The Ocean Project posts weekly roundups of the key strategic ocean and climate communication resources we’ve been tweeting. Each link will be posted with a short description of what you’ll find—please feel free to ask us any questions.
News & Discussion
Check out these timely articles and essays which may be helpful for framing various environmental issues, connecting with specific audiences, or otherwise informing your storytelling and communications.
- Can a movie about ice melt deniers’ hearts?
You may have heard about the recently released documentary Chasing Ice, which follows environmental photographer James Balog on assignment in the Arctic to capture images of melting glaciers. This video of a woman tearfully talking about how the film changed her from global warming denier to activist went viral last week and raised the question—how much can a film do to change hearts and mind on environmental issues? - World Bank: “4°C Warming Simply Must Not Be Allowed To Occur”
The World Bank releases a disturbing report on how four degrees of warming would change life on Earth for humans. Basically, it’s not good, especially for impoverished areas. Worse? We’re on schedule to reach four degrees of warming by the year 2100. - The Rise of Mobile News and Implications for Climate Change Coverage
A recent report from Pew found that half of the US adult population has a mobile internet-connected device, two-thirds of which use those devices to access news. In a world where news consumers often get their news exclusively from sources they already agree with, and where news often arrives with minimal context, what does this mean for climate change communication? - The Reality of Coal Mining Jobs
The debate over coal in the US is often framed as JOB KILLERS vs. HARDWORKING AMERICANS, but is this story really accurate? The short answer: nope. SightlineDailygives a very interesting overview of the issue.
Resources
Some new studies, market research, toolkits, and strategies that may be helpful when communicating about conservation and climate change.
- Urgency for Action Increasing in America
ecoAffect sums up a recent poll showing that 82% Democrats, 73% Independents and 50% of Republicans show desire for climate action as they worry about extreme weather and its associated growing costs. 65%, a majority of voters want immediate action and urge for renewable energy over fossil fuels or the tar sand pipeline. - Two articles about solutions
We enjoyed two complimentary articles about overcoming hurdles to climate change communication from ClimateAccessrecently. Entering the Murky Solutions Spaceby Cara Pike and Motivating Climate Action with Stories, Ethics, Faith and Fun by Meredith Herr break down some simple ways to connect with your audience about solutions to the climate crisis. Both articles are chock full of interesting ideas and tons of links for further reading.
