A view of Earth from space.
People innately have the values to understand how humans are impacting the globe and talk to others about solutions, a Texas climate scientist and evangelical Christian says. She’s bringing her message to the University of Arizona Wednesday.
Katharine Hayhoe, a professor at Texas Tech University, said climate change has become such a politically polarized issue that scientists’ first instinct is to respond with facts.
VIEW LARGER Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, Texas Tech University “Arguing the facts about climate change with somebody who disagrees simply deepens the trench between us and entrenches their positions even further,” she said.
“The most effective way to talk about this issue and to start to build bridges between people who might come into conversations like this disagreeing with each other is to talk about the solutions," Hayhoe said, "because there’s amazing solutions happening right now that people can agree to all across the political and ideological spectrum.”
“Arguing the facts about climate change with somebody who disagrees simply deepens the trench between us and entrenches their positions even further"
Hayhoe said employing human values and connecting the dots to climate change applies not only to people of faith, but people who hunt and fish and observe birds, those who plan for the long term, and parents who are concerned about their children.
Hayhoe will speak Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the UA's Environmental and Natural Resources 2 Building.
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