{"id":1237,"date":"2026-04-03T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/dragonfly\/?p=1237"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T16:14:04","slug":"breaking-the-spiral-of-silence-how-to-talk-climate-without-the-doom-and-gloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/dragonfly\/2026\/04\/breaking-the-spiral-of-silence-how-to-talk-climate-without-the-doom-and-gloom\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking the Spiral of Silence: How to Talk Climate Without the Doom and Gloom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kait Birghenthal, President and Project Coordinator for NNOCCI, joins the podcast to share the power of strategic climate framing.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019ve all been there: you want to talk about the environment, but the conversation feels like a one-way ticket to a “Sarah McLachlan commercial” level of sadness. You worry about being too political, too nerdy, or just plain depressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this episode, Kevin Matteson<\/strong> sits down with Kait Birghenthal<\/strong>, President and Project Coordinator for NNOCCI<\/strong> (the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation<\/a>). Based out of the Marine Mammal Center in California, Kait is on a mission to swap “crisis talk” for strategic framing that actually moves the needle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re an educator, a scientist, or just someone who cares about the planet, this conversation offers a masterclass in breaking the “spiral of silence.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Kait
Kait speaking at the first Rhode Island Youth Climate Conference, hosted by the Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEE) at Roger Williams Park Zoo.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3 Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n