JACKSON, Wyo. — With folks who think like you, talking about climate change may seem like no big deal. But when Uncle Harry insists that it’s just a weather cycle and nothing to worry about, the conversation gets tricky. Like religion and politics, it becomes a topic to avoid.
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe believes we can talk with each other in respectful and effective ways about climate change no matter our beliefs and that we must do it if we care about the future of our planet.
Hayhoe is coming to Jackson to share tools we can use to make these conversations easier and help us overcome the sense of powerlessness so many of us feel.
The Nature Conservancy’s chief scientist, Hayhoe is the author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. In her TED Talk, “The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: Talk about it,” she explains that the solutions start with discovering ways to discuss climate change without despair and with action in mind. Despite her impressive scientific credentials, Hayhoe won’t be rattling off scary statistics. She believes the path to action is through the heart, not the head. People respond when they care and feel personally invested in making a difference.
Hayhoe will open Hope in Action: Wyoming’s Response to Climate Change with an evening presentation at Center for the Arts on Monday, Aug. 22. She will provide the inspiration for tackling climate change conversations. Also that evening, Energy Conservation Works (ECW) will co-host a Climate Action Showcase highlighting the recently launched Jackson Hole Power Challenge, a custom web-based climate action tool that compiles specific actions attendees can commit to locally.
Then on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the conversation will continue during a science and storytelling symposium in the morning followed by a tour of the Museum’s native plant garden and a volunteer opportunity in the afternoon.
Visit nature.org/wyhope for more information and to register for the free event.
