How To Deal with Climate Change Deniers

Misinformation spreads quickly in the digital age, and while most of us are familiar with the warning signs that show human activity is causing global heating and a great deal of damage to the planet, some are still in denial. Therefore, we’ve put together some tips on how to deal with climate change deniers.

1. Find common ground to engage them

The best way to connect with someone is to find out what you do have in common, rather than what you disagree on. Spend some time getting to know the person you are speaking to and while it is unlikely you will have a great deal of shared values, they might be more open to hearing about the climate crisis from your perspective.

2. Be aware that some people won’t change their minds (but others might)

One of the most frustrating things about dealing with climate change deniers is that some of them are very unlikely to change their minds or open up to a different viewpoint. With that said, it is always worth a shot as some might be! You just need to strike a balance between engaging with those people and withdrawing when you realise it’s going nowhere and might only damage your mental health.

Beware also of engaging with climate change deniers online, particularly on platforms like Twitter. It is much harder to get your point across in 280 characters and many profiles are actually ‘trolls’ or ‘bots’ with hateful intentions that it is not worth your time to engage with.

3. Offer some statistics and research

Though some will try and undermine their work and standing, it is difficult to argue with hard statistics that have been put forward by scientists undertaking rigorous research. Combined with the visuals that show climate change is clearly happening now (forest fires, flooding and deadly heatwaves to name just a few), statistics demonstrate hard evidence that global temperatures are increasing and having a significant effect on weather conditions and our natural environment.

4. Make the point: isn’t it better to act to save the planet just in case, rather than ignoring the warning signs?

If someone remains in denial about the climate crisis, or suggests it’s not as serious as it has been made out to be, you can make the point that action is still better than action. Even if the situation isn’t as dire as many believe, something still needs to be done to protect our planet and make life on earth as habitable as possible.

5. Explain why climate change is unlikely to be a conspiracy

Some believe that climate change is a conspiracy theory that a number of world leaders and scientists are in on. This partly stems from the so-called “Climategate” where climate change denialists leaked emails by the Climate Research Unit and falsely argued that the emails showed global warming to be a scientific conspiracy. It was confirmed that the email contents had been misrepresented but many believed it.

But, if that were true, what would scientists gain from it? What is the likelihood of people being at a financial advantage from lying about climate change? The conspiracy is more likely to be climate change denial, supported by fossil fuel industry groups and their advocates.

6. Outline the difference between individual action and industrial/ systemic action

There’s often a narrative that we are all individually responsible, which can make people feel attacked when they aren’t making greener choices in their lives such as cutting down on meat or buying an electric car. However, it’s important to paint a bigger picture for climate change deniers, showing that the most vital thing is for the fossil fuel industry to be disrupted as this is where the mass damage is being done.

7. Explain that we’d all rather climate change wasn’t true, but denial will only hurt us

Denial in the face of something terrible is a natural enough reaction and in some ways, it is much easier to deny that something isn’t happening than come to terms with it. However, while we all wish that the climate crisis wasn’t true, it is clearly happening in front of our eyes. The best way to combat it is to accept and take action now.

When you are dealing with climate change deniers, it is important to have those open conversations and try to get people to explore different viewpoints. However, you must still remember to protect your energy and not exhaust yourself trying to change someone’s mind when it’s clear they won’t!

Another fantastic way to help in the daily fight against the climate crisis is by switching your search engine to SearchScene. Unlike Google, who make a vast amount of profit, we donate 95% of our profits to climate-focused charities.