is-created-through-action-climate-environmental-victories-of-2024/ 
• Big climate wins: Nine breakthroughs for climate and nature in 2023 you may have missed
• Chevron to pay 740 million to restore the Louisiana coast, setting the groundwork for future environmental lawsuits in America: Chevron ordered to pay over $740 million to restore Louisiana coast – Los Angeles Times
• Renewable energy is now the cheapest form of energy: Renewables: Cheapest form of power | United Nations
• Is renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels? | Eco Experts
• Young forests can curb climate change: Natural Forest Regrowth and Carbon Capture | World Resources Institute
• Reintroduction of species and megafauna to Europe: THE STORY OF A RECOVERABLE EARTH – Rewilding
• Greta Thunberg making a difference: 3 Years of Greta Thunberg’s Activism: How the Swedish Teenager Grew a Global Climate Movement

 

 

Final Notes:

 

Real change doesn’t come from a single moment; it comes from relationships rooted in trust, consistency, and care. This might look like designating a time each week to check in with how each is feeling about the climate crisis, or creating an email thread to share climate news. Importantly, you want your connections to feel like there is something to do and that what they do matters. Refer them to Climate Steps! CSteps website and Facebook/Instagram platforms are not only a safe space to speak about the climate emergency and the emotions it brings up, but CSteps can also provide important information and actions your friends and family can take to uniquely shape their role in combating climate change; see our other articles on Social/Community level actions. Emphasize any action being better than no action, because, as Dr. Morton says, it is guilt that paralyzes us – action will alleviate that. 

This article by no means reflects how every conversation about the climate emergency should go. Each person, conversation, and context is different. However, using these tips shaped by behavioral change science and psychology can offer us a first step into communicating climate change. Ultimately, being better communicators helps us create more effective and meaningful connections, which have benefits even beyond climate work. By establishing trust with ourselves and others and understanding how to best express the facts of the climate crisis, we hold the potential to unlock individual and collective action for a livable future. 

Graphic is by Freepik, via Freepik.com

——————- 

Leah Zahniser is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy. Currently interning with ClimateSteps, she is exploring behavioral change science as it relates to climate action.

Header graphic by Freepik, via Freepik.com