Communicating Earth podcast
Episode 8: Kris De Meyer
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
What if action, not awareness, is the key to communicating about climate change?
In this episode, Tom speaks with neuroscientist and climate communication expert Kris de Meyer about the psychology of agency, belief, and action. Drawing on years of research - and a pivotal moment watching a misleading climate documentary - Kris explains why information alone doesn’t change minds, and why persuasion is often the wrong goal entirely.
Hear Kris argue for:
A radical shift: from explaining the problem to enabling action
From individual choices to collective agency
From fear-driven narratives to stories that show what’s already being done
How people can take part.
Learn more about how beliefs are shaped by action, why listening beats arguing, and how communicators - from scientists to campaigners - can unlock “penny drop” moments that lead to real change.
If you’re trying to communicate climate more effectively, this episode offers a powerful reframing: don’t just tell people what’s wrong - help them discover what they can do.
Recommended books: Fairhaven: A Novel of Climate Optimism by Steve Willis & Jan Lee / The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
Follow Kris De Meyer at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kr...
Additional notes:
Climate Action Unit (UCL) - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-...
Transforming the Stories We Tell About Climate Change: From Issue to Action: A 2020 paper written by Kris - https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9...
TED Talk: How to Stop Feeling Stuck on Climate Change - https://www.ted.com/talks/kris...
Right Between Your Ears - https://filmfreeway.com/454046
An Inconvenient Truth - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Star Trek: The Next Generation - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Released: 24/3/26
Run time: 45m
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
