Behind the Climate Walk
Climate change is the greatest threat humanity faces.
From frequent wildfires to rising sea levels, the effects of climate change are expected to impact 3.6 billion people around the world — nearly half the planet’s population.
Thanks to human activity, the Earth is warming at an alarming rate: since 1982, we’ve seen global temperatures increase by 2 degrees Celsius each decade, which is 3 times faster than pre-1982 levels, according to NOAA research. In 2023, the planet experienced its hottest year on record.
The United States is not immune to changing temperatures. In fact, the U.S. is warming faster than the global average.
New England is particularly affected by climate change. In this part of the world, both land and ocean surface temperatures have hit record highs in recent years. The Gulf of Maine, which is the fastest warming ocean surface in the world, just had its 5th hottest year in history. In Massachusetts alone, the average temperature has increased by 2 degrees Celsius this century.
Beyond warming temperatures, climate change in New England comes with concerns related to the increase in frequency and severity of storms, as well as rising seas.
This is a pressing story — one that journalists have a responsibility to tell.
Informing the public about the risk that climate change poses to their communities and livelihoods is an essential role of today’s journalists. While the news industry has made immense strides in covering climate, audiences continue to lack critical knowledge when it comes to the environment.
According to a Yale Program on Climate Communication report, 56% of Americans are concerned or alarmed about climate change, and the majority of them also want to know more about it. Another study from the same center found that while 60-70% feel knowledgeable about climate change, only 30-40% of them believe the accurate statement that humans are responsible for it. Among those most affected by climate change — such as socially vulnerable communities or coastal areas — this so-called “climate knowledge deficit” is particularly harmful.
Why is this the case?
Among other factors, newsrooms struggle to effectively communicate the urgency of the crisis for their audiences.
That’s because for climate journalists, visualizing the impact of the environment crisis can be a tricky business. Yes, photos can capture some changes. When a nor’easter storm passes through Boston in the spring, for example, it’s impossible to miss the way the sea floods the harbor, swallowing the streets in saltwater.
But many climate change impacts are not visible in day-to-day life, making them difficult to care about or comprehend.
So, how can local newsrooms make climate change resonate with audiences at the community level?
Luckily, there are solutions.
According to some journalists, to better inform audiences about climate change, we need to localize its impact and meet audiences at their level, connecting the larger problems the planet faces to the places they engage with every day.
Around the world, news leaders are implementing this in their practice. For example, Lameez Omarjee, a reporter for News24 in South Africa, writes that finding something audiences care about and showing them how climate change may put that at risk can help newsrooms better engage their audiences in the conversation.
Here in Massachusetts, editors at NeimanLab in Cambridge have shared a similar idea: attaching climate change to an iconic symbol of the place you cover can make the crisis less abstract for the public. They call this concept “finding your mango.” The symbol of the mango refers to a story that Neiman fellow Suzy Elgeneidy, who is Egyptian, shared about her countries mangos and how their taste had changed over the years.
“We all started sharing what the ‘mango’ was in our respective countries,” NiemanLab writers Diego Arguedas Ortiz and Katherine Dunn recall. “[It’s] that beloved food or activity that everyone in your country or region seems to care about, and seems to capture attention when impacted by climate change.”
Finding Boston’s “Mango”
In Boston’s case, a city abounding with cultural and natural landmarks, “finding my mango” was difficult to do. Instead of choosing one, I decided connect several under the umbrella of a truly Boston activity: walking tours.
This city is one of the most walkable in the country, making it the perfect place to explore on foot. In fact, Boston’s famous Freedom Trail tours bring in close to 4 million tourists every year for that exact reason.
Here’s how I did it:
Make a list of potential tour stops: First, I spoke to members of my community and circles in Boston about the most “iconic” local spots, natural, historic and otherwise.
Conduct background research and narrow down the list: I looked into the impacts of climate change at a global scale. I used this to narrow down my list, connecting each environmental issue to a location on my tour where that impact could be felt.
Interview local environment and conservation leaders: Speaking to scientists, community leaders and activists helped me understand the way that global climate and environmental change manifests itself at the local level. They shared insight into what they have observed, studied and worked to solve in their area of expertise.
Build the tour: I plotted my tour map using a free, easily-accessible tool: Google Maps. I added each stop to my map, populated it with photos and short text blurbs to inform participants on what they can expect to see at each location.
Test it and share: After walking the tour myself for quality assurance, I hit publish.
That’s all there is to it!
We hope this walking tour helps you engage in the climate story of Boston in a new, different way.
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