Talking to Family and Friends

We know that personal connection is one of the most effective ways of changing people's perspective on the climate crisis, and bringing them into activism.

So speaking to our friends and families about why we do what we do can be really powerful! But it can also be really difficult.

We can feel that people don't want to hear what we have to say, or worry that people will think our actions and views are too extreme, when we know that they are completely proportionate to the scale of the crisis we face.

Thankfully, there are some really useful resources available help with this!

Resources to help you...

The climate communication charity HEARD recommends using a "can do" framing for conversations. Rather than talking about how "everything is fine", or "will be fine", nor saying "everything is ruined". Say instead that we can change/improve this, it's within our reach if try. See these slides and this guide to read more about how to change the way we talk about climate

A Gift for Conversation

A Gift for Conversation is a 'gift book', designed to help you talk about the climate crisis to people you care about. Written by an XR Rebel, it is available in paper copies via a 'pay-as-you-feel' system, and as a pdf version for free.

Rebels have given dozens of copies to their friends and families and it has triggered some brilliant conversations. It has even been given as a gift to the judge in climate activism trials!

How to speak with your family and friends about environmental issues

This short guide provides some really solid advice on the basics of talking to people about climate change and the environment. It doesn't go into the details of the issues like the book above, but covers the practise of active listening, how to keep the conversation productive and polite, and the power of the personal.