Climate Change and Environmental Speakers’ Impact Today
Aside from climate research, another important aspect in the fight against climate change is climate change communication. Climate researchers today know that it is not enough to simply present an audience with scientific evidence on the reality of global warming and climate change. The reception of the message is just as important as the message itself, so environmental leaders try and find ways to make their message come across effectively.
When climate change speakers successfully leave an impact on their audiences, the result is an alignment, refinement, and development in perspective among environmental activists, enthusiasts, and soon-to-be supporters. Read on to learn about the impact that an effective climate change and environmental keynote speaker leaves in his or her audience.
Their impact varies across audiences
An effective climate change communicator will factor in who their audience is and how best to make them respond to their presentation. For example, people of different age groups respond better to climate change messages depending on the context. If you show someone in their fifties and up “how the world looked like before”, they are likely to long for a cleaner, greener past, and then be hooked on to what can be done to restore that past. For a younger person, a presentation with a focus on the future would be more effective: as in, “This is how the world will look like in twenty years.” It is essentially the same message but framed in different ways: and the same messenger would be able to instill the same determination in different audiences. The present is such a ripe time for climate change discussion, and climate change speakers use the present as the perfect opportunity to bring people together with time-context discussions.
Their impact bridges physical and emotional gaps
Another problem that climate change communication seeks to solve is the problem of distance. The physical distance between a person and the problem also breeds emotional distance from the issue at hand. A person in the city will not be able to relate to climate refugees in tropical countries. A human being will not be able to relate to migrating endangered species in the wild. Out of sight, out of mind. Most people forget to think about climate change because they may not directly experience climate change effects. This contributes to what sociologists refer to as “socially constructed silence,” something an effective climate change speaker would be able to break. They do this by telling human and relatable stories and inspiring positivity among their audiences.
Climate Change Communication in Australia
A study done by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (accessed via a guide made available by The Climate Council of Australia) shows the following snapshot of public opinion:
79% of Australians believe that climate change is happening
60% of Australians are worried about climate change
65% report already experiencing the impacts of climate change
80% expect that they will experience some level of harm from climate change 58% of people believe extreme weather is happening more frequently
60% think extreme weather events have become more severe
This shows that the Australian public opinion on climate change is in relatively good shape thanks to impactful climate change communication. People are sufficiently aware and concerned of climate change’s effects.
From here, climate change speakers focus on the solution. CCA’s guide states that public opinion research informs that people are more likely to accept scientific evidence on climate change when they are presented with solutions. Not only that, Australians respond better when they see the benefit of solutions, such as reduced pollution or more sustainable energy sources.
This progress will be sustained as climate change and environmental speakers are using the impact they know they have on audiences to drive people to contributing to environmental solutions. They make environmental activists out of consumers, citizens, Australians of all backgrounds and experiences. Want to experience the positive impact of a discussion from one of Australia’s most notable climate change and environmental keynote speakers? You and your organisation should meet Ian Cohen, a key figure in the Australian environmental movement. He had an active participation in the heyday of Australian environmental activism and has not stopped since. He’s served in organisations and in government, and today, he provides keynote speaking services to people who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding on the climate issue. In his appearances in environmental conferences, he weaves in his life stories into a message that is accessible, relatable, and inspiring.
Head on over to the Ian Cohen website to schedule an appointment today. For your enquiries, leave a message via the website’s contact form.
