Heat waves and other extreme weather are worsening, but political immobilization and inaction persist.

We need to find ways to address the denial and minimization that prevent us from addressing climate change.

Recent psychological research suggests a path forward: targeted messages that draw on deniers' values.

As heat waves this summer shatter world records and dry up rivers and lakes, and wildfires pour smoke over thousands of miles, climate change is ever more apparent. Yet millions of people, including various political leaders, refuse to act. Vital questions emerge about why this is and what we can do about it.

Recent extreme weather is endangering countless species, including our own, but also provides a critical teachable moment. We should use these events to more fully develop and disseminate effective messages, drawing on commonly shared moral principles and narratives that have meaning to climate change deniers, and enhance education about addressing such political divisiveness.

Recent research indicates that altering attitudes about climate change is possible, yet such studies have not informed practice very much. We can make better use of this work.

How to Counter Climate Change Denial

Debunking misinformation with facts fails to alter public opinion, but targeted, strategic messages designed for particular audiences and reframing the issues in ways that appeal to these groups can help. Effective messages aimed at conservatives, for example, can........

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