Climate conversations can be challenging. Passion, defensiveness and protecting personal status can all play a role in hindering the opportunity to have a productive chat.
If you’ve had this experience and want to try a new approach, we have a tip for you.
Start with finding what you have in common. It could be as simple as asking some rapid-fire questions such as “dogs or cats”; “winter or summer”; “fiction or nonfiction”; “running or biking”; “skiing or hiking”.
If you need to, keep going until you find the connection. Then be open to sharing your stories about your common interest, which can easily lead to the impact climate change has had on it.
Through this technique, the conversation becomes exciting, positive and yes, fun! You might even find it to be a bonding experience that helps to generate new ideas to solve problems and take action.