A major roadblock to fighting climate change is that there are still many people today who refuse to believe in climate change. An extremely vocal minority of people still think that climate change is a myth or hoax. A 2019 worldwide survey by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project found that roughly 13% of United States citizens deny that humans are the primary cause of climate change. While there is an overwhelming scientific consensus about how human-produced carbon emissions are the driving cause of global warming, there are still many who stubbornly refuse to accept this evidence.

An important part of fighting climate change is convincing climate deniers to support climate change initiatives. Outlined below are steps on how to have a civil conversation with a climate denier and explain why all climate deniers should support climate change initiatives. To truly stop global warming, everyone needs to accept that this is a real, tangible threat to our way of life. Educating and changing the view of climate deniers helps bring the world one step closer to climate solutions.

• Understand the position of the climate denier.

Most climate deniers hold this position because climate change does not personally affect them. Many skeptics of climate science are isolated from the current effects of climate change. Different parts of the world are subjected to different magnitudes of effects from global warming. For example, climate change has caused rising sea levels that have already permanently submerged 20 islands of the Maldives, and the whole country is projected to be underwater by 2100 (The World Bank). For most Americans, the effects of climate change are felt in weather patterns such as extended heat waves or polar vortexes, which are less threatening effects than your home sinking into the ocean. It is hard to understand the pressing urgency of climate change if you are not severely impacted by its effects. Climate change may not affect everyone right now, but it is already affecting millions of people and will affect everyone in the near future. Climate deniers usually are relatively unaffected by climate change, so any argument needs to revolve around how a climate denier can benefit from supporting environmental initiatives.

• Explain that a climate denier will benefit from pro-environmental legislation instead of yelling at them about scientific evidence.

Trying to argue that “scientists have proved climate change to be real” and to “read the evidence” are ineffective tools to changing the mind of a climate skeptic. Odds are, this person has already heard those arguments and will not want to hear them again. Instead, target how the climate skeptic will personally benefit from pro-environmental legislation. By showing how a climate denier can personally benefit from environmental legislation, they will be more likely to listen and consider your point of view. Everyone stands to benefit from laws that mitigate climate change, but not everyone knows these benefits.

• Frame your argument around the public health and economic benefits that result from less pollution.

A climate denier will be more receptive to your arguments when framed correctly.

Effective: “Stricter laws on air pollution from factories drastically reduce early deaths from asthma, COPD, and other cardiovascular illnesses.”

Ineffective: “Stricter laws on air pollution from factories will help bolster local bird species and reduce carbon emissions”

Almost everyone can agree that longer life and fewer illnesses are great reasons to enact any type of policy, whereas less people will care about the plight of a local bird species, since it is not a deeply personal issue for most. The effective argument highlights how a climate denier, or anyone else, can benefit from pro-environmental legislation, regardless of how someone may perceive climate change. Another point of emphasis can revolve around the positive economic impacts of pro-environmental legislation.

Effective: “Energy efficiency investments can reduce your monthly utility bill between 5 and 30% per month” (EnergySage)

Ineffective: “The wind and solar industries combined to create 65,000 new jobs from 2006 to 2008” (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Once again, the effective argument highlights how an individual can benefit from energy efficiency investments. In this scenario, not only is the individual saving money, but the energy efficiency measures are simultaneously reducing the amount of carbon emissions from a home. While the renewable energy industry creating thousands of jobs is great, climate deniers may not see how it personally helps them and may be resistant to that argument.

• In conclusion, understand the mindset of a climate denier and frame information around how they can benefit from pro-environmental legislation, irregardless of environmental impact.

All effective arguments highlight how an individual, climate denier or not, can benefit from pro-environmental policy. By framing the narrative around how an individual can benefit, the polarizing topic of climate change is minimized. Climate deniers can then see how they personally benefit from environmental legislation, regardless if they believe in climate change or not. By constructing a narrative around the personal health and economic benefits of environmentalism, climate deniers are way more likely to support environmental causes.