An ivory tower is no place for a scientist when a storm of misinformation rages.
Climb down and share what you know in a way that recognizes biases, teaches environmental literacy and invites trusted messengers to help drive the conversation. So says Richelle Tanner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Chapman University who is recognized nationally for her skills as a science communicator.
Tanner wants scientists, K-12 teachers and other science professionals to know that by using well-researched communication techniques, they can empower everyday citizens to help solve complex 21st-century problems like climate change.
âTraditionally, scientists are up in that ivory tower, where theyâre taught to approach [issues] with the perspective of an expert. But thatâs not an effective way to communicate,â says Tanner, a biologist who researches coastal nearshore communities. She also teaches an interdisciplinary course at Chapman called âEnvironmental Advocacy Through Story.â

In addition to her role as a professor at Chapman, she serves as science director for the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change interpretation (NNOCCI), which provides training developed through social science research and promotes effective ways to engage audiences on issues of climate and ocean change.
âYou donât tell people that they have to listen to you because youâre better at this than they are,â Tanner says. âWith the younger generation of scientists, we realize this is not a useful or equitable way to do the work.â
Tanner offers these tips to help scientists communicate effectively about climate change and other environmental issues.
1. Empower Trusted Messengers
Scientists are not always the best sources of information, even on issues of science, Tanner says.
âIâm not the right messenger for most of the population,â she acknowledges. âTo have the greatest effect, I have to teach people who are trusted.â
Students — and young people in general — make great messengers, she notes. âThey come from all sorts of backgrounds, so they can reach diverse audiences. Studies show that they have a lot of influence over their parents and their communities. We just need to give them the tools to advocate for themselves.â
2. Meet People on Common Ground
Find traits or experiences you share with your audience.
Tannerâs research on environmental communication points to two universal values —Â protecting the environment for future generations and responsible management of resources.
âNo matter the stakeholder group, these values hold together,â Tanner says. âAn appeal to shared values needs to be up front, so people have an inherent buy-in.â
3. Donât Skip Foundational Steps in Building Your Case
In addition to values, a shared knowledge base matters. Donât assume that terms like âclimate changeâ and âglobal warmingâ are universally understood.
âOften I donât even say âclimate changeâ because it can be its own can of worms,â Tanner says. âTo explain, I say, âWhen we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, we contribute to a heat-trapping blanket around our earth, which warms our planet.â Making sure we have a common understanding can help get us past biases and assumptions and guide us toward productive thinking.â
4. Focus on Community-Wide Solutions That Match the Scale of the Problem
Donât present people with a problem without helping them to see themselves in the solution, she says. But the solution has to match the scale of the problem.
âWe do our audience a disservice by pretending that individual steps like turning off lights is enough,â Tanner says.
Community-level solutions might be opting for clean energy in your electric utilityâs portfolio or attending a local town hall to advocate for policies that add solar panels and EV charging stations.
âNormalizing the conversation makes it socially OK to pursue large-scale solutions,â she adds.
5. Give Yourself Permission to Share the Burden
Itâs not scientistsâ responsibility to carry the conversation to everyone they meet, Tanner says.
âDonât think you have to solve things by yourself,â she adds. âKnow that a community is fighting with you.â
Learn More
Richelle Tanner, Ph.D., is a member of the SEACR Lab (Socio-Ecological Adaptation and Climate Resilience), a research group in Chapmanâs Environmental Science and Policy Program committed to science in service of communities. Learn more about opportunities for training in effective science communication.Â