Talkin’ Climate Change
'How do I talk about climate change at social gatherings?' A guide to bringing up the topic without turning into Debbie Downer.
Sara Peach, April 1, 2019 (Yale Climate Connections)
“…[In talking about climate change, avoid being] Debbie Downer, the Saturday Night Live character played by comedian Rachel Dratch, [who] can ruin anyone’s fun with just a few facts…Debbie’s not wrong for wanting to talk about climate change with loved ones, but the way she brings it up is utterly demoralizing…[Peterson Toscano, a Pennsylvania-based performance artist who leads workshops on climate communication, said] that comedy can be an effective strategy for engaging people in difficult topics…
[Toscano, who is gay, spent nearly two decades undergoing conversion therapy, the discredited practice of attempting to alter a person’s sexual orientation. After abandoning the therapy and coming out, he struggled to talk about the harm he had experienced…[He found comedy] made the topic more approachable…[Even for non-comedians, the] first step is to learn from Debbie Downer’s most crucial mistake: She doesn’t listen…Toscano listens carefully, often asking questions, and then] begins seeding his conversations with small comments designed to make them curious…Then – crucially – he waits…If no one takes the bait, the conversation moves on. But often, someone will bite…
[They need to want that information before there can be] a much deeper conversation…[Next,] avoid another of Debbie Downer’s flaws: She is boring… To break out of that pattern, Toscano encourages people to consider why they care about climate change, beyond typical concerns about the environment and future generations…No matter your interests – sports, movies, or even true crime – it’s likely linked in some way to climate change…The bottom line? Listen more than you talk, don’t be afraid to mention climate change from time to time, and be ready to say something true and interesting when people ask you questions…” click here for more
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home