How Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks about climate change

Let’s take a look at 5 storytelling lessons from Neil deGrasse Tyson on climate communication. When it comes to breaking down complex topics, few do it better than Neil deGrasse Tyson.

His approach to science communication isn’t just about facts. He is all about telling stories that connect science with your everyday life.

Neil is trying to shift mindsets.

For this entry, I analyzed his video “How I Think About Climate Change” and found a few takeaways for anyone who wants to improve their communication on climate issues.

Here are 5 lessons we can learn from his approach.👇

1. Make it personal, not just abstract

Most people wouldn’t feel the difference of a 2°C increase in global temperatures. So, instead of focusing on raw numbers, Neil connects climate change to our everyday experiences:

Lesson:

Instead of dumping data on your conversation partner, frame climate change in terms of what they can see, feel and experience.

2. Show, don’t just tell

If you ask me about Neil’s biggest strength? Probably the way he visualizes the scene. He doesn’t just explain, he gets you to paint a picture in your head.

Instead of saying “Climate change leads to flooding,” he recalls "Hurricane Sandy flooding NYC subway tunnels beyond anything in recorded history".

Lesson:

Use stories, analogies, metaphors and real world events to make the science visible. If you want to know more about the behavior science behind this, we have a podcast about that!

3. Frame it as a stability problem

When some lay people hear the term 'global warming', they think: “so what if it gets a little warmer?”. Or “What’s that going to change for me? Might even be nice!”—I’m paraphrasing from my own experiences.

Instead, Neil flips the script:

Lesson:

Don’t just talk about heat or a warming world. Include how climate chaos disrupts the core systems people rely on in their everyday lives.

4. Acknowledge the "new normal"

Neil makes it clear that preventing climate change is out of the picture. He makes a firm stand with his messaging that adaptation is now the reality.

Some places will become unlivable: "There [are] whole countries, island countries in the Pacific, where their average land elevation is low compared with sea level. As the world warms and we lose our ice cap from Antarctica and Greenland... that melts back into the oceans, it’s going to change the water levels and flood those countries."
Cities will need new infrastructure:"What happened in New York City a few years ago? We had Hurricane Sandy... The water level rose so high it was higher than any previous level breached in the history of the city... There are these huge doors now that can close off the entrances and exits to the tunnels. That’s a response to a NEW NORMAL where the water levels might get higher than anyone had ever seen.”

Lesson:

Climate change isn’t just a future problem anymore. It’s already reshaping the world NOW. Make it clear that it's something your audience will have to deal with, within their lifetime. More on this in our podcast about climate adaptation!

5. The science isn’t up for debate

Neil doesn’t argue about whether climate change is real. Instead, he brings in how other actors are using the science to adapt their ways.

For example, Neil mentions the military is already preparing for climate refugees. A clear reaction to the scientific projections."The military knows about this. They’re called climate refugees, people whose country is gone because the warming of the Earth changed the water levels that surrounded their countries."

Lesson:

Don’t waste energy debating settled science. Focus on integrating solutions, adaptation and impacts into your message. We learned this the hard way with posting on social media… 👀

Let's recap

If you want to experiment with communicating climate issues, try incorporating these learnings into your messaging:

✔️ Make it personal and connect it to real life.
✔️ Use stories & analogies, not just data.
✔️ Shift the conversation to stability.
✔️ Use unpredictability to your advantage.
✔️ Focus on solutions in prevention & adaptation.
✔️ Avoid endless debates (online).
✔️ Lead with clarity & confidence.

Neil doesn’t just talk about climate change. He makes it make sense for people. And that’s a skill we all need to practice.

Watch the full video here: