During Ontario Nature’s Bill 5 Explained webinar, Carolynne Crawley, Co-founder of Turtle Protectors and Founder of Msit No’kmaq encouraged the audience to, “Engage in meaningful conversations with those you know in a good way…It’s really important we take that time to share. And if someone has a difference of opinion and supports these bills, inquire why. Ask them. Ask them questions.”
Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental policy are complex topics that can quickly become emotional or divisive. We asked four environmental communications experts from David Suzuki Foundation, Sierra Club Canada, Greenpeace Canada and Ontario Nature about how to talk to your loved ones about the environment you love.
Red foxes, Mimico © Janice Guy
Here’s what we learned:
Start From Connection, Not Conflict
When talking about environmental issues, Becca Kram Dos Santos, Communications and Public Engagement Specialist at David Suzuki Foundation, recommends leading with what you share rather than what divides you.
“Instead of opening with the latest environmental headline or climate catastrophe, try to first connect with something you both care about like family, the cost of groceries and/or your favourite green space,” she says. This approach keeps the conservation grounded and human rather than abstract or argumentative.
Ontario Nature’s Communications Manager, Melina Damián, echoes this approach. “Focus on your shared values. Regardless of where people stand in the political spectrum, I bet everyone cares about community, family, safety and a better future,” she says, “When you have a conversation with someone with differing views, it could help to focus on what a shared future would look like – a world where everyone feels included and the wellbeing of people and nature go hand in hand.”
Connor Curtis, Director of Communications at Sierra Club Canada reinforces finding common ground. “Ask your family member what worries them most about climate change and then share what worries you – share emotions and listen to their concerns first so you know how they see things and so you establish that both of you do care on some level.”
Beaver family feeding on vegetation © Janice Guy
Listen First, Lead with Empathy
“Simply listen,” Kram Dos Santos says. “When people feel heard, they’ll be more open to new information. From there, you can begin to gently connect the dots.”
Sien Van den broeke, Nature and Biodiversity Campaigner at Greenpeace Canada, echoes this sentiment. “Just understanding that people have different lived realities helps me meet them with empathy and care. Try to find out what their experience has been before asserting your own opinions,” she says. “Leaving space for everyone to share their thoughts, I find, helps a lot in learning where they come from and finding solutions together.”
Damián agrees that good conversations grow from focusing on shared values and deep, respectful listening. “Approach others from a place of empathy and curiosity. Or as one of my favourite authors, Edgar Villanueva from Decolonizing Wealth, would say: try to ‘listen in colour.” Damián explains that listening in colour is a superpower that can help bridge divisive views by encouraging good listening that includes being open, empathetic, and holistic.
Red-breasted mergansers © Peter Ferguson
Think Strategically and Make Room for Self-care
Curtis offers a practical point: you don’t have to debate everyone.
“Think strategically and talk to the right people,” he advises. “To do that you have to identify the people in the room who haven’t made their minds up yet or are truly persuadable and focus your energy and time on them.”
Rather than trying to persuade everyone at a gathering, Curtis suggests being strategic about where you invest your time and emotional effort. This is not about avoiding difficult conversations but about recognizing limits and choosing discussions where dialogue and understanding are more likely.
“My point being, don’t spend five hours talking with someone who either already agrees with you or will never agree with you. Spend one hour each talking to five different people who are on the fence or in the middle on an issue with the aim of bringing them closer to agreeing with environmental action.”
Common loon and juvenile loons, Algonquin Provincial Park © Noah Cole
This approach isn’t just about being effective; it also helps keep conversations sustainable over time, so you don’t feel exhausted or discouraged by every disagreement.
It’s reminiscent of Crawley who stressed the importance of self-care during the Bill 5 Explained webinar. “When we are doing this work, whether you are First Nations, whether you are in an organization, or an individual community member, and you are trying to do whatever you can to stand up against these things…it’s really important for us to take care of ourselves in the process. So, we continue to fill up our cups, so we don’t burn out.”