Explain Climate Change to Family and Friends

For many of us, things like planning for our own retirement feel overwhelming; it's no wonder so many people find it difficult to grapple with a slow-moving, long-range, collective problem like climate change. But that's all the more reason to share your knowledge and sense of urgency with others—and to help people understand why we need to take action now. Try these tips for talking about climate change:

• Personalize the message. Connect climate change with individual values and world views. In addition to the environment, talk about impacts on public health and jobs, and especially about your hopes and fears for your family and friends.
• Make it relatable. Put the facts in context with real-life comparisons to make them more meaningful. For example, if you are talking to someone who loves Florida beaches, you can tell them that due to sea level rise Miami is losing enough sand each year to cover nearly 46 football fields a foot deep.
• Bring actions home. Make something big and distant understandable by focusing on local impacts and solutions in your community. See a list of suggestions.

Even easier? Share your favorite article from this issue with your friends and family. Many people will listen if we are respectful, find common ground, and speak from the heart.

Learn more about WWF's work on climate change.