Do Albertans Care About Climate Change?

Conferences, climate cafes, and community conversations are a great way to get involved and learn more about local initiatives and programs. 

Photo credit: Mike Byerley, Moving Mountains Conference 2024.

Alberta Talks Conference

Mobilizing Alberta is an initiative from the Office of Sustainability aimed at increasing engagement on climate change across Southern Alberta. Through Climate Action Grants, a Climate Conversation Speaker Series, and the Preparing Albertans for Climate Change e-course, Mobilizing Alberta provides a foundation on which Albertans can build awareness and support meaningful climate action. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share a series of informative blog posts to answer frequently asked questions, clear up common misconceptions, and break down climate solutions in a straightforward, easy-to-understand way.

Continuing the series, we dive into who the average Albertan is and how they feel about climate action.

Wildfires, heatwaves, drought, floods — climate change is a global issue, but Albertans are feeling the effects right at home through extreme weather, increased food costs, and water restrictions. 

Climate change is caused by increased pollutants in the air, which can come from a variety of sources, including burning oil, gas, and coal. The pollution stays in the atmosphere for thousands of years, building up and creating a “blanket” that traps heat. This trapped heat is what’s leading to the changes in our climate and the increasingly frequent extreme weather patterns. These changes affect every area of our lives: our health, our economy, the safety of our communities, our energy supply, and the natural environment around us. 

Even though we have good data about the changes in our climate, we struggle to talk about it. Why? Because for a long time, climate change was seen as an “environmental issue” that only a certain kind of person cared about. Across Alberta, people have different opinions about climate change, often defined by their occupation, where they live, and their political values. No wonder it’s hard to talk about!

While the popular narrative suggests that Albertans are indifferent to climate change, the true picture is much more complex. Many Albertans do care about climate change and worry about the future as a result. This worry is often tied up with their fears for their livelihoods and communities. Recent polls suggest that  67% of Albertans believe climate change poses a severe threat to the planet (Pollara Strategic Insights, 2024); 60% of Albertans are worried about climate change and extreme weather and disasters (First OnSite, 2024); and 64% of Albertans are very concerned or concerned about climate change (Abacus, 2023).

Talking about climate change is one of the most important climate actions you can take. People might be concerned about different aspects of the issue, but we can talk about how it affects us all, no matter where we live, what we do for a living, or how we vote.

“Talking about climate change is an important climate action because it really helps to address polarization,” says Amber Bennett, Executive Director of Re.Climate. “If we can begin to have conversations with each other about things we care about, we can begin to see each other not as people who are on opposite sides, but rather people who are very much like each other.”

Things Albertans worry about that are actually related to climate change

Many Albertans think climate change is an environmental issue, and don’t see themselves as environmentalists. But so many of the concerns we have are actually connected to climate change. By making those connections, we can see we have more in common than we might think. 

  • Getting out of the oil and gas boom and bust cycle. Albertans share a lot of common ground on this subject. Many agree we need to diversify the economy and attract other industries to the province to help insulate ourselves from the volatility that comes with attaching our livelihoods to one source.

  • The weather. It sounds silly, because talking about the weather is the ultimate small-talk topic, but many of us are worried about the increase in severe weather events and natural disasters. We’re all experiencing these things together, and they’re a tangible way to talk about climate change and what we can do to keep our communities safe.

     

  • Our health. People are concerned about personal health and the health of their loved ones. So while they might not want to talk about the burning of fossil fuels, they may want to talk about reducing pollution or air quality, both in their homes or in their communities. 

  • Electric vehicles are popular topics of conversation. They’re often in the news, and people are intrigued by them — they’re futuristic, technologically advanced, and appeal to a lot of people’s interests. 

  • Common ground. People generally respond better to people they feel are “like them.” For example, teachers talking to teachers, or farmers talking to farmers. That commonality makes it easier for people to talk about their concerns and about specific actions they can take. 

 

Tips for talking about climate change

There are ways to talk about climate change and keep the conversation productive, enjoyable, and even relaxed. The REAL TALK principles can help you connect with other people and share your concerns, ideas, and hopes for the future. Science Moms also has a guide with advice on how to talk to people about climate change. The tips below are similar to the REAL TALK model, too. 

  • Be respectful. Show respect for your conversation partner and try to find common ground.

  • Be a good listener. Let people speak and share their opinions first. 

  • Share your experiences. Information is important, but sharing your lived experiences and hearing about others can go a long way to expressing your concerns or talking about actions you can take.

  • Share stories or anecdotes about successes. Talk about how communities are tackling climate change, through municipal programs and initiatives, improving the lives of residents, and more. The feel-good stories are important. 

  • Ask questions. Follow up their questions with questions of your own. Respectfully challenge opinions, ask for sources of information, and query who benefits from that information. 

  • Don’t be afraid of the fundamental facts. Talking about what climate change mitigation is really trying to do is effective. Lead the other person to understand, for themselves, how climate action can benefit them. It’s harder to argue against when you connect it to cleaner air, reducing food insecurity, and generating cheaper electricity or less extreme weather events. 

  • Keep going, and keep connected to others. Most of the groups and resources that let us know how to talk about climate change exist because people struggle to talk about it everywhere. So many of us are concerned, yet feel we’re alone with those concerns

The best way to feel comfortable having conversations about climate change is to practice. Think about what motivates you and what you’re passionate about, and practice talking about it using the tips here

What else can you do to take climate action?

The good news is there are a lot of things you can do to learn about climate change and support climate action. You can start with the e-course from Mobilizing Alberta and the University of Calgary, Preparing Albertans for Climate Change. The course will tell you about how climate change is affecting our lives, but also how you can take action. It includes a list of resources and groups in Alberta that you can join or support. The e-course is free and offers a certificate of completion.

Connect with local groups that are working on climate change. You’ll find a list in the e-course of local organizations doing their part — they’re working on things like building resilient communities, alternative transportation, efficient homes, sustainable food systems, and more.  Look for groups or organizations that focus on aspects of climate change you’re passionate about. They’re a great way to connect with like-minded people. 

Over 30 municipalities across Alberta have energy or environmental plans in place with their own climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. This is a great start, but there’s room for so much more. If your community doesn’t have its own plan in place yet, contact your local government and ask about future initiatives. Let all your elected representatives — at every level of government — know climate action is important to you.

Climate change affects all of us, and it’s a concern the majority of Albertans share. Talking about it and sharing information is a great first step, and opens the door to more of us understanding the issues and getting involved.