Telling Stories about Climate Change

Recent years have seen many calls for climate scientists to become better storytellers. Storytelling has intuitive appeal: In a world made increasingly nonsensical by climate change, storytelling helps make sense of the world, as it always has. Yet, despite calls for climate scientists to be better...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Professional geographer Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 309 - 316
Main Author Harris, Dylan M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Routledge 02.07.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Ambiguity
Climate change
Climate change communication
Communication
Fieldwork
Geography
Scientists
Storytelling
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Summary:Recent years have seen many calls for climate scientists to become better storytellers. Storytelling has intuitive appeal: In a world made increasingly nonsensical by climate change, storytelling helps make sense of the world, as it always has. Yet, despite calls for climate scientists to be better storytellers, there is no consensus about what counts as a story or about how scientists should tell stories. This article responds to calls for climate scientists to become better storytellers. Specifically, it relates three lessons drawn from extensive interviews and fieldwork with storytellers in Appalachia and Alaska, in which they responded to questions regarding what advice they would give to scientists struggling to communicate their research. The three lessons center on the importance of context and connection, the utility of ambiguity, and the importance of listening, as well as speaking, to intended audiences. Key Words: applied geography, climate change communication, public outreach, science communication, storytelling.
ISSN:0033-0124
1467-9272
DOI:10.1080/00330124.2019.1686996