Climate Change Communication Overlooks Crucial Health Impacts, Stifling Public Engagement
A new report reveals a significant gap in online discussions about climate change: the failure to connect it to human health. The Information Futures Lab (IFL) at Brown University’s School of Public Health, in partnership with Climate Week NYC and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, analyzed over 2.4 million social media posts and news headlines from January 2023 to July 2024. The findings, presented at Climate Week NYC, are alarming: a mere 3.1% of online content mentioning climate change also mentions its health implications. This omission represents a missed opportunity to engage the public and galvanize support for climate action, as research demonstrates that health-framed messaging resonates more powerfully with diverse audiences, including those less concerned about climate change generally.
The report, titled "The Untapped Potential of Climate Communication: Harnessing Health to Drive Action," highlights the pervasiveness of this oversight across various online platforms. News outlets fared marginally better than social media, with 4.9% of climate-related headlines mentioning health, followed by Instagram (3.9%) and Facebook (3.7%). This disconnect persists despite evidence suggesting that emphasizing the health consequences of climate change – from respiratory illnesses exacerbated by air pollution to the spread of infectious diseases – can motivate individuals to support climate policies and adopt sustainable practices. The present communication strategies, largely devoid of this crucial human element, are failing to capitalize on a powerful tool for driving meaningful change.
Further analysis of the top 100 most-engaged-with social media posts connecting climate and health revealed a preponderance of negative messaging. 58% of these posts focused on the adverse health effects of climate change without offering solutions or actionable advice. This "doom and gloom" approach, while important for acknowledging the severity of the crisis, risks fostering despair and disengagement. Moreover, it plays into the dynamics of social media algorithms that tend to prioritize and reward negative content, creating a cycle that discourages the creation and dissemination of more hopeful, solution-oriented messages. This negativity bias, coupled with the presence of climate denialist or contrarian content within the top posts (11%), further complicates the landscape of online climate communication.
The report stresses the urgent need for a paradigm shift in how we communicate about climate change. It calls upon organizations, leaders, and activists to leverage the untapped potential of health-framed messaging. This involves moving beyond generic warnings and instead highlighting specific health threats linked to climate change, such as heatstroke, respiratory problems, and vector-borne diseases. Personal stories of individuals impacted by climate-related health issues or actively working on solutions can add a human dimension to the conversation, making the crisis more relatable and emotionally resonant. Critically, it is essential to pair these narratives with clear, actionable solutions that empower individuals to take positive steps.
To broaden the reach of climate communication, the report recommends tailoring messages to specific audiences. For example, when engaging with conservative audiences, communicators should consider employing more conservative framings to enhance receptivity. This strategic approach recognizes the diverse values and beliefs within society and aims to bridge divides rather than exacerbate them. By focusing on shared concerns, particularly around health and well-being, climate communicators can build broader coalitions for change.
The implications of this research extend beyond simply improving public awareness. By effectively communicating the health dimensions of climate change, we can foster greater public support for climate policies, drive individual behavioral changes, and ultimately contribute to building a healthier and more sustainable future. The report offers a roadmap for achieving this goal, urging a more strategic, nuanced, and hopeful approach to climate communication that centers the human experience at the heart of the narrative. This human-centered approach is not merely a communication tactic; it is a necessary step towards fostering the collective action required to address this global crisis.