1. Communicating Climate Change to Alberta’s Youth: Lessons Learned from the Alberta Narratives Project
- Author
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Laurie, Roberta, Atkinson, Katrina, Ohm, Jacqueline, and Bishop, Michaela
- Subjects
Article - Abstract
Climate change and the future of energy has been a divisive, polarizing topic of conversation within Canada, but no more so than within Alberta. The Alberta Narratives Project (ANP) sought to address this challenge. Using intimate roundtable discussions, the ANP engaged with various Alberta stakeholder groups, including oil and gas workers, environmentalists, conservative voters, business leaders, and youth. The ANP undertook to understand and engage with participants’ values in order to facilitate open conversation among roundtable participants with the goal of finding effective narratives with which to discuss climate change within the various demographics as well as the broader community. At MacEwan University, researchers hosted a roundtable discussion for youth ages 18 to 28 to answer the question: how do youth in Alberta engage with the topic of climate change? Researchers found the youth group was receptive to government regulation, while being sceptical of absolutes and slogans. Youth valued government and corporate accountability along with the opinions of scientists on subjects like climate change. These findings are significant because they grant us insight into how we might approach climate change communication with this demographic in the future.
- Published
- 2020