Ways to Educate People on Energy and Climate Change

As technology and society continue to shift – both independently and due to each other – more and more pressing questions continue to arise. As the world’s conventional energy reserves continue to dwindle, countless people are demanding that significant changes be implemented to transition society away from fossil fuels and other non-renewable sources of energy.

At the same time, there are many who resist this, believing that the potential for disruption is too great or that there isn’t even a problem in the first place. For sceptics of clean energy and climate change as a whole, how you approach the issue can make all the difference. We’ll discuss some simple ways that you can educate people on both of these subjects, and change hearts and minds.

Create Informative Videos

There are many explanations on the web of how climate change is harming the planet – as well as how various energy sources can cause problems – but your own perspective can be valuable, too. More people are willing to watch videos than read blog posts or articles; use this to your advantage. Whether you decide to create a video in the form of a “personal testimonial” or a more professionally-created video that summarises key points about the issue, there is value in using this format. Services like Spiel can make it easy for you to collaborate on video projects and put them together professionally.

Hold Local Forums

Bringing the community together around issues that affect the climate and energy in general are important. Many people who might not otherwise listen to dialogue can be persuaded more effectively in community settings. You may be able to help organise and plan community forums that aim to address issues pertaining to energy and climate at the local level. While the emphasis of these forums can be on the broader topic of energy and climate, framing the dialogue as one about local issues will draw a diverse crowd that will give you an opportunity to change hearts and minds. By having a diverse panel of experts who are knowledgeable on the issues as well, you can establish authority with those in attendance.

Listen

When discussing issues relating to energy and the climate, it is important that you listen. There will undoubtedly be opinions expressed that are either misguided or just flat out wrong. Contrary to logic, many people refuse new information when they are told that they’re wrong. In order to have a dialogue that will effectively change minds, you must be willing to hear everything that a sceptic has to say. Carefully listen, be respectful, and offer a contrary viewpoint once they have expressed their point of view. If somebody feels respected, they are more likely to listen to new information than if they feel threatened.

Have you tried educating people on energy and climate change in the past?  If you have any more feedback or great ideas to share, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.