It’s more important than ever that we try to reverse the effects of pollution on our environment if we want to leave future generations a planet that’s still capable of sustaining life. However, despite the efforts of climate activists to inform the public about climate change, there are still so many people who don’t listen and change their ways.
It’s why psychology experts are taking a different approach to convince people to do their part. They take into consideration the mindset of these people and try to talk their language. If you want to help your peers become more eco-friendly, too, here are three pro tips you can follow.
Make it relevant and urgent
Skeptics of climate change are like that because they don’t feel the effects of pollution on their environment. But if you give them a scenario wherein they will feel the impact of the problem, they will be more likely to listen.
For example, if your friend lives in Arizona but has relatives in New Orleans, you can tell them that if they don’t do their part in cutting back on their carbon emissions, their relatives could suffer from more hurricanes. Or, that the amount of pollution in their area could increase the chances of more children developing asthma and other respiratory illnesses. This way, they would feel the impact of pollution more and perhaps be convinced to support the projects of eco-friendly organizations, such as the Chevelon Butte Wind Farm.
Provide simple solutions
One of the reasons a lot of people don’t want to adjust their lifestyles to preserve the environment is that it may be too inconvenient for them. Take public transportation, for example. If you live in New York or San Francisco, it’s quite easy to convince people to use public transport to reduce carbon emissions. That’s because these cities have reliable train systems and walking to the subway is easy.
But, if you happen to live in Los Angeles, then it’s more difficult to use public transportation. Also, L.A. has several expressways that you need to use in order to get to the points of interest in that city, which means that using a bus or train is harder than using a car.
So, provide your listener with simpler solutions. Instead of telling them to change their lives drastically, ask them to take it one step at a time. Perhaps you can suggest them to carpool at first and when they have adjusted to it, that’s the time they can shift to using public transport.
Use positive messages
Another reason some individuals don’t want to listen to climate change activists is they don’t like hearing apocalyptic messages. Most advocates of preserving the environment often tell people that the world would stop being habitable if we don’t do something. And that terrifies some people.
It’s that terror that prevents them from doing anything because they don’t want to face the fact that our planet is dying. So, give your listener a more positive message. Say, if they minimize their carbon emissions, their children will be able to see more trees and plants when they grow up.
Skeptics on climate change are not as stubborn as you think. Some of them may just be afraid to face the facts. There are many ways you can convince them to change their ways and do their part in saving the environment.
