If there’s one thing that cuts through an argument, it’s emotion. We sometimes think that facts and statistics will persuade people the most but that’s not the case. If facts and statistics where all it took to sway decision makers, then we would have solved the climate and nature crisis through the many scientific reports that are already out there.
The reality is we’re human. We’re not rational, we’re emotional and this is why I think many nature campaigners are struggling to make themselves heard. Often, we rely on logic and reason to justify what we want. Sure, we are worried, frustrated and angry but we spend a lot of time trying to justify why we are right rather than accepting that the way we feel is cause enough to do something.
As one councillor explained to me, they rarely hear people speaking up for nature. Instead, it’s the people who are angry about grass not being mowed and weeds not being sprayed that get their attention. These anti-dandelion keyboard warriors are not arguing with cutting edge scientific evidence, they are just angry, frustrated people venting how they feel. And that works - that same councillor explained that those people get a disproportionate amount of their time.