CLIMATE LITERACY: FROM THE “WHAT” OF CLIMATE CHANGE TO THE “SO WHAT” OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE (Invited Presentation)

Social science suggests that lack of information is only part of the reason why so relatively few people are responding to the presence and predictions of climate change. Research shows that along with information, it is the affective realm of emotions, values, attitudes, and beliefs, communicated through images, metaphors, and storytelling, that play a critical role in human decision-making. For centuries the arts have been valued for their affective ability to inspire and persuade people to do things they might not otherwise have the interest, courage, energy, or endurance to do. Increasingly, scientists are collaborating with visual, performing, media, literary, and other artists to engage people from all walks of life to live more sustainably. This session will present examples, images, ideas, methods, and results from across the world demonstrating how the arts have worked in collaboration with science and other fields to ignite attitudinal and behavioral shifts and make climate change and sustainability personal, visceral, and actionable.