Speaking of Climate Change...

The subject of Climate Change has inexplicably (OK, maybe explicably) become a touchy one, particularly here in the U.S.  (though I'm assured by a friend Down Under that we are not alone). I'm sure you've seen the polls, not to mention the press. One of the conundrums (conundra?) of being in an environmental sustainability job is deciding how to talk about Climate Change and how to react when the confronted by a challenge to the idea of global warming.

With nearly 43,000 employees, EMC has its share of people who are understandably befuddled by the barrage of conflicting information in the media and simply don't have the time to do the research to sort it out. And yes, we have our out-and-out skeptics and cynics, too. So what do I say when someone says to me "Did you hear? They've found out that the earth is actually cooling!" A woman on our Green Business Leadership team was asking my advice on this question the other day. And I'm not really sure what the best approach is. 

We can…

…Tackle the objections one by one, starting with "don't confuse weather with climate".  
 
…Get pedantic, delving into climate forcings and the carbon cycle.
 
…Go narrow, focusing on energy and how reducing dependence on fossil fuel is good for our wallets, for national security and for the economy.
 
…Go wide, emphasizing that even without global warming, the environmental insults we are perpetrating on the planet are devastating water supplies, destroying species, and hampering ecosystem services that communities depend on, never mind using up resources like water, tin, copper and much more.
 
…Appeal to people's competitive natures by highlighting how China is taking the initiative in green technology.
 
…Be selfish, maintaining that regardless of individual opinion, it's good for business to care about Climate Change since our investors, customers, and partners are asking us to demonstrating that we're responsibly managing the associated risks.

…Deflect. Expound on how increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations are causing ocean acidification that can be measured in the thinning shells of pteropods, endangering this critical link in the food chain. (Warning: this one can stop a conversation dead in its tracks!)

…Dismiss "ClimateGate", pointing out that the behavior of a few scientists doesn't change the science.
 
…Simply hold our ground with "the science really is unequivocal, and corroborated across many, many disciplines".
 
… Soft-pedal by only referring to "Climate Change" and avoiding "anthropogenic" (human-caused) so as not to inflame the most rabid skeptics.
 
…Cite well-known conservatives who have concluded it's a real issue - people like David Brooks and Rupert Murdoch.
 
…Play the percentage card, by seeking agreement  with the challenger that there is at least a reasonable chance that the skeptics are wrong, leading to the conclusion that we can't afford to take that chance. 

All of these approaches are legitimate, and I've use all of the above depending on the person, the nature of the comment I'm responding to, and the circumstance of the conversation. The problem is that whenever I sidestep the fundamental question, I feel a bit like a coward.  On the other hand, my job is to drive change, and small detours can get you past roadblocks to progress.

How have you handled it?

Comments

[Kathrin]

Greetings, Miriam. I was just in Ireland last month - one of my favorite places to visit!

The interview is interesting - I appreciate his analogy of the comparison between building something and breaking it. Seems applicable to far more than just climate science. I've just scanned it, but look forward to having a few minutes to read it all through. Appreciate the link!

[Branedy]

It's always funny when you try to use Reason with a climate Denier. You can't, you 'convert' them, you don't 'convince' them. Climate deniers have exactly the same religion as creationists, they believe nothing is changing within their world, so it not evolving or warming up. Further more, they don't want them to change, conservatives, conserve the status quo. Willing it so with their person faith.

[Miriam Cotton]

Greetings from Ireland. Your blog post fetched up on twitter via an Irish businessman and environmentalist based in Seville called Tom Raftery. Thought you might be interested in this interview we (MediaBite) did with another fellow traveller, John Gibbons, about media misinformation and confusion about climate change. It's in two parts.

http://www.mediabite.org/article_-Balancing--the-Climate-Consensus---Part-1_760894276.html

[Kathrin]

Oh, I agree. And that's my usual tack. I just worry about leaving the airtime to only one side...

[Tom Raftery]

Honestly Kathrin,

to stop feeding the trolls, I am avoiding mentioning climate change where possible.

Instead, I talk more to efficiency savings, environmental risk mitigation, compliance with greenhouse gas reporting legislation, etc.

All of these have a far more immediate resonance than does climate change and they are far harder to argue against!