Shaming People into Supporting Actions to Fight Climate Change Doesn’t Work
It’s frustrating to know that there are people who won’t take the right steps towards mitigating climate change. The worst part is that they also discourage others from doing something for the environment considering their personal beliefs. They deny the existence of this problem and pretend that nothing is going on. Given how frustrated you are, you might decide that the best way to take action is by shaming them.
You want these people to know that they’re wrong and humiliating them might change their minds. The sad truth is that even if you embarrass them, they won’t change their minds. Worse, you’re reinforcing the idea that people who believe in global warming are crazy.
Engage in a conversation
You can discuss the facts surrounding this issue. You can also talk about what needs to happen in order to solve the problem. However, you shouldn’t go for a personal attack. You don’t know the person you’re arguing with. The other party might also walk away from the discussion as a result. You want everyone to be at the table to have a meaningful discussion.
Show them how to do the right thing
Instead of telling people how to help solve climate change, you have to show them the practices you do at home. It’s easier for you to convince others if you’re doing the right thing. For instance, you can share how you dispose of trash at home. Talk about proper segregation of waste through different bins. You can also discuss your partnership with junk haulers in Seattle. You want the other people to change their ways because they are inspired by your actions, and not by your insults.
Discuss your efforts with the community
When you belong to a bigger community, and you’re the only one with a different belief, you will try to reassess it. You know that everyone else sees things in a different way, so you might be incorrect. If you can talk about what the community does to do its share in solving global warming, it would be great. At some point, those who don’t believe in this issue will feel embarrassed and decide to change.
Keep fighting
You can’t change everyone’s minds. You might even fail in changing how the people you love view these problems. Despite that, you can’t give up. You know that it’s an important issue and everyone needs to take it seriously. You have to fight global warming and action needs to happen now.
Even if there are people who still don’t believe that this problem exists, there are hundreds of others who do. You need to rely on these people to take action and keep fighting. Continue to engage in conversations or in volunteering for various organizations. You have a huge role to play. Don’t let skeptics discourage you from moving forward. Hopefully, we can still change the situation and make the world a better place to live in.
