Storytelling and Climate Activism

There is a strong focus in the climate movement on scientific data and facts; “listen to the scientists” is Greta Thunberg’s rallying cry. Facts, science and measurement are critically important in understanding the various and complex phenomena associated with climate change, and for trying to avert climate catastrophe. But these facts and figures can sometimes be difficult for people to connect with on an emotional level.

This is where storytelling comes in. Climate change isn’t just about temperature measured in degrees, and sea-level rise measured in centimetres…or metres. It’s about people’s lives, and the lives of non-humans, and the effects that these changes have on them. People often struggle to connect with and understand the significance of what they perceive to be dry numbers, and statistics devoid of meaning. But what they can connect with are stories—stories of hardship and hope, struggle and resilience.

If we want people to act on climate change, first they need to care. And to engender care, we need stories. Join us on Monday June 8 to hear from world-renowned activist Bill McKibben, and author Megan Mayhew Bergman about storytelling and climate activism.

Megan Mayhew Bergman is an author, journalist, essayist and critic. She has written two short-story collections and has a novel forthcoming in the near future. She has written numerous articles and essays on climate change, including a column, 'Climate Changed' about the American South for the Guardian in 2018/19. She teaches literature and environmental writing, also at Middlebury College, and also serves there as the director of the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers' Conference. She is a Senior Fellow at the Conservation Law Foundation and has won numerous awards for her work, including the Phil Reed Environmental Writing Award in 2020.