Climate Access • April 11, 2014

Communicating the NCA:

Communicating Impacts & Adaptation Susanne C. Moser, Ph.D.

Susanne Moser Research & Consulting Stanford University

Overview

• • • • A crucial moment for public engagement on climate change Impacts are increasingly observed, felt Communicating impacts Communicating adaptation

Social Coast Forum 2014

Social Coast Forum 2014

“Sunny Day” Impacts of Sea-Level Rise

Source: Paul Krashefski, Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division

Growing Recognition:

Sense of Place

The experience related to characteristics of a place that make it special or unique, as well as to those that foster a sense of authentic human attachment and belonging Social Coast Forum 2014

Place Identity

The ways in which who we are and who we perceive ourselves to be is inseparably linked to the place in which we live – ‘cognitive-behavioral importance’ – how place identity shapes climate change perceptions, behavior – ‘health and well-being importance’ – how climate change affects health and well-being – ‘collective action importance’ – how place identity can help foster collective action on climate change Source: Fresque-Baxter and Armitage (2012)

Climate Change Threatens Our Sense of Place and Place Identity

“When places become threatened from real or perceived changes, continuity of place may be disrupted, potentially impacting place identity. This may result in […] coping strategies (e.g., taking actions against change, denial, reestablishing place meanings) to alleviate the threat and/or the resultant tension caused by it. Changes or disruptions can result in changing perceptions of place meanings/values, feelings of loss, or the experience of grief.”

(Fresque-Baxter and Armitage, 2012: 253)

A Growing Sense of Unease & Doom -> Helplessness and Numbing

• • • • • • Many people are "connecting the dots” (extremes and gradual, “weird” changes) Extreme events heighten people's awareness and worry about climate change Direct experiences increase our psychological distress Experience of extreme events can heighten people’s willingness to act Also still "psychological distancing” Leadership not enough, not visible

NOW is the time to engage!!!

How to talk about impacts?

1. OBSERVATION

– Recent experience – Locally observed impact – Visual, real, tangible

2. VALIDATION

– Local/personal: Told by those who experience or manage them – Scientific: Reinforced by local and/or NCA expert – Contextualization in historical trends

3. ATTRIBUTION

– Only if scientifically credible – Depends on political-cultural context

4. IMPLICATION

– Outlook if trends worsen: losses – people, community, economy, places people love – Outlook if unmanaged: costs ($ and non-$) – Sets up “what to do” question

… and mitigate

How to talk about “adaptation”?

Climate-ready Preparation

Resiliency strategies

Readiness Responses Coping Planning ahead

Climate risk management

Adaptation

Climate-resistant Adjustments Asking the climate question

Resilience

Climate-smart

Concrete actions: prevent wildfires, nourish beaches, establish heat-health warning systems, flood-proof homes

Mitigating the impacts Source: Moser (2014), WIREs Climate Change

How to communicate adaptation?

1. EDUCATION

– What can be done (multiple concrete options) – Resonant language – Invitation to participate in finding solutions

2. VISUALIZATION

– Help people imagine how adaptation would look • Historical practice • • Best practice Experience in a similar community elsewhere – Portray relevant actors engaged in solutions

3. MOTIVATION

– Authentic hope through vision, path, meaningful role – Benefits of preparatory action

4. COOPERATION

– Tap into values that affirm the audience in their sense of self, sense of safety (preparedness, stewardship, responsibility, precaution, fairness, honesty, transparency) – Sense of being in it together – Sense of feasibility, efficacy

Summary:

Place-Based Engagement

• • • • • Be prepared to deal with emotion Start with, tap into what people love Explore and use place attachment and place identity as leverage for action Remind people of their connectedness to each other and to the non-human world Engage citizens meaningfully in joint problem-solving that leads to tangible local outcomes Sources: Crompton and Kasser (2009), Moser (2013)

Thank you!

• Contact & Publications:

Susi Moser, Ph.D.

E: [email protected]

W: http://www.susannemoser.com