Shifting Climate Communication Narratives Towards Actions and Futures in a Rural Area of Appalachia

Through the Climate and Rural Systems Partnership (CRSP), Carnegie Museum of Natural History partnered with a rural conservation district and learning researchers at University of Pittsburgh to build a learning network with two regional hubs. Each hub invited community organizations to join and work together to develop strategies to support productive, science- and community-based dialogue among network members and with public audiences. Together, we worked in a Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) to enhance climate literacy through a network that bridged urban and rural professionals. This peer-review research publication shares results from CRSP workshops designed to understand rural perspectives and support effective climate talk rooted in evidence from climate change communication science. We analyze the social and economic context of climate conversations in Western Pennsylvania, the content and framings of climate action expressed by rural network members and offer strategies for shifting climate talk from issues and past (e.g. impacts) toward action and futures (e.g. solutions).