Climate	Stories	Project:	How	to	Conduct	a	Climate	Change	Interview

h:p://www.climatestoriesproject.org/

Overview:	Talking	to	people	about	climate	change	can	be	difficult.		We	oCen	make	assumpDons	

about	other	people	based	on	what	they	know	or	believe	regarding	climate	change,	rarely	taking	

the	Dme	to	consider	where	such	knowledge	and	beliefs	come	from.		ConversaDons	about	

climate	change	can	seem	boring,	turn	nasty,	or	worse,	never	get	started	in	the	first	place.		

However,	talking	about	climate	change—bringing	it	out	into	the	open	through	discourse—is	a	

criDcal	first	step	to	actually	addressing	the	challenges	of	climate	change.		

This	project	posits	that	one	effecDve	strategy	in	talking	to	people	about	climate	change	is	to	ask	

them	about	their	own	lives	and	personal	stories	in	relaDon	to	climate	change.		It’s	OK	if	you	are	

not	an	expert	about	climate	change,	and	it’s	OK	if	the	person	you	want	to	interview	isn’t	an	

expert	either.		People	do	not	need	to	be	experts	in	climate	science	or	climate	policy	to	tell	their	

climate	change	stories.		Simply	sharing	something	about	ourselves	and	our	relaDonship	to	

climate	change	is	an	important	first	step.		We	are	all	witnesses.		Each	person’s	story	is	

important.		

Technical	details:	You	can	record	a	Climate	Stories	Project	interview	on	your	phone,	your	tablet,	

your	computer,	or	any	electronic	device	that	has	a	recording	funcDon.		The	audio	doesn’t	need	

to	be	of	the	highest	quality,	but	make	sure	you	conduct	the	interview	in	a	quiet	place	without	

much	distracDng	ambient	noise.		

To	begin:		Introduce	yourself	and	the	project	to	the	person	you	will	be	interviewing.		Explain	the	

goals	of	the	project—to	provide	a	forum	for	people	to	share	their	own	stories	and	personal	

reflecDons	on	climate	change—and	that	you’d	like	to	talk	with	him/her	about	climate	change	

and	record	his/her	story	for	the	project.		Ask	the	person	if	you	can	record	the	interview	and	

then	submit	selecDons	from	that	recording	to	the	Climate	Stories	Project	website.		If	the	person	

agrees,	ask	him/her	to	sign	the	release	form.		

Specific	ques:ons	to	ask	during	the	interview:

1) Could	you	please	introduce	yourself	and	where	you	live?

2) Could	you	talk	about	the	changes	you	may	have	noDced	in	your	local	environment	over	

the	past	several	years?		(For	example,	changing	weather,	temperature,	seasons,	changes	

in	plants	and	animals,	sea	level,	water	resources,	glaciers)

3) How	do	you	imagine	your/your	family’s/your	community’s	future	will	be	affected	by	

climate	change?

4) How	do	you	feel	about	climate	change?		Describe	your	emoDonal	responses	to	climate	

change	as	you	think	about	yourself,	your	family,	and	your	community.

5) How	do	you	imagine	the	future?		What	kind	of	world	would	you	like	to	see	in	terms	of	

the	relaDonship	between	different	groups	of	humans,	between	humans	and	the	natural	

world,	between	humans	and	the	climate?				
A=er	the	interview:

1) Thank	the	interview	subject	for	her	Dme	and	emphasize	that	her	story	will	be	an	

important	contribuDon	to	the	project.	

2) Ask	the	interview	subject	to	email	you	a	photo	of	himself/herself	to	include	with	the	

story	on	the	website.		Follow	up	with	the	person	if	necessary.		

3) Send	the	audio	file,	photo,	and	signed	Terms	of	Service	(on	website)		to	Jason	Davis	at	

jason@climatestoriesproject.org	for	inclusion	on	climatestoriesproject.org