This selection of videos can be used to introduce communicating climate change into a seasonal or developmental training setting for early to mid-career interpreters and place-based informal science educators. Each video, while worth a full watch has also been time coded for brevity and use in a limited training session. Along with the time codes we have provided a list of discussion topics, questions, and techniques to accompany each clip.
Topics Covered:
- The basic science of climate change thru the carbon cycle.
- How we know that the current climate crisis is caused by humans.
- Wise practices for communication of climate change.
- How climate science can provide solutions.
- Why hope is so important in climate change messaging.
The Carbon Crisis in 90 Seconds - Presented by Dr. Peter Griffith, NASA
For a deeper dive watch Dr. Griffith's full presentation on the carbon cycle.
Carbon - Watch the full video - it's only 90 seconds!
We often take the term “climate change” for granted. But do we understand the crisis at its most basic level?
Group Discussion Prior to Viewing
- Ask your participants to jot down in as few words as possible a description of what climate change is. You can even be creative and make this an interpretive writing exercise: limit their characters, create a haiku, etc.
Group Discussion After Viewing
- How did they do? Popcorn some answers, look for revelations or agreements with how Dr. Griffith presented the metaphor.
- Do your participants feel comfortable explaining the basics of GCC to an audience in under a minute?
Deeper dive?
- Watch Dr. Griffith’s full presentation, “Carbon, a love story”
- Discover more with Earth to Sky's Earth Sysytems training module: https://earthtosky.org/professional-development/earth-as-a-system.html
- Check out our resources page for more NASA Earth Science content! https://earthtosky.org/library/recommended-resources.html
Climate Change: Past, Present, and Future - Presented by Dr. Kate Marvel, NASA
We Understand Why - Start at 0:50-10:00
A concern many interpreters have is how to engage with climate deniers. Especially those who seem to have done some research into the most common/popular arguments that there are non-human causes for the rise in observed temperatures.
Group Discussion Before Viewing
- Poll your participants. How do they feel about engaging with climate deniers? What are their expectations/fears/questions? Do any of them have stories to share about past experiences?
Group Discussion After Viewing
- Did the use of the graphs make the anthropogenic claim clearer?
- How might these visuals be deployed in the field? In a program/rove/as support for an engagement with a climate denier?
Speaking of Climate Change - Presented by Todd Cullings, NPS
Snowmelt and the 7 Climate Change Communicators - Start at 53:49-1:32:04
How do we do it? We want to talk about the impacts of climate change on our resource. We might be mandated to talk about it in our programs or roves. We may even have an audience eager to hear about it. But we just don’t know where to start. Ranger Todd breaks down the basics of climate change communications wise practices in a fun and memorable way using some familiar faces from a Disney classic.
This is a lengthy clip but one that is perfect for group work.
- Divide up your participants into 7 groups and assign one of the “7 communicators” to each. Have them watch their assigned clip, summarize the segment into a few sentences or bullet points, reflect on their reaction to it, and present to the larger group.
Group Discussion After Viewing & Report Outs
- Vote with your feet. Post images of each communicator around your training space and ask your participants to move to the dwarf that: Which of the seven most resonated with you? Which are you most eager to watch on your own? Which do you think you would struggle the most to implement? Which do you think will be most effective here at our resource?
- Popcorn answer from their seat. Do you already practice any of these techniques or utilize these tips? How has that worked for you in the past? Did this presentation help put that experience into focus and give a “name” to your practice?
- Roleplay. Pair share some ideas and examples of one of the communicators in practice. Give your participants a few minutes to jot down some ideas to workshop with a partner and give it a try through roleplay.
Timestamps for the Seven Climate Change Communicators
- 54:26 Lane
- 57:12 Micro Messenger
- 1:02:54 Hopeful
- 1:07:02 Doubtful
- 1:11:57 Big R
- 1:18:12 Wordy
- 1:27:52 Doc Norm
Deeper dive?
- Check out Earth to Sky's, Climate Communcation Starter Kit: https://earthtosky.org/library/climate-communication-starter-kit.html
NASA Earth: Our Role in Climate Resilience - Presented by Ayia Lindquist, NASA
Science Supported Decision Making - Start at 11:38-22:54
How can we be effective moving forward? What changes will really make a difference? Productive solutions-based messaging can help provide hope, confidence, and inspire meaningful action in our audiences. Ayia provides real-work examples of how NASA science has influenced and been implemented in local decision making to help communities employ solutions to mitigate the impacts of our changing climate.
Group Discussion After Viewing
- Which of the examples shared were most compelling to you?
- What are the common threads in all these examples? Are there any overlaps with our local resource/community/region?
- How might you employ examples from elsewhere into your messaging and connect it to our resource and back home where your audience is from?
Exploring the Science of Emotion: Applying Insights from Behavioral Science - Presented by Heidi Zamzow, ETS Community
Hope and Human Behavior - Start at 27:06-36:52
If our audiences walk away from our programs informed but uninspired, or worse depressed with the current climate situation then what was the point of our presentation? How do we provoke the desired action we hope our audiences will take? How do we help them maintain the inspiration our site and their visit provides to them? Heidi talks about the power of hope to inspire, sustain, and maintain us for the work ahead.
Group Discussion After Viewing
This is an excellent time for some quiet reflection and journaling for your participants.
- How do you find the motivation to continue this work, day after day?
- What gives you hope and sustains you when communicating about the impacts of climate change?
- What are some ideas you have for integrating a message of hope into your programming?