The UKSSN had the privilege of welcoming Professor Alison Anderson for a talk on communicating the climate crisis - a topic that is extremely relevant in the age of social media and controversial newspaper reports. I feel as though I learnt a lot about the different ways through which the climate crisis can be presented, such as in newspapers, on TV, on social media, or even on sites such as BBC Bitesize! I gained new insights into the types of bias that can exist when it comes to communicating the climate crisis, such as in how eco-activists are portrayed in newspapers on different sides of the political spectrum. I enjoyed learning about how effective communication needs to engage with people's interests and emotions, and I hope to incorporate this advice into my school's eco-activism/communication! :) Overall, it was a super engaging and extremely relevant talk - thank you so much to Prof. Anderson!

Written by Gabrielle (London Schools Eco-Network)

I found Professor Alison Anderson’s talk on ‘how communication is key to solving the climate crisis’ fascinating. Before the talk – I hadn’t really thought about communication and climate being so linked. Communication is something that is constantly all around us, so much so - we sometimes forget to question the validity of what it is saying. The idea that not all ‘environmental news’ is correct has opened my eyes to the issue of fake news and miscommunication. What I found most interesting is how the media can dictate the interest that people take in helping the climate crisis. Although ‘natural dips’ in concern for the state of our environment are part of a pattern, it is vital to maintain interest and engagement in the climate crisis - which will happen by using communication consistently, effectively, and clearly.

Written by Lucy (Surrey Environmental Action Schools)