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New Voices to Diversify the Climate Discourse

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Abstract

Building a new social reality around climate change means diversifying the imagery and spokespeople that represent climate change in the public mind. Nurturing and supporting representatives of diverse social groups is crucial – people who can speak with authenticity and integrity, using language and themes that lift climate change out of the ‘green ghetto’ in which it continues to reside. Harnessing the power of social norms is a way of catalysing individual behaviour changes, and participatory public engagement – climate conversations – should happen through existing social networks, and at scale, to have the greatest impact. The fifth principle for public engagement is to promote new voices to reach beyond the usual suspects.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    www.climatevisuals.org. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  2. 2.

    http://opower.com/. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  3. 3.

    http://www.behaviouralinsights.co.uk/. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  4. 4.

    http://ourvoices.net/. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  5. 5.

    https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3504/Politicians-trusted-less-than-estate-agents-bankers-and-journalists.aspx. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  6. 6.

    http://cafod.org.uk/content/download/25373/182331/file/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  7. 7.

    http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/844.aspx. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  8. 8.

    http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30117-9/fulltext?rss=yes. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  9. 9.

    https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/recent-campaigns-and-initiatives/women-and-climate-change. Accessed 23 June 2016.

  10. 10.

    http://www.nfuonline.com/cross-sector/environment/climate-change/. Accessed 23 June 2016.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Outreach, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Adam Corner

  2. Climate Outreach, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Jamie Clarke

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  1. Adam Corner
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  2. Jamie Clarke
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Corner, A., Clarke, J. (2017). New Voices to Diversify the Climate Discourse. In: Talking Climate. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46744-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46744-3_6

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-46743-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-46744-3

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