A scientific web tool shows which formulations can support climate protection measures. A large international team of researchers, led by psychologist Kimberly Doell of the University of Vienna, examined the reactions of around 59,000 participants from 63 countries to different formulations, all of which called for climate action. For example, the researchers found that calls formulated in a “doomsday” style led to a significantly greater willingness to share posts on social media. For climate change skeptics, however, such formulations only led to greater rejection of action. The results of the study were recently published in the renowned journal Science Advances .

Kimberly Doell of the University of Vienna and Madalina Vlasceanu of New York University led a study involving more than 250 international scientists and collected data from 63 countries at all levels of society. They tested the effectiveness of different messages (so-called interventions) with respect to different goals. One of the messages, which the researchers attributed to a kind of “doomsday mood,” pointed out that climate change poses a serious threat to humanity. Another message described examples of successful climate action from the past. Another intervention asked participants to write a letter to a person from a future generation explaining what climate action is being taken today. Other messages emphasized the scientific consensus on the facts about climate change. (Vlasceanu*, M., Doell*, KC, Bak Coleman*, JB, Todorová, B., Berkebile-Weinberg,, more at sonnenseite.com)