S2E21: How to talk to a climate denialist

Aug 4, 2025

29:14

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When discussing climate change, mother doesn’t always know best.

Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

For many people, climate change is scary and the science behind its causes and impacts is bewildering. And with all the other bad news these days, sometimes the easiest thing is just to hope climate change will fade away.

Add in a noisy minority who vehemently deny climate change is real, or even believe it’s all a conspiracy, and it can be hard for people to know how best to respond or what’s even real.

In our latest Green Pulse episode, co-hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty speak with Adam Switzer, a Professor of Coastal Science at the Asian School of the Environment at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

He gives us some tips and tricks on how to speak to people about climate change, including amplifying the stories of hope, a focus on solutions as well as educating people about the clear trends that show climate change is real, such as data showing rising temperatures, sea levels and carbon emissions.

But what happens when your own mother is a hardened denialist?

Have a listen, and let us know what you think!

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

2:45 What does climate denialism mean to you?

5:55 How to help people who don’t understand climate science and feel unable to respond?

10: 44 ‘We need to focus on solutions’.

12:10 What are top tips to help people sort out real science from cherry-picked, greenwashed science?

16:44 How to balance the bad news of climate change with the need for urgency?

23:17 Talk to people. It’s not hard to find common ground on climate change, such as health and money.

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Follow David Fogarty on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jcvy