The Human Side of Climate Data: Data Gives Stories Credibility, Stories Give Data Meaning

Throughout my career in climate science and environmental engineering, I've worked with countless data points, complex calculations, and detailed reports. And there's one insight that stands out above all others: numbers alone don't drive change, but together with stories they can.

How do we make global issues personal? 

When we talk about climate change, we're dealing with numbers that can feel overwhelmingly large–or sometimes so small they seem insignificant. 

Take ocean acidification, one of the most dramatic changes in our planet's chemistry over the past fifty million years. We describe it through pH levels dropping from 8.2 to 7.9 or even 7.7 in the future. These numbers might sound minor, but they represent a logarithmic change–similar to how an earthquake of 4.0 on the Richter scale is a hundred times more powerful than a 2.0. The true scale of this transformation is lost in these decimal points, yet it could fundamentally disrupt entire ocean ecosystems.

We face this same challenge of scale across climate science, how do you make sense of a ton of carbon emissions? What does a 1.5-degree celsius temperature rise really mean for our daily lives? As someone who works with these calculations daily, I've noticed how difficult it is to find a common language. And that even experts, who fully understand the concepts, can struggle to explain their meaning. How do we grasp the science and the seriousness of the matter?

The challenge is even more uniquely complex because climate change operates on scales our minds aren't well-equipped to process. It's global and it’s local, it’s immediate and it’s long-term. Climate change can be described as a large-scale collective action problem, and the larger the scale, the more difficult to facilitate a change in behaviour. When an issue is so large and its effects so distributed, people often struggle to see how their individual actions matter.

How can we think about this challenge differently? Instead of trying to make people understand the full scale of climate change, what if we focused on making it personally relevant? I sometimes use the analogy of calories–most of us don't really understand the thermodynamics of what a calorie is, but we've learned to use this measurement as a practical tool in our daily lives. 

This kind of practical familiarity is exactly what we need with climate metrics.

How do we make numbers more meaningful?

Simply having more data or better understanding doesn't automatically lead to better decisions. Science tells us here isn't a one-to-one correlation between climate education and environmentally friendly behavior–knowledge is important, but it's not the dominant factor in driving change. What matters more, I've found, is how we create meaning and trust around these numbers.

This becomes evident when we look at how people respond to change. Think about how it works in a small community–when a local resource is used up, everyone immediately sees and feels the impact. The feedback is direct and clear. But when we scale up to global climate issues, that immediate feedback loop disappears. We can't directly observe how our individual actions affect the bigger picture. That's why we need to find new ways to make these abstract numbers tangible and meaningful in people's daily lives.

When people see others in their community taking action, when they feel part of a collective effort rather than acting alone, they're more likely to engage. This shift in narrative helps engage people who might otherwise feel overwhelmed or resistant.

Because it’s not just about understanding the numbers, it's about feeling connected to something larger than ourselves.

How do we add personal context? 

One of my most valuable insights has been recognizing that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to climate communication. Just as there's no single sustainable lifestyle that works for everyone, there's no universal way to talk about climate change that resonates with all audiences in the same way.

The language we choose shapes how people connect with climate data. Should we speak in cold statistics or emotional appeals? Frame nature as an economic resource or a sacred entity? Some respond to military metaphors of "fighting" climate change, while others connect through poetry about Earth's beauty. A banker might need ROI calculations, while an artist might be moved by descriptions of disappearing landscapes. Even the choice between "climate change," "global warming," and "climate crisis" carries different weight for different audiences.

I've seen this firsthand in how different communities relate to climate impacts. Coastal regions worry about rising seas, urban areas focus on air quality and heat, while rural communities notice changes in growing seasons. Each context requires not just different data points, but different ways of speaking about that data to make it meaningful to each individual.

The future of climate communication

As I look into our future, I'm increasingly convinced that effective climate communication isn't about choosing between data and storytelling, it's about bringing them together thoughtfully. We need both the precision of science and the power of narrative. Data gives our stories credibility; stories give our data meaning.

The future I envision isn't just about bridging the gap between science and storytelling–it's about connecting knowing with doing, creating climate communications that are both scientifically accurate and deeply personal. Where every piece of data tells a story that matters to someone, and every story is grounded in reliable data.

What I've learned is that effective climate communication requires us to hold two essential thoughts in our minds simultaneously: we need positive narratives that inspire action and hope, while never losing sight of the fact that this is a real crisis affecting people today.

This isn't just a professional mission for me, it's personal. Because in the end, the climate crisis may be global in scale, but its solutions begin with how we talk about it in our own communities, companies, and conversations. 

Let's make sure these conversations carry both the weight of scientific truth and the power of human connection.