Can we ignore pluralistic ignorance?
Most people are concerned about the climate—yet many believs they are alone in this feeling. Two new studies show how systematically we misjudge what others think and do. However, correcting this misperception does little to change actual behaviour. But what can climate communication achieve instead? This post is part of the series “Studies of the […]
What does The Odyssey tell us about climate change?
August was the world’s hottest month on record, and Europe continues to experience historic drought. During this extreme summer, Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film adaptation has brought the nearly 3,000-year-old epic The Odyssey into the zeitgeist. Some scholars argue that the ancient story could help humanity navigate our era of global warming caused by burning fuels. […]
Why Heat and Drought Also Create Opportunities
It is a summer of extremes in Europe. Heat and drought cost human lives, destroy crops, and cause immense economic damage. However, such events—which are still currently extraordinary—also carry a possibility for change: They can trigger a so-called “opportunity window.” In these phases of high attention, it becomes possible to initiate decisive changes toward greater […]
Results from Down2Earth survey: Continuing backlash on climate change awareness in Germany
In 2023, the long-term survey series “Down2Earth” detected a significant backlash on climate protection. Recently published data shows that this trend has progressed and intensified. The recent findings also suggest a rising skepticism regarding the existence of anthropogenic climate change. In 2025, the questionnaire additionally measured public support of discourses of climate delay (based on […]
Does Attention to Climate Change Lead to Stress and Burnout?
Does constant engagement with climate change make people tired, discouraged, or even ill? Two new experimental studies show: It is not the topic itself that leads to burnout—but how we talk about it. The studies show why focusing on pragmatic solutions protects against psychological distress without taking away the urgency. This post is part of […]
Billionaires in Orbit: An Imagined Climate Future
Today, we decided to take our bikes to meet our friends in the community garden “Rathausmarkt” right next to the Alster. Cycling past ongoing construction sides, replacing parking lots and sealed areas with local parks. Yes, you heard right. Hamburg in 2041 is now centered around nature and people. After the Hamburger Zukunftsentscheid in 2025 […]
Is ‘green capitalism’ possible?
The question of whether ‘green capitalism’ is possible has become increasingly urgent in the context of climate change. Should it prove impossible, addressing the climate crisis will require a new economic and social order, alongside different ways of thinking about knowledge. In this article, I engage with this question and its implications based on Cédric […]
What causes political backlash against climate action?
While public and media discourse currently shows crumbling support for ambitious climate measures in many places, the gap between set climate targets and actual policy action is widening once again. But what is driving this headwind, and how can effective climate communication address it constructively? This post is part of the series “Studies of the […]
Is Climate Overshoot the New Tipping Points?
Tipping points are everywhere in climate communication, and so is the endless arguing about them. Climate overshoot is more of a newcomer in the climate change discourse: is it here to replace the tipping points framing? We need ambitious climate action, because … — The second part of this sentence will most likely contain some reference to tipping points. […]
Poetry for Climate: The One
It’s very hot today,
But not concerning in any way.
It rains, it snows, it’s always changing –
I don’t know what you are really claiming.