Continued commentary on How to talk climate change with a skeptic: 5 critical tips by Sam Parry.
The five tips are:
- First of all: Don’t get angry.
- Leave apocalypse to the movies.
- Seek common ground.
- Tell your own stories.
- Stick to the facts.
I’ve already addressed tips 1-3. It’s time to tackle # 4:
4. Tell your own stories.
"Large data sets may be the best way to convince a scientist, but for the rest of us, shared personal experiences are the best persuaders…."
I’m wondering how much Parry actually knows about the skeptic community. If he had done his research, he’d know that skeptics are avid seekers of alternative expertise on climate science. There are numerous skeptic blogs devoted to the science of climate change, such as Climate Audit, JoNova, and Watts Up With That. Skeptics aren’t going to be impressed with ‘stories’ and ‘personal experiences’. They want to argue the science. Doesn't mean they're right, but if you want to actually have a conversation with a skeptic, you're going to have to delve into the data.
Parry is writing as if skeptics were simpletons. They are not. Here, for instance, is what one researcher says about climate change skeptics:
“Points of note include the high level of educational background, the significant numbers who appear to have been converted from a position of climate concern to one of skepticism, and the influence of blogs on both sides of the climate debate.” (Matthews, 2015)
References:
Paul Matthews (2015) Why Are People Skeptical about Climate Change? Some Insights from Blog Comments Environmental Communication Volume 9, Issue 2.
Amelia Sharman (2014) Mapping the climate sceptical blogosphere. Global Environmental Change, Volume 26, Pages 159–170