Talking About Climate Change Without Talking About "Climate Change": How Wisconsin Extension Educators Approach Climate Change Communication

Abstract

Through its public engagement work in nearly every county in the United States, the Cooperative Extension Service has the potential to meaningfully contribute to local climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Previous research has found that Extension professionals tend to view climate change as important to address in Extension programming, but they typically feel unequipped to do so. However, little work has examined the current climate change communication practices of Extension professionals, especially in program areas other than agriculture. I conducted in-depth interviews with 18 Wisconsin Extension professionals (15 educators and 3 program managers) across three programs. Crops & Soils educators view climate change as interwoven with their work, Financial Education educators view climate change as mostly disconnected from their work, and Community Economic Development educators range between these extremes. By and large, educators in all three programs talk about climate change without using the polarizing phrase “climate change,” instead focusing on specific, local, and relatable issues that their constituents face. Educators approach conversations with empathy and emphasize resilience (adaptation) rather than mitigation. To address climate change more effectively, interviewees want resources on local climate impacts, as well as opportunities to learn best practices from colleagues. These findings can inform Extension’s organizational strategy on climate change, and Extension professionals’ on-the-ground experiences offer valuable insights for climate change communication researchers.