75-1 Gold Medal Lecture Series: From Worried to Activated: Effective Climate Communication in an Online World

Abstract:

In the scientific community, we typically operate on the assumption that facts change minds and, if needed, drive action. Yet on polarized, ideologically-charged issues, research has shown that greater scientific literacy does not necessarily produce greater agreement with the evidence. And when awareness of the risks rises without a matching sense of what we can do about them, people's sense of efficacy can fall, paradoxically leaving them less motivated to act, not more. Online, the challenge is amplified as people increasingly cluster into ideologically homogeneous spaces whose algorithms feed them more of what they already believe. Those same algorithms tend to prioritize conflict and fear – because they increase engagement – over constructive, efficacy-building messages. This in turn drives people to doom-scroll, or even attack allies, rather than build supportive communities. Does this mean scientists should give up on online communication? I don’t believe so; instead, it means we need to be very clear about what we are doing, who we are doing it for, and how. For example, many science communication efforts initially focus on those who outright deny the science — on origins, vaccines, climate, and more. However, data shows they are a vocal but small minority. On climate, the majority of people in every country, including the U.S., are already worried. What they lack most is efficacy: knowing what to do, and trusting that it will work. That gap, between the worried majority and the far smaller number already activated, is exactly where communication can do the most good. A perspective based on public opinion data and behavioral science can effectively reframe both our purpose and our audience: not to change minds, but to move the curious and the worried from concern to action. I argue, with real-world examples from my own work, that we do this most effectively by starting not with facts or fear but with the values people already hold, offering agency and concrete solutions rather than alarm, and meeting people where they are instead of arguing across divides.

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