Streamlining Global Climate Communication

Summary

Health impacts from extreme weather events have massive, deleterious effects on our communities. Plots from mankinds long history of storytelling cannot help us prepare for the unprecedented environmental shifts we are experiencing. Dystopian plots focusing on a catastrophic future caused by climate change often immobilize rather than spur action. Despite over a half-century of evidence that science and health communication strategies, including entertainment-education, can effectively change human behavior, such strategies are rarely applied by our contemporary entertainment or media industries. Tools from social psychology, including social modeling and building self and collective efficacy, can help us to create a new model for current, culturally-relevant stories that can help communities prepare for extreme events. These solution stories are hopeful, funny stories that effectively teach climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies. Solution stories are set in the present day and frame climate solutions to feel "easy, fun and popular. Up-to-date research on adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies can be iteratively utilized in these stories to better equip communities to manage climate change disasters and lessen harmful physical and mental health impacts. An example of a potential climate communication solution story, Rhythm and Glue, is provided. In summary, solution stories are an innovative management strategy for substantially improving preparedness and, hence, health outcomes among communities facing extreme weather events caused by climate change.

Background/Objectives

This work is the culmination of four years of research and collaboration and we would be grateful for the opportunity to share it with the SBCC community for the first time. The objective of our talk is to share what we have done and provide a toolset for skill building in the broader community. Wed like to solicit feedback from peers as we choose which direction to take this work next to best assist the global community.

Description Of The Big Idea/experience/innovation And Its Importance To The SBCC Field:

Our innovation is the development of a toolset for improving the rate of cultural adaptation to climate mitigation and resilience solutions. We propose using established entertainment-education protocols to create stories modeling regional specific realistic climate solutions paired with improved coordination for regional participation. We are confident that the combination of coordinating existing sustainability campaigns coupled with climate solutions stories will dramatically improve climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts internationally.

Discussion/Implications For The Field

There are substantial global implications to this work. Streamlining global climate communication and developing tools for facilitating climate mitigation and adaptation creates an immense public health benefit. The rate at which we shift cultural practices has massive global differences on the outcomes from climate change. Its everyones best interest to change this fast. By adapting entertainment-education into a set of communication tactics that can be broadly applied will provide us opportunities for improving global public health.

Abstract submitted by:

Emily Coren - Stanford University

Debra Safer - Stanford University