UCD Climate Fellows announced as part of event on how to talk about climate change so that people actually listen

People don’t talk about climate change enough, it can seem unreal and distant, and can be an uncomfortable and divisive topic for people to discuss - so how do we talk about climate change so that people actually listen? asked climate change communications expert George Marshall yesterday at an event in UCD where seven new Climate Fellows were announced.

It all boils down to conversation, our interactions with peers, through the creation of ‘sticky’ stories and narratives that make climate change real to our own social groups. While international research points to the Irish population as being relatively well-informed and willing to discuss climate change (Yale Programme on Climate Communication / Climate Change in the Irish Mind), there are communities and demographics who have been left out of the conversation. Government investment in communication can be one part of the solution, and George referenced his work with the last Irish government on the Climate Action Works communication programme, but we all need to be willing to start conversations with our family, friends and colleagues.

Joining George Marshall were Dr Orla Kelly (UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice), Shane Mc Guinness (UCD School of Geography)and chair Dr Cara Augustenborg (UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy) who discussed whether breaking the challenge of climate change down into more tractable elements can be helpful, while acknowledging that having climate change conversations with people who disagree with you is neither easy nor obligatory. The audience of UCD students, staff and guests brought their own thoughtful questions and observations to the panel, with the session carrying on well beyond our allotted time!

The UCD Climate Fellow network and guests: top row, left to right: Dr Saule Ahkmetkaliyeva, Dr Cara Augustenborg, Dr Tadhg O'Mahony, Prof. Eoin O'Neill, Assoc. Prof. Meriel McClatchie, Dr Tomas Buitendijk, Dr Anna Molter, Dr Miguel Angel Trejo-Rangel. Bottom row, left to right: George Marshall, Dr Ronan McDermott, Dr Gabriela Martinez Sainz, Dr Treasa De Loughry, Dr Josie Taylor, Assoc. Prof. Paul Murphy.

Orla, Shane and Cara are members of the UCD Climate Fellows programme which seeks to develop new climate initiatives and enhance the impact of climate research. Our 2025 UCD Climate Fellows, announced by Prof. Eoin O'Neill O’Neill, director of the UCD Earth Institute at yesterday's event, are:

• Dr Cara Augustenborg, UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
• Dr Samuel Kelley, UCD School of Earth Sciences
• Dr Gabriela Martínez Sainz, UCD School of Education
• Dr Anna Mölter,  UCD Schools of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy and Biosystems & Food Engineering
• Dr Tadhg O'Mahony UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
• Dr Josephine Taylor UCD Lochlann Quinn School of Business
• Dr Miguel Angel Trejo-Rangel, UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy