Katharine Hayhoe: Climate Communication That Works

As we welcome new listeners to the Scientista Podcast, we’re highlighting some of our most popular conversations from the archive.

In this timely episode, climate scientist and bestselling author Katharine Hayhoe shares what it really takes to talk about climate change — especially with people who might not want to hear it.

She discusses why facts alone aren’t enough, how to reach people where they are — including through shared values like faith — and why empathy is a critical tool for climate action.

If you’re new to the show, this is the perfect place to start.

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Transcript

Katharine Hayhoe — How to Talk About Climate So People Listen

When it comes to climate communication, no one does it quite like Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. The internationally renowned climate scientist has long been one of the most powerful voices making the science of climate change accessible, relevant, and actionable.

In her episode of the Scientista Podcast, Dr. Hayhoe explores why using your voice is the most powerful thing you can do to drive climate action—and how we can each connect climate change to the things we already care about.

The Power of Talking About Climate
While most people default to recycling or going plant-based when asked how they can help the planet, Hayhoe says that individual actions alone aren’t enough—we need to change the system. And to do that, we need to talk. “The most powerful force we have is our voice,” she says. By connecting climate change to what people already care about—health, food, jobs, family—we begin to close the psychological distance that makes the crisis feel far away.

“Whoever we are, wherever we live, however we vote—we already have what we need to care about climate change,” Hayhoe says. “It’s affecting everything we care about right now.”

Fighting Disinformation with Facts—and Emotion
Hayhoe also breaks down how decades of disinformation—often funded by fossil fuel interests—have intentionally sown doubt and delayed action. But while the science has been settled for more than a century, she emphasizes that facts alone aren’t enough to move people. What really works? Telling stories, making climate personal, and focusing on shared values.

She challenges climate scientists, policymakers, and everyday people to bring climate into every room and every conversation. “Climate change isn’t a separate bucket,” she says. “It’s the hole in every other bucket—health, equity, the economy. We can’t fix what’s broken if we don’t fix climate change.”

Hope, Action, and Radical Optimism
Despite the scale of the crisis, Dr. Hayhoe remains hopeful. She points to historic examples—civil rights, marriage equality, the abolition of slavery—where vocal, collective action led to massive societal change. Climate action, she insists, can be next.

She also speaks from the heart about being a mother. “Having a child is one of the most radical acts of hope,” she says. “And because I have a son, he will live in the future we are creating today.”

This episode is a rallying cry—for scientists, mothers, voters, and anyone who cares about the future. Because, as Hayhoe reminds us, we can't give up.