It’s frustrating if you keep on talking to climate change deniers. There’s no sense in responding to them if they answer you with conspiracy theories. You also know that they listen to the same media outlets. Hence, they have a limited view of the world. However, even if you feel exhausted talking to them, you shouldn’t give up. It takes everyone’s help to solve global warming. If some people still deny the reality of this issue, we can never get through it. These are some ways to respond to climate change deniers.
Acknowledge their opinion
The first thing to do is to acknowledge the validity of other people’s opinions. Let them know that they have the right to think and believe in certain ideas. Dismissing them or laughing at their opinions might immediately lead to the end of the conversation. No matter how ridiculous their ideas are, you can’t laugh. Otherwise, it’s a signal of disrespect, and your conversation won’t move forward.
Show facts
Present them with facts, including scientific research results and government data. Let them know that there’s evidence to back up the reality of global warming. You can also tell them that it’s not a natural phenomenon but the result of human behaviour. Not everyone believes in the scientific process, so you have to prove that it’s a product of unbiased experts. These scientists don’t have anything to gain in politicizing the process. Besides, almost all scientists are unanimous in saying that global warming is real, and human actions worsened the problem.
Show the steps you took
Some people might mock you for believing in climate change, especially if you’re not doing anything to help. Show that you’re a credible spokesperson. If you want to convince them to change, you have to show the steps you’re taking. If you decided to move to solar energy, you could explain why you did it. You can also recommend www.scasolar.co.uk if they want to know more details. If it’s too much for them, there are other practices at home that they can follow. These include recycling and waste segregation.
Give people the chance to think
Never judge climate change deniers and conclude that they’re hopeless. Again, we need as many people as possible to take the right steps. If you can’t convince them the first time, you have to be patient. These people will eventually turn around and believe in facts. Allow them to think about what you said and be open to another discussion. If you get a challenge from climate change deniers, you have to accept it.
Your mission is to change people’s minds, and you have to keep doing what’s right. You can also organize to help elect the right people for government positions. We need leaders who are committed to environmental issues. It’s also easier for more people to believe in climate change if the right messages come from the top. We’re running out of time, but there’s still enough time left to do something.