When you really, really, really need to just blow into a conversation with something totally different that most people really do not care about without sound like a Debbie Downer
‘How do I talk about climate change at social gatherings?’
A guide to bringing up the topic without turning into Debbie Downer.Dear Sara,
I feel an urge to talk about climate change bubbling up within me at social gatherings if people talk about trivial things like food or sports for too long. But it is always such a downer and I know people need a certain amount of time to feel safe and ordinary and relaxed.
Any advice on how to handle this and break through the “tyranny of politeness†that makes talking about climate – and many other serious issues – so awkward?
– Matt in Toronto
Matt sounds fun, and his Climarettes means he doesn’t get invited to many parties
Debbie Downer, the Saturday Night Live character played by comedian Rachel Dratch, can ruin anyone’s fun with just a few facts.
In a skit set at Disney World, for example, she announces to her family that she’s given up eating steak. “Ever since they found mad cow disease in the U.S., I’m not taking any chances,†she says. “It can live in your body for years before it ravages your brain.â€
Then, she further fouls the mood by reminding everyone that “if this greenhouse effect keeps up, we’ll all be living underwater.â€
Debbie’s not wrong for wanting to talk about climate change with loved ones, but the way she brings it up is utterly demoralizing. For guidance on what you can do differently, look to Peterson Toscano, a Pennsylvania-based performance artist who leads workshops on climate communication.
And the solution is comedy! You can talk about it in a comedy fashion! But, what if you’re not a professional comedian looking for applause instead of laughs?
Even if you’ve never taken an improv class, you can still look to comedy for lessons on speaking up about difficult topics.
The first step is to learn from Debbie Downer’s most crucial mistake: She doesn’t listen. Other people’s interests aren’t meaningful in their own right, only as cues for spouting dismal facts.
Good luck with getting Warmists to give up this. But, hey, you can tackle this from a different direction
To break out of that pattern, Toscano encourages people to consider why they care about climate change, beyond typical concerns about the environment and future generations. Ask yourself, how does climate change affect something that you feel personally passionate about?
Yes, how does it affect implementing lots of tax and fees and government controls on Other People?
