Climate Shifted

Episode Show Notes: S01E08 Culture Hacking with Elijah Zarlin from Yellow Dot Studios

 

Episode Description
 

In this season one finale of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Elijah Zarlin, Head of Digital and Engagement at Yellow Dot Studios—the climate film studio started by Adam McKay after his movie Don't Look Up with Leonardo DiCaprio, about a comet crashing down on Earth as a metaphor for the climate crisis. Elijah's journey from writing emails for Obama's 2008 campaign to getting arrested in front of the Obama White House protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline taught him a hard truth: even the most gifted communicators won't prioritize climate when fossil fuel narratives still dominate our culture.

 

Yellow Dot is proving that before we can change policy, we need to change the story people tell themselves about energy and who the real villains are. From viral Chevron spoof ads to the Gigaton Salon comedy shows featuring bumbling fossil fuel "executives," they're using the tools of creativity, celebrity, and comedy to expose, deconstruct, and deprogram decades of fossil fuel propaganda.

 

Discover why culture always comes before policy in social change movements, how to counter-program fossil fuel narratives with content that's more entertaining than the propaganda, and why making fossil fuels culturally embarrassing isn't just creative—it's strategic. Because when democracy and policy are this deeply broken, pulling the climate culture lever isn't optional, it's essential.

 

FULL TRANSCRIPT LIVES HERE.

 

Episode Details
 

Host: Eva Frye

Guest: Elijah Zarlin, Head of Digital and Engagement at Yellow Dot Studios

Season/Episode: S01E08 (Season One Finale)

Release Date: Nov 18, 2025

Duration: 36:49 

Content Warning: Strong language in referenced content, bleeped

 

Key Topics Covered
 

Culture as the Last Lever for Change

How culture change precedes policy change in social movements

How fossil fuel companies have spent billions embedding narratives into our culture

The limitations of electing even gifted communicators when cultural narratives haven't shifted

Why pulling the culture lever is strategic when democracy and policy are broken

Historical parallels: Big Tobacco, drunk driving, marriage equality

 

Yellow Dot's Counter-Programming Strategy

The methodology: Expose, deconstruct, and deprogram fossil fuel narratives

Using creativity, celebrity, and comedy as tools for narrative warfare

Making fossil fuel greenwashing embarrassing to defend

Building cultural momentum until the green transition feels inevitable

Measuring impact through both viewing hours and audience attitude shifts

 

The Power of Entertainment in Climate Communication

Why entertainment doesn't just bypass defenses—it captivates and shifts values

How Don't Look Up + a 3-minute explainer increased climate understanding (Rare.org study)

The genius of making fossil fuels funny: normalizing climate action, not radicalism

Tapping into internet subcultures and celebrity fan communities for organic amplification

Simple direct-to-camera videos vs. expensive production: message matters most

 

Small Creator Playbook

Why the stories that travel farthest aren't necessarily expensive or sophisticated

Using strong language and strong emotions to create compelling content

Leveraging existing internet communities (comedy fans, gaming, show fandoms)

Helping people find their specific role in the climate movement

Meeting people where they are with diverse content formats

 

Fossil Fuel Propaganda We've Internalized

"Carbon footprint" (BP invented this to shift blame to individuals)

"Clean coal" (embedded through repetition)

"Energy scarcity" (myth—the sun produces unlimited energy)

"Sacrifice" (the real sacrifice is fossil fuels blocking renewable energy)

Why even climate communicators accidentally use fossil fuel frames

 

From Policy to Culture: Elijah's Journey

Starting at the bottom: door-to-door fundraising for the DNC in 2004

Working on Obama's 2008 campaign headquarters writing emails

The "clean coal" moment: questioning the messaging even while working to elect Obama

Getting arrested at the White House in 2012 as a former Obama staffer

Realizing leaders won't act without cultural pressure demanding it

Finding purpose in creative climate work: "Fighting as hard as I can"

 

Standout Quotes
 

"In this moment when policy and democracy are so deeply broken, culture is the one lever that we as individuals and we as creatives and storytellers, still really have."

 

"The goal of Yellow Dot is to expose and deconstruct and deprogram [Fossil Fuel propaganda] using the tools of creativity and celebrity and comedy or entertainment."

 

"The stuff that travels on social is not necessarily the stuff that's expensive. Use strong language and evoke strong emotions—it doesn't have to cost a lot of money."

 

"People say, oh, the science is complicated. It's really not that complicated…They just need to understand that there are fossil fuel executives who are intentionally murdering them and that it doesn't need to be that way. Stories need villains. And this story has villains."

 

"The fossil fuel industry has so much disinformation for so long that I see people buying into the frames of the fossil fuel industry all the time—like climate communicators, people on our side. Energy scarcity? That is a fossil fuel myth. The sun produces virtually unlimited energy."

 

"I was in front of the White House getting arrested, telling Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline... It was a real wake up call about how far we need to come, how hard this is, and how hard we need to go."

 

"It's a battle... working with creative people who care and are just trying to make fun and funny and interesting things that speak to this moment... try like hell to break something loose. 'Cause that's all we can do."

 

Featured Resources & Organizations
 

Elijah's Work:

Yellow Dot Studios - yellowdotstudios.com

Elijah's LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/elijahzarlin

Yellow Dot Instagram - @yellow.dot.studios

Elijah’s Instagram: @elijahion

 

Yellow Dot Content Referenced:

Chevron Spoof Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfeOWj6AsVc

Don't Look Up (Netflix) - Directed by Adam McKay, starring Leonardo DiCaprio

Gigaton Salon - Live comedy shows at climate events featuring fossil fuel "executive" parody

Let's Not Die - Comedy series

Sabotage Podcast - https://yellowdotstudios.com/sabotage/ (Top 10 on Apple Podcasts, deep dive with climate activists like Just Stop Oil)

The Try Guys climate content - https://yellowdotstudios.com/episode-1-the-try-guys/

 

Key People Referenced:

Adam McKay - Director of Don't Look Up, founder of Yellow Dot Studios

Leonardo DiCaprio - Star of Don't Look Up, created 3-minute climate explainer video

Tim Robinson - Comedian whose content reaches comedy fans who wouldn't watch traditional climate documentaries

 

Research & Reports Referenced:

Rare.org Study on Don't Look Up Impact - Showed significant increases in viewers' understanding of climate threats and willingness to support policy action when watching the film plus DiCaprio's 3-minute explainer

Project Drawdown Explorer - Eva's voiceover recommendation for checking legitimacy of climate solutions https://drawdown.org/explorer

 

Historical Social Change Parallels:

Big Tobacco "Truth Campaign" (2000) - Made tobacco industry look manipulative and uncool to teens

MADD & Designated Driver Campaigns (1980s-1990s) - Shifted drunk driving from "normal" to "irresponsible" through cultural messaging

Marriage Equality Media Representation (2000s-2015) - Will & Grace, Ellen, Modern Family changed hearts before policy shifted

 

Key Themes Explored
 

Culture Always Precedes Policy in Social Movements

 

Smoking became socially unacceptable before smoke-free laws passed with ease

Drunk driving cultural shift came before strict legal consequences

Marriage equality gained through personal stories and media representation

Policy fights can be reversed overnight; cultural shifts create lasting change

Yellow Dot's bet: Make fossil fuel greenwashing as unacceptable as smoking indoors

 

Systematic Counter-Programming vs. Counter-Messaging

 

Expose: Make the manipulation visible (Chevron spoof saying the quiet part out loud)

Deconstruct: Show HOW propaganda works 

Deprogram: Offer something MORE entertaining than the propaganda

Goal isn't convincing every denier—it's making fossil fuel defense socially costly

When greenwashing becomes a punchline, it loses power

 

Entertainment as Strategic Weapon

 

Entertainment doesn't just educate—it captivates and shifts cultural values

Comedy makes fossil fuel talking points harder to take seriously

Celebrity platforms come with built-in audiences and trust

Internet subcultures amplify content organically (meme accounts, fan sites)

Simple, direct content with strong emotions travels further than expensive production

 

The Journey from Inside to Outside the System

 

Working within the system (Obama campaign) to demanding change from outside (protest)

Realizing gifted communicators are constrained by fossil fuel cultural dominance

Frustration as fuel for finding new levers to pull

Moving from policy pressure to culture change as primary strategy

Finding purpose in creative disruption rather than traditional advocacy

 

Fossil Fuel Frames We Need to Reject

 

"Carbon footprint" - Shifts blame to individuals (BP invention)

"Energy scarcity" - False; the sun produces unlimited energy

"Sacrifice" - Backwards; fossil fuels ARE the sacrifice blocking solutions

"It's complicated" - No; there are villains intentionally blocking progress

Even climate advocates accidentally reinforce these frames

 

Juicy Bits: Key Takeaways for Climate Communicators
 

There's no right way to do it - As long as you're being creative and entertaining, just try lots of things. Do what moves you and what seems to move other people.

 

Don't overcomplicate the message - People don't need complex science. They need to understand there are fossil fuel executives who are intentionally blocking solutions, and it doesn't need to be that way. Stories need villains. This story has villains.

 

Don't buy fossil fuel frames - Energy scarcity is a myth. "Sacrifice" is backwards—fossil fuels are blocking unlimited solar energy. Dying is expensive. Question the narratives you've internalized.

 

Message matters more than production value - The content that goes viral isn't necessarily expensive. Use strong language, evoke strong emotions. Your idea matters more than your equipment.

 

Leverage existing communities - Don't build an audience from scratch. Tap into comedy fans, gaming communities, show fandoms. They have built-in amplification mechanisms.

 

Make it embarrassing to defend fossil fuels - Don't just debate propaganda—expose how cynical it is. When greenwashing becomes a punchline, defending it becomes socially costly.

 

Stop waiting for leaders to save us - Culture change comes before policy change. Find your lever and pull it.

 

Call to Action
 

Frustrated with how slowly climate policy is moving? Good. That frustration is fuel. The question isn't whether leaders will finally prioritize climate—it's what cultural lever YOU can pull while we're waiting.

 

Support Yellow Dot's Work:

Follow @yellow.dot.studios on Instagram

Watch and share their content (Chevron spoof ad, Sabotage podcast, Let's Not Die)

Visit yellowdotstudios.com to explore their full catalog

Amplify content that makes fossil fuels look ridiculous

 

Take Action:

Stop using fossil fuel frames in your own communication (question "energy scarcity," "sacrifice," "carbon footprint" language)

Create content that exposes fossil fuel propaganda—make it funny, make it embarrassing

Find your lever: Are you a creator? Organizer? Artist? Use your skills for climate

Share this episode with someone who's given up on leaders saving us

Follow @climateshifted on Instagram and LinkedIn for ongoing climate communication insights

 

Get Involved with Climate Shifted:

Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen

Become a paid Substack subscriber for episode insight digests

Support our volunteer team's work on Season 2

Reach out to [email protected] with grant or sponsorship opportunities

 

Credits

Executive Producer & Host: Eva Frye

Technical Producer: Mathieu Salé

Audio Engineer: Gianna Scioletti

Project Management: Sarah Clayton

Advisers: Ryan Shuken, Ashley Chapman, Chris Clark

In this episode of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Neelambaree Prasad, a pharmacologist and classical Indian dancer who refused to live a "split screen life." After becoming a mother during the pandemic and witnessing how climate change was the root cause of global health crises, Neelambaree co-founded ClimArts—a nonprofit that bridges the gap between climate scientists and artists to create stories that connect with both hearts and minds.

From ancient Indian temples that served as centers of learning through dance and music, to modern collaborations featuring ballet dancers personifying coral bleaching and comedians tackling air pollution, Neelambaree shows us why the future of climate communication isn't just better science or better art—it's the magic that happens when research meets emotional resonance.

Discover how to match scientific expertise with artistic expression, why "bounded imagination" keeps collaborations grounded, and the practical framework any organization can use to create climate stories that actually move audiences to action. Because when we combine data with dance, facts with feelings, we create something neither science nor art could achieve alone.

FULL TRANSCRIPT LIVES HERE.

Key Topics Covered
The Art-Science Gap in Climate Communication

Why technical climate messages push audiences away instead of drawing them in

How scientists and artists struggle to find meeting spaces for collaboration

The challenge of maintaining scientific accuracy while creating emotional connection

Moving beyond "doom and gloom" to solution-oriented storytelling

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Problems

How Indian temples historically served as centers of learning through art

The composite nature of classical Indian dance (music, theater, poetry, storytelling)

Applying traditional frameworks to contemporary climate challenges

The power of personification in connecting audiences to natural systems

ClimArts' Collaborative Framework

Building trust between scientists and artists through common goals

The concept of "bounded imagination" to maintain scientific integrity

Matching art forms to specific scientific messages and audiences

Managing the collaboration process from initial meeting to final product

Impact and Distribution Strategies

Creating docu-films for maximum reach and accessibility

Measuring both quantitative metrics and qualitative transformation stories

The "train the trainer" approach to amplifying impact through existing storytellers

Strategies for demonstrating value to funders in the arts-science space

Standout Quotes
"I always had this unrest in me about why my two worlds cannot converge."

"The pandemic had its root cause in climate change... And that's how ClimArts began."

"Science provides data and analysis and evidence while art accesses emotions and intuition, so together they create a more complete understanding of complex problems."

"It's not science alone that can do it. Not just policy that can do it, but there needs to be a cultural transformation, and that is where art comes in to change the narratives."

"We personified the river through our dance to convey that it's a sentient being."

"You cannot do it alone. That's the one big learning—you have to join forces... Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration is my learning."

"Who is this message for? No funder will accept the answer that my audience is the general public."

Featured Resources & Organizations
Neelambaree's Work:

ClimArts.org - Nonprofit connecting climate scientists with artists

ClimArts LinkedIn and Instagram

Neelambaree's LinkedIn

Resilient River - Dance piece about Indian rivers and flooding (featured on ClimArts website)

Key Collaborations & Partners:

Inside the Greenhouse, University of Colorado Boulder - Creative climate communication initiative led by Max Boykoff

Energy Change Institute at Oxford - Low carbon community transition theater project

English Youth Ballet - Coral bleaching ballet collaboration

Howard School of Public Health - Coral reef solutions partnership

Kings College London - Geography department (floods and droughts research)

School World Forum - Climate justice workshop venue

Key People Referenced:

Max Boykoff - Climate communications expert, author, and professor at CU Boulder; co-director of Inside the Greenhouse

Kripa Iyer - Co-founder of ClimArts, economist and dancer based in London

Dr. Daanish Mustafa - Kings College London geographer specializing in floods and droughts

Reports & Research Referenced
Climate Impact Studies:

Yale CBEY Net-Zero Report - References McKinsey climate analysis; notably focuses on land-based solutions with limited ocean emphasis

National Forests: Shifting Range - Forest migration patterns due to climate change

Scientific American: Greenland's Ice Sheet Collapse - Latest research on accelerating ice loss

Collaboration & Communication Frameworks:

Probable Futures: Bounded Imagination - Framework for keeping solutions grounded in what the science tells us

IDEO: Design Constraints - How limitations can enhance creative collaboration

 

Key Themes Explored
The Power of Personification

Making landscapes and natural systems feel like sentient beings

Drawing parallels between human experiences and environmental challenges

Moving beyond the trend to avoid anthropomorphizing nature

Rights of nature movements giving legal standing to ecosystems

Cultural Transformation Through Art

Why policy and science alone cannot drive necessary climate action

How art changes narratives and cultural understanding

The role of storytelling in making abstract concepts tangible and personal

Creating emotional openings that make audiences want to care and act

Collaborative Framework Design

Building trust through shared goals and clear role definition

Managing the tension between scientific accuracy and artistic expression

The importance of "bounded imagination" to maintain credibility

Intervening at key points to keep collaborations on track

Community-Centered Impact

Training existing storytellers rather than creating content for general audiences

Amplifying local voices and community-led solutions

Measuring transformation through both data and narrative

Creating sustainable funding models for arts-science collaborations

Juicy Bits: Key Takeaways for Climate Communicators

Know your specific audience - "General public" isn't an acceptable target. Create detailed personas including demographics, hopes, dreams, and challenges

Pick the right messenger - Ask yourself: Are you the most effective person to deliver this message? Should it be a subject matter expert or community voice instead?

Craft your message strategically - Once you know your audience and messenger, include: What's the problem? Why does it need solving? What's the proposed solution? End with hope or clear call to action

Embrace personification - Make natural systems feel like sentient beings to create emotional connection

Collaborate, don't work alone - The most impactful climate communication requires joining forces across disciplines

Use "bounded imagination" - Let artists think creatively while scientists ensure accuracy and nuance aren't lost

Create video content - Essential for reaching diverse audiences, especially post-pandemic

Focus on solutions - Move beyond doom and gloom to spotlight actionable pathways forward

Call to Action
Are you a scientist with a story burning inside, or an artist ready to ground your work in evidence? The climate crisis is too important for us to keep working in silos.

Support Neelambaree's Work:

Visit climarts.org to learn about collaboration opportunities

Follow @climarts_ on Instagram and LinkedIn for project updates

Apply to join their programs if you're an artist or expert

Consider philanthropic support—sponsors' names travel with films to festivals

Get Involved:

Share your favorite climate storytelling or art with @climateshifted on Instagram

Tell us why it moved you—we'll reshare our favorites

Consider becoming a paid substack subscriber for episode insight digests, and to help this volunteer-based team with a season 2!

Look for collaboration opportunities in your own community

Reach out to [email protected] if you know of any grant or sponsorship opportunities that would be a good fit for us

Credits

Executive Producer & Host: Eva Frye

Technical Producer: Mateus Salgado

Audio Engineer: Gianna Scioletti

Project Management: Sarah Clayton

Social Media: Amanda Bauer, Ashley Chapman, Louise Lau

In this episode of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Autumn Leiker, a designer and climate artivist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. While many climate stories are doom-and-gloom, Autumn decided to ask their community a different question: considering the realities of the climate crisis, what world do you actually want to live in? This simple but powerful question became Into the Unknown Together, a beautiful anthology of stories, recipes, and art from the people of New Mexico. This work is powerful because when we get out of the limiting fear mindset and into creative ideation, when we imagine the world we do want, we actually start to build it. 

Autumn had never published a book or run a contest before—but they showed that any of us can create something meaningful in our own communities.

Discover why listening matters more than telling, how stories are humanity's most powerful tool for creating change, and the practical steps any of us can take to inspire climate imagination in our own communities. Because when we tell new stories about our climate future, we imagine the pathways for living into them.

FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE

Key Topics Covered
The Power of Place-Based, Community Storytelling

Why stories are humanity's tool for creating change and new worlds

How climate stories can move beyond apocalyptic doom to inspire imagination

Making abstract climate issues personally relevant through place-based narratives

The role of artists and storytellers as "new world midwives"

Building Climate Imagination

Moving from "what we don't want" to "what we do want" in climate futures

Why utopian thinking isn't the goal—complex, realistic visions are

Balancing grief and joy in climate work

Processing the full spectrum of climate emotions through creative expression

Community-Centered Approach

How Autumn approached their project as an anthropologist and listener

The importance of amplifying local voices rather than imposing outside ideas

Creating space for diverse perspectives and first-time contributors

Building projects that reflect the actual ecology and culture of a place

Practical Project Building

How to start a community storytelling project from scratch

Navigating grants, outreach, and building without institutional backing

The power of commissioning alongside open submissions

Making projects accessible and beautiful to draw people in

Standout Quotes
"We are the storytelling animal... Everything is a story that someone has imagined, so the world that we're living in today and all the systems that we are living in, for better or worse, they are all something that someone imagined at some point."

"When writers create new stories, they open up pathways that we can also live into... it is how we can create new worlds."

"If we don't try to start imagining what we do want and then how to get there, then it's never going to happen."

"Being on the right side of history doesn't necessarily mean we're going to make it... but I want to be on the right side of things, and I want to help others engage with that as well."

"I so want more people to do this. Please take the idea, do whatever you want with it, change it, do it in your communities."

Featured Resources
Autumn's Project:

Into the Unknown Together - Climate anthology for and by the people of New Mexico

Autumn's Portfolio - Design and climate storytelling work

Influences & Inspiration:

Adrienne Maree Brown - Visionary fiction author and activist who inspired the project

Jamie Figueroa's "Prophecies of Possibility" for Emergence Magazine

Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grant - Funded the project

Essential Reading Mentioned:

Ursula K. Le Guin - Science fiction author who explored creating new worlds and systems

Robin Wall Kimmerer - Blends science with indigenous wisdom (highly recommended in audiobook)

David Abrams - "The Spell of the Sensuous" on animism and written language

Norma Wong - Activist and community organizer

Organizations & Collaborators Mentioned

Emergence Magazine - Featured Jamie Figueroa's essay referenced in the book

Zoe Young - Writer and collaborator who keeps Autumn going in this work

Local New Mexico libraries - Recipients of free book copies

Community contributors - Over 100 submissions from local residents

Key Themes Explored
Grief and Joy as Climate Tools

How our capacity for joy maps directly to our ability to feel grief

Processing climate emotions without getting stuck in fear or bypassing to optimism

Creating space for the full spectrum of human experience in climate work

Place-Based Climate Action

Why local, ecological storytelling resonates more than abstract global messaging

Understanding your community before trying to create change

The importance of being "people of our ecologies" in climate adaptation

Creative Climate Communication

Listen before creating anything, and amplify local voices

Use beauty and curiosity to draw people into difficult conversations

Create accessible entry points through diverse formats (stories, recipes, art, poetry)

Juicy Bits: Key Takeaways for Climate Communicators

Listen first, create second - Spend time understanding your community before launching any project

You don't need permission - Autumn had no experience but started anyway and created something beautiful

Embrace emotional complexity - Hold space for grief, hope, anger, and joy simultaneously

Make it local and personal - Place-based storytelling works because it speaks to people's actual lives

Stories create pathways - When we imagine better futures, we make them more possible

Focus on what you want - Move from fighting against to building toward

Process matters as much as output - How you treat contributors becomes part of world-building

Call to Action
Which story or voice does your community need to hear? What world are you helping them imagine?

Support Autumn's Work:

Purchase "Into the Unknown Together" at intotheunknowntogether.com

Request a free copy for your community organization

Adapt their model for your own place-based storytelling project

Connect with Climate Shifted:

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts

Follow @climateshifted on all social media platforms

Share this episode with anyone interested in creative climate communication

Consider supporting our volunteer team through Substack for Episode Insight Digests

Credits

Executive Producer & Host: Eva Frye

Technical Producer: Mateus Salgado

Audio Engineer: Gianna Scioletti

Project Management: Sarah Clayton

Advisers: Ryan Shuken, Ashley Chapman, Chris Clark

In this episode of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Melinda Briana Epler, a TED Speaker and behavior change strategist who has worked on national programs with organizations like the American Hospital Association. Melinda is currently authoring a whitepaper on climate communication best practices called Our Moment is Now, out soon.

Discover why fear-based climate messaging burns people out, how to move audiences up Maslow's hierarchy of needs to create lasting change, and why listening might be the most powerful tool in a climate communicator's toolkit. Learn practical frameworks for designing user journeys that meet people where they are and guide them toward sustained climate action over time.

 

Full Transcript Found Here
Key Topics Covered
The Psychology of Climate Motivation

Why fear and guilt are unsustainable motivators for climate action

How to use Maslow's hierarchy of needs in climate communications

The importance of moving from fear-based messaging to love and joy

Building identity-based climate action for lasting change

Behavior Change Strategy

The "trim tab" approach: finding small actions that create big impact

Stages of change model: from unconcerned to maintaining action

Meeting people where they are vs. where you want them to be

Designing user journeys for long-term engagement

Communication Tactics That Work

The power of listening before speaking

Why storytelling beats abstract messaging

Building trust through community ambassadors

Moving from individual awareness to policy change

Bridging Political Divides

Whether to engage dismissive audiences or focus on the converted

Finding common ground across political differences

Learning from bipartisan policy successes

The role of trusted messengers in polarized times

Standout Quotes
"Often people want to just go right to the solution and jump into building awareness... But I would say you need to take a step back to really understand the problem that you're trying to solve."

"Fear is a common emotion that can be evoked by climate communications... And it's not a sustainable emotion. That's why climate anxiety is on the rise."

"If somebody identifies as somebody that takes climate action, they're much more open to taking other climate actions."

"The number one role in communications I would say is listening. First really understanding where people are coming from."

Featured Research & Resources
Melinda's Climate Communication Research:

Our Moment is Now: Best Practices in Climate Communication - Executive summary available now, full research paper coming soon

Featured Interview:

Nisha Anand on Bipartisan Climate Policy - CEO of Dream.org discusses building bridges across political divides

Key Frameworks Mentioned:

Stages of Change Model for behavior design

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for motivation

Yale's Six Americas climate audience segmentation

Community-based social marketing approaches

Organizations & People Mentioned

Dream.org - Nisha Anand's organization focused on bipartisan policy change

American Hospital Association - Partner on national energy efficiency program

Nature Conservancy - Example of nonpartisan environmental approach

Greenpeace - Contrasted as confrontational vs. collaborative approach

Dr. Katherine Hayhoe - Climate scientist and communication expert

Dr. Renee Lertzman - Environmental psychologist

George Marshall - Author of "Don't Even Think About It"

Brené Brown - Researcher on shame and vulnerability

Juicy Bits: Key Takeaways for Climate Communicators

Start with systems thinking - Find the "trim tab" - the smallest action that creates the biggest impact

Listen first, speak second - Understanding where people are now is more important than where you want them to be

Move beyond fear - Use fear only as an initial trigger, then transition to hope, love, and identity-based motivation

Design for the long term - Create user journeys that move people through stages of change over time

Find trusted messengers - Work with community ambassadors when your audience doesn't trust you directly

Seek common ground - Even dismissive audiences can be engaged when you find shared values

Measure what matters - Track behavior change, not just awareness metrics

Sustain yourself - Connect with what brings you joy to avoid burnout in this challenging work

Connect with Melinda

Website: melindabrianaepler.com

LinkedIn: Melinda Briana Epler

Instagram: @melindabrianaepler

Call to Action
Climate communication doesn't have to rely on fear and guilt. Download Melinda's executive summary on climate communication best practices and start designing behavior change campaigns that meet people where they are and guide them toward lasting action.

Subscribe to Climate Shifted wherever you listen to podcasts and follow @climateshifted on social media for more expert insights on what actually works to shift hearts and minds on climate.

In this episode of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Xavier Cortada, a socially engaged environmental artist and Florida Artist Hall of Fame member. He creates participatory art projects transforming how communities understand and respond to the climate crisis. 

Xavier shares how his "Underwater Homeowners Association" project used lawn signs showing home elevation levels to make sea level rise personally relevant to inland residents, how he strategically uses art to invite curiosity rather than confrontation, and how he builds coalitions with local institutions to create lasting policy change. 

Learn how his approach to "social practice art" sculpts people instead of clay, makes topics personal to bypass political polarization, and discover how anyone can get started doing projects like this in your own communities.

Transcript available here
Key Topics

Using "social practice art" to create community climate engagement

Making abstract climate threats personally relevant through art

Designing art experiences that invite curiosity rather than confrontation

Building strategic partnerships with municipalities, schools, and nonprofits

Creating platforms for civic engagement beyond awareness

Moving from individual action to policy change

Balancing different communication approaches for different audiences

Starting with personal passion rather than waiting for permission

Finding sustainable motivation through love rather than fear

Quotes
"Art allows you to see things differently, but it also allows you to behave differently. And you then model to those who aren't part of the process, how they too can do the same thing." - Xavier Cortada

"My way in was the yard sign. What's this weird number doing in my neighbor's front yard? And then that curiosity allows you to understand that you have a vulnerability, that it's not someone else's problem, it's your problem." - Xavier Cortada

"What I try to do is journey into this land called hope, and art gets us there." - Xavier Cortada

"At the end of the day I'm not trying to change human behavior. I'm trying to change the policies that allow corporate interests to exploit people and to extract from our environment." - Xavier Cortada

People & Organizations Mentioned

Xavier Cortada - Socially engaged environmental artist and Florida Artist Hall of Fame member

Underwater Homeowners Association - Community organization created through Cortada's art project

Cortada Foundation - Organization founded to scale Cortada's climate art approach

Natural Resources Defense Council - Environmental organization that partnered with Cortada on the Blake Plateau project

Joseph Beuys - Pioneering social practice artist mentioned as an influence

Notable Art Installations Discussed

Underwater Homeowners Association: A participatory art project where residents displayed signs showing their home's elevation above sea level, transforming abstract sea level rise data into personal concerns about property values and flood insurance.

Elevation Markers: Street paintings showing elevation levels at intersections throughout Miami, demonstrating how even areas miles inland were vulnerable to sea level rise.

Park Elevation Sculptures: Vague concrete sculptures with QR codes in parks that, when scanned, revealed the park's elevation and sea level rise projections.

Reclamation Project: An installation where mangrove seedlings were displayed in water-filled cups on retail storefronts throughout Miami Beach, revealing the area's history as a mangrove forest before development.

JUICY BITS: Takeaways for Climate Communicators

Believe in yourself: Understand that you have a voice and role in delivering the future you want. Combat imposter syndrome - if you doubt yourself, you've already lost.

Believe in others: Recognize you can't create change alone. Value the unique perspectives and skills others bring and believe they too have a seat at the table.

Don't give up: Persist even through difficult challenges. Continue pushing forward when questioning if the work is worth it, especially when trying to change entrenched systems.

Make climate personal: Transform abstract global issues into immediate local concerns that connect to what people already value (like property values or flood insurance).

Invite curiosity over confrontation: Create experiences that spark questions rather than forcing information, allowing people to discover climate issues through their own inquiry.

Build platforms for agency: Move beyond awareness to give people tools and spaces for collective action, connecting concerned citizens with relevant experts and policymakers.

Call to Action

Subscribe to Climate Shifted wherever you listen to podcasts

Follow @climateshifted on all social media platforms

Share this episode with friends interested in climate communication

Check out Xavier Cortada's work at cortadafoundation.org

Consider how you might make climate issues visible and personal in your own community

Credits

Executive Producer & Host - Eva Frye

Technical Producers - Mateus Salgado

Audio engineer - Gianna Scioletti

Project management - Sarah Clayton

Advisers - Ryan Shuken, Ashley Chapman, Chris Clark

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