Echo Chamber: Facts don’t matter to climate skeptics, empathy does
Climate change skeptics are most likely to change their mind when an argument uses values they care about, not facts. The reason? People feel secure in their echo chamber.
As a science communicator, media creator, and journalist, I’m trying to share new important information with people who may have never been exposed to it. But people tend to resist new information, especially if it conflicts or interferes with their cherished beliefs or friend group.
When scientific evidence contradicts a person’s deeply held beliefs, they tend to reject the validity of science altogether, rather than shift their beliefs.. We like to think facts and logic make an argument, but that’s not how most people react when confronted with new information.
“We apply fight-or-flight reflexes not only to predators, but to data itself...In fact, head-on attempts to persuade can sometimes trigger a backfire effect, where people not only fail to change their minds when confronted with the facts - they may hold their wrong views more tenaciously than ever.”
Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe said most of the opposition to climate change evidence is rooted in fear.
“Fear of loss of our way of life, fear of being told that our habits are bad for society, fear of changes that will leave us worse off, fear of siding with those who have no respect for our values and beliefs… That’s exactly why I don’t typically begin with science when starting conversations about climate change with those who disagree.”
So how can you get past that fear? Connect to someone’s identity, values, or political beliefs. Start with common values: community, children, religion, overlapping political values.
Considering just 26 percent of conservative Republicans think global warming is caused by human activity (compared to 95 percent of liberal Democrats and 97 percent of climate scientists), its important to understand this community’s values might align with climate action and evidence. And since most conservative Republicans are Christian, this shared belief system might be a good place to start the conversation.
“By beginning with what we share and then connecting the dots between that value and a changing climate, it becomes clear how caring about this planet and every living thing on it is not somehow antithetical to who we are as Christians, but rather central to it,” said Hayhoe.
So next time your conservative uncle or grandma starts an argument about climate change, try relating climate change to the values and beliefs they care about, rather than reaching for emotionless facts. Once they feel comfortable that these new ideas don’t contradict their cherished beliefs, then you can bring out the evidence
When raising your voice in hostile territory, use empathy to echo the community values, then introduce your argument as complementary to those deeply held beliefs, not contradictory.