As warnings about a potential 'mega' El Nino grab headlines and spread through social media, communicators face a familiar challenge: how to persuade people to pay attention to climate risks ' and act. A study, now published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, suggests that emotionally engaging forms of communication are more effective than scientific facts alone in motivating climate action1. But messages focused on individual responsibility had little impact ' and sometimes backfired. 'Our findings show that merely providing scientific facts is not the best way to communicate on climate-related issues ' you need to connect with people,' says co-author Tobias Brosch, a psychologist at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. 'The emotions you feel when you watch a nature documentary, see the Northern Lights or witness the birth of a new animal imbue these events with meaning,' he adds. 'They may also drive you to look better after our environment ' by volunteering your time,...
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