Climate Change and Environment

Conversations about climate change and our environment can’t wait, but they must be navigated carefully. The right frames avoid dead-end debates and despair.

The right frame can take climate change out of the boxing ring and into the public square.

Metaphors help translate science and reach a broad audience. For example, “heat-trapping gas” is more accessible and effective than “greenhouse gas.”

FrameWorks’ unique approach to science translation has shaped this strategy, which tens of millions of Americans have heard and seen over the past two decades.

Explore how to frame a wide range of environmental issues.

Featured Work

External article

Entering Climate Change Communications Through the Side Door

Advocates can make progress on polarized issues by finding new ways into engaging people in different perspectives, rather than trying to knock down the front door with a barrage of facts.

Report

Communicating about Climate Change in the time of COVID-19

As climate communicators, we have a long-standing, deep appreciation for a concept that the pandemic has brought into sharp relief: interconnection. This moment calls us to lift up our values,...

Report

Reframing the Ocean: A FrameWorks Guide

This communication guide outlines how to talk about the ocean to improve public understanding and increase support for solutions. Based on comprehensive research with the UK public, it reveals a...

All work

Showing 25 – 36 of 37

Report

Talking Environmental Health: A FrameWorks MessageMemo

How can we frame environmental health in ways that build support for the infrastructure and funding it takes to do the work? This MessageMemo offers a strategy.

Report

Just the Earth Doing Its Own Thing: Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Oceans and Climate Change

This report examines the differences between the ways that experts and the general public understand climate change and oceans.

Report

Using Values to Build Public Understanding and Support for Environmental Health Work

This report details the findings from an experimental survey designed to identify values that elevate public support for the environmental health field.

Report

The Media Narrative of Environmental Health

This report analyzes media coverage of the field of environmental health. Dominant media frames related to environmental issues were identified and analyzed.

Report

People, Polar Bears, and the Potato Salad: Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Environmental Health

People don't know the term 'environmental health' - and think it must have something to do with keeping our planet clean and green. How can we reframe?

Report

Conceptualizing US Food Systems With Simplifying Models

Findings from TalkBack testing.

Report

Upside Down Fate: Analysis of a Priming Survey Exploring Views of the Food System

This report summarizes findings of a national telephone survey of 3,294 adults conducted for the Frameworks Institute in March 2006 to determine the effects of various conceptual frames on...

Report

Not While I’m Eating: How and Why Americans Don’t Think About Food Systems

Findings from the TalkBack Testing.

Report

Harmful and Productive Patterns in Newspaper Representations of Food Systems

This analysis, funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and building on previous research on how Americans think about food systems, examines the ways in which the topic is presented to readers,...

Report

The Food Chain: Linking Private Plate to Public Process

An analysis of qualitative research exploring perceptions of the food system.

Report

Priming More Productive Views of Government: Survey Experiment Results

Negative views of government are no surprise. But the effects of different frames might be.

Report

Digesting Public Opinion: A meta-Analysis of Attitudes Toward Food, Health and Farms

This report identifies public opinion in relevant issue areas related to Food and Health.