It was my first year as an atmospheric science professor at Texas Tech University.

We had just moved to

Lubbock, Texas, which had recently been named the second most conservative city in the entire United
States. A colleague asked me to guest teach his undergraduate geology class. I said, "Sure." But when I
showed up, the lecture hall was cavernous and dark. As I tracked the history of the carbon cycle through
geologic time to present day, most of the students were slumped over, dozing or looking at their phones.
I ended my talk with a hopeful request for any questions. And one hand shot up right away. I looked
encouraging, he stood up, and in a loud voice, he said, "You're a democrat, aren't you?"

"No," I said, "I'm Canadian."

Why did the student ask this question?

That was my baptism by fire into what has now become a sad fact of life here in the United States and
increasingly across Canada as well. The fact that the number one predictor of whether we agree that
climate is changing, humans are responsible, and the impacts are increasingly serious and even
dangerous, has nothing to do with how much we know about science or even how smart we are, but
simply where we fall on the political spectrum.

Does the thermometer give us a different answer depending on if we're liberal or conservative? Of
course not. But if that thermometer tells us that the planet is warming, that humans are responsible and
that to fix this thing, we have to wean ourselves off fossil fuels as soon as possible -- well, some people
would rather cut off their arm than give the government any further excuse to disrupt their comfortable
lives and tell them what to do. But saying, "Yes, it's a real problem, but I don't want to fix it," that makes
us the bad guy, and nobody wants to be the bad guy. So instead, we use arguments like, "It's just a
natural cycle," "It's the sun," or my favorite, "Those climate scientists are just in it for the money."

Why is it so difficult to talk to people about climate change?

I get that at least once a week. But these are just sciencey-sounding smoke screens, that are designed to
hide the real reason for our objections, which have nothing to do with the science and everything to do
with our ideology and our identity.

So when we turn on the TV these days, it seems like pundit X is saying, "It's cold outside. Where is global
warming now?" And politician Y is saying, "For every scientist who says this thing is real, I can find one
who says it isn't." So it's no surprise that sometimes we feel like everybody is saying these myths. But
when we look at the data -- and the Yale Program on Climate [Change] Communication has done public
opinion polling across the country now for a number of years -- the data shows that actually 70 percent
of people in the United States agree that the climate is changing. And 70 percent also agree that it will
harm plants and animals, and it will harm future generations.

What do most people agree upon?

But then when we dig down a bit deeper, the rubber starts to hit the road. Only about 60 percent of
people think it will affect people in the United States. Only 40 percent of people think it will affect us
personally. And then when you ask people, "Do you ever talk about this?" two-thirds of people in the
entire United States say, "Never." And even worse, when you say, "Do you hear the media talk about
this?" over three-quarters of people say no.
So it's a vicious cycle. The planet warms. Heat waves get stronger. Heavy precipitation gets more
frequent. Hurricanes get more intense. Scientists release yet another doom-filled report. Politicians
push back even more strongly, repeating the same sciencey-sounding myths. What can we do to break
this vicious cycle?

Highlight/underline the evidence of climate change mentioned.

The number one thing we can do is the exact thing that we're not doing: talk about it. But you might say,
"I'm not a scientist. How am I supposed to talk about radiative forcing or cloud parametrization in
climate models?" We don't need to be talking about more science; we've been talking about the science
for over 150 years. Did you know that it's been 150 years or more since the 1850s, when climate
scientists first discovered that digging up and burning coal and gas and oil is producing heat-trapping
gases that is wrapping an extra blanket around the planet? That's how long we've known. It's been 50
years since scientists first formally warned a US president of the dangers of a changing climate, and that
president was Lyndon B. Johnson.

Highlight / underline the evidence that climate change is not new to humanity.

And what's more, the social science has taught us that if people have built their identity on rejecting a
certain set of facts, then arguing over those facts is a personal attack. It causes them to dig in deeper,
and it digs a trench, rather than building a bridge.

So if we aren't supposed to talk about more science, or if we don't need to talk about more science, then
what should we be talking about? The most important thing to do is, instead of starting up with your
head, with all the data and facts in our head, to start from the heart, to start by talking about why it
matters to us, to begin with genuinely shared values.

Are we both parents? Do we live in the same community? Do we enjoy the same outdoor activities:
hiking, biking, fishing, even hunting? Do we care about the economy or national security? For me, one of
the most foundational ways I found to connect with people is through my faith. As a Christian, I believe
that God created this incredible planet that we live on and gave us responsibility over every living thing
on it. And I furthermore believe that we are to care for and love the least fortunate among us, those who
are already suffering the impacts of poverty, hunger, disease, and more.

How can you connect to people to talk about important things?

If you don't know what the values are that someone has, have a conversation, get to know them, figure
out what makes them tick. And then once we have, all we have to do is connect the dots between the
values they already have and why they would care about a changing climate. I truly believe, after
thousands of conversations that I've had over the past decade and more, that just about every single
person in the world already has the values they need to care about a changing climate. They just haven't
connected the dots. And that's what we can do through our conversation with them.

The only reason why I care about a changing climate is because of who I already am. I'm a mother, so I
care about the future of my child. I live in West Texas, where water is already scarce, and climate change
is impacting the availability of that water. I'm a Christian, I care about a changing climate because it is,
as the military calls it, a "threat multiplier." It takes those issues, like poverty and hunger and disease
and lack of access to clean water and even political crises that lead to refugee crises -- it takes all of
these issues and it exacerbates them, it makes them worse.

What are the reasons why the presenter cares about climate change?

I'm not a Rotarian. But when I gave my first talk at a Rotary Club, I walked in and they had this giant
banner that had the Four-Way Test on it. Is it the truth? Absolutely. Is it fair? Heck, no, that's why I care
most about climate change, because it is absolutely unfair. Those who have contributed the least to the
problem are bearing the brunt of the impacts. It went on to ask: Would it be beneficial to all, would it
build goodwill? Well, to fix it certainly would.

So I took my talk, and I reorganized it into the Four-Way Test, and then I gave it to this group of
conservative businesspeople in West Texas. And I will never forget at the end, a local bank owner came
up to me with the most bemused look on his face. And he said, "You know, I wasn't sure about this whole
global warming thing, but it passed the Four-Way Test."

Why is climate change unfair? To whom?

These values, though -- they have to be genuine. I was giving a talk at a Christian college a number of
years ago, and after my talk, a fellow scientist came up and he said, "I need some help. I've been really
trying hard to get my foot in the door with our local churches, but I can't seem to get any traction. I want
to talk to them about why climate change matters." So I said, "Well, the best thing to do is to start with
the denomination that you're part of, because you share the most values with those people. What type
of church do you attend?"

"Oh, I don't attend any church, I'm an atheist," he said. I said, "Well, in that case, starting with a faith
community is probably not the best idea. Let's talk about what you do enjoy doing, what you are
involved in." And we were able to identify a community group that he was part of, that he could start
with.

What was wrong in the student’s approach when he tried to have a conversation with church people?

The bottom line is, we don't have to be a liberal tree hugger to care about a changing climate. All we
have to be is a human living on this planet. Because no matter where we live, climate change is already
affecting us today.

If we live along the coasts, in many places, we're already seeing "sunny-day flooding." If we live in
western North America, we're seeing much greater area being burned by wildfires. If we live in many
coastal locations, from the Gulf of Mexico to the South Pacific, we are seeing stronger hurricanes,
typhoons, and cyclones, powered by a warming ocean. If we live in Texas or if we live in Syria, we're
seeing climate change supersize our droughts, making them more frequent and more severe. Wherever
we live, we're already being affected by a changing climate.

So you might say, "OK, that's good. We can talk impacts. We can scare the pants off people, because this
thing is serious." And it is, believe me. I'm a scientist, I know.

But fear is not what is going to motivate us for the long-term, sustained change that we need to fix this
thing. Fear is designed to help us run away from the bear. Or just run faster than the person beside us.
What we need to fix this thing is rational hope. Yes, we absolutely do need to recognize what's at stake.
Of course we do. But we need a vision of a better future -- a future with abundant energy, with a stable
economy, with resources available to all, where our lives are not worse but better than they are today.
There are solutions.

What can help us fight the problem?

And that's why the second important thing that we have to talk about is solutions -- practical, viable,
accessible, attractive solutions.

Like what? Well, there's no silver bullet, as they say, but there's plenty of silver buckshot. There's simple
solutions that save us money and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time. Yes, light bulbs. I love
my plug-in car. I'd like some solar shingles. But imagine if every home came with a switch beside the
front door, that when you left the house, you could turn off everything except your fridge. And maybe
the DVR.

Lifestyle choices: eating local, eating lower down the food chain and reducing food waste, which at the
global scale, is one of the most important things that we can do to fix this problem. I'm a climate
scientist, so the irony of traveling around to talk to people about a changing climate is not lost on me.
The biggest part of my personal carbon footprint is my travel. And that's why I carefully collect my
invitations. I usually don't go anywhere unless I have a critical mass of invitations in one place --
anywhere from three to four to sometimes even as many as 10 or 15 talks in a given place -- so I can
minimize the impact of my carbon footprint as much as possible. And I've transitioned nearly
three-quarters of the talks I give to video. Often, people will say, "Well, we've never done that before."
But I say, "Well, let's give it a try, I think it could work."

Most of all, though, we need to talk about what's already happening today around the world and what
could happen in the future. Now, I live in Texas, and Texas has the highest carbon emissions of any state
in the United

What are the personal choices that we can make to help solve the problem of climate change?

A shorter version of the same TED Talk.

It was my first year as an atmospheric science professor at Texas Tech University. I had just moved to
Lubbock, Texas, which had recently been named the second most conservative city in the United States.
A colleague asked me to guest teach his undergraduate geology class. I said, “Sure.”

When I arrived, the lecture hall was big and dark. As I explained how the carbon cycle has changed over
time, most of the students seemed uninterested—they were either dozing off or looking at their phones.
At the end of my talk, I asked if anyone had questions. One hand shot up quickly. A student stood up and
asked, “You’re a Democrat, aren’t you?”

I replied, “No, I’m Canadian.” The class laughed.

That moment marked the beginning of my experience with an issue that has become common in the
United States and even Canada. The truth about climate change has become a political issue. The main
reason people either agree or disagree about climate change has less to do with facts or science and
more to do with their political beliefs.

The thermometer doesn’t change depending on whether someone is liberal or conservative, but when it
shows that the planet is warming and humans are responsible, some people would rather ignore the
facts than let the government make changes to their comfortable lives. People sometimes say things like,
“It’s just a natural cycle,” “It’s the sun,” or “Scientists are just in it for the money.” But these arguments
aren’t really about science—they’re about people’s beliefs and identities.

These myths are often repeated in the media. For example, some people say, “It’s cold outside. Where’s
global warming now?” or, “For every scientist who says climate change is real, I can find one who says it
isn’t.”

But when we look at the data, the picture is different. Research shows that 70% of people in the United
States believe that climate change is happening. Most also agree that it will harm plants, animals, and
future generations. But fewer people believe it will affect people in the U.S. or themselves personally.
Even more troubling, two-thirds of people say they never talk about climate change, and most people
never hear about it in the media.

This is part of a cycle. The planet warms, causing stronger heatwaves, more rainfall, and more intense
hurricanes. Scientists release reports about the dangers of climate change, but many politicians argue
against the facts.

To break this cycle, the most important thing we can do is talk about it. You might think, “I’m not a
scientist, how can I talk about climate change?” We don’t need to talk about more science—we’ve
known for over 150 years that burning coal and gas traps heat on the planet. It’s been 50 years since
scientists warned the U.S. president about the dangers of climate change.

The challenge isn’t about the facts—it’s about people’s beliefs. When people believe something, they
often see challenges to that belief as an attack. Arguing with them only makes the divide bigger. Instead,
we need to connect on shared values. We all care about our families, our communities, and our future.
We all care about things like national security and the economy. For me, my Christian faith teaches me
to care about the planet and the poor, who are already suffering from the effects of climate change.

To connect with others, we have to learn what they care about. Whether they’re parents, outdoor
enthusiasts, or concerned about the economy, once we find common ground, we can show them why
climate change matters. Most people already care about these issues, they just haven’t connected the
dots yet.

I care about climate change because I’m a mother and I want my child to have a better future. I live in
West Texas, where water is scarce, and climate change makes it even harder to find. I also care because
climate change is making poverty and hunger worse, and it’s fueling conflicts. It’s unfair that the people
who contribute the least to the problem are the ones who suffer the most.
I once gave a talk at a Rotary Club, and after the talk, a local bank owner told me he didn’t believe in
global warming before, but after hearing my talk, he thought it made sense. This is how conversations
can change people’s minds.

But we have to be genuine. I once spoke with a scientist who wanted to talk to local churches about
climate change, but when I asked what type of church he belonged to, he admitted he wasn’t part of any
church. It’s important to start with communities where we already share values, like family, faith, or a
concern for the environment.

We don’t have to be liberal to care about climate change. We all live on this planet, and it’s already
affecting us. Whether we live along the coasts, in areas affected by wildfires, or in places suffering from
droughts, we’re already seeing the impacts of climate change.

The problem is serious, but fear isn’t what will motivate us to change. Fear helps us run from immediate
danger, but we need hope to take long-term action. We need to imagine a better future—one with more
clean energy, a stable economy, and a better quality of life.

There are solutions. Small things, like changing light bulbs or driving electric cars, can make a
difference. We could save energy by turning off everything in our homes except the fridge when we
leave. Eating locally, reducing food waste, and making better choices can also help.

We can also make a difference through our travel choices. As a climate scientist, I know that my travel
creates a large carbon footprint, so I try to minimize it by organizing multiple talks in one area or giving
talks virtually.

There are also many positive changes happening worldwide. In Texas, wind energy is growing, and
renewable energy now provides about 20% of our electricity. Other countries are also taking action. For
example, China is investing billions in clean energy, and India is replacing old light bulbs with
energy-saving LEDs.

We still have a long way to go, but the world is changing. Climate change is a big problem, but by
working together and talking about it, we can fix it. It won’t be easy, but we must keep hope alive and
inspire others to act. The future depends on the conversations we start today.