Making Climate Communication Stick with Framing

Marlies Tumolo, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Education Specialist discussed what would be the best way to talk about climate change? She poses if you’ve ever felt unsure if your message is clear and connecting to your students or audiences? Effectively communicating complex issues involves sound science and an element of artistry. The FrameWorks Institute interviewed over 18,000 Americans and conducted multiple experiments on the topic of communicating climate change to identify the “frames” or messaging strategies, which are most likely to help the public understand that:

• fossil fuels are the primary cause of climate change
• our ocean is part of the climate change story
• we need alternative energy solutions at the community-based level
• these are all issues that we can and should tackle

Throughout this presentation Ms. Tumolo discusses how you can use these simple, clear, and effective messages to communicate climate change in your classroom and beyond!

Marlies Tumolo

Marlies Tumolo grew up in Falls Church, VA. She earned a B.A. in Child Development and a B.A. in Psychology from San Francisco State University and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. After graduation she spent 5 years teaching abroad in Mexico and Thailand. Marlies is currently working as a National Education Specialist for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries where she works on informal and formal education programs. Marlies is the education representative on the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Climate Team where she focuses on creating climate change education & communication trainings and products. She is a certified climate interpreter through the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI).