Laughing matter: How humour offers new hope in the midst of the climate crisis

Author Shannon VanRaes
People who get information with a dose of comedy understand it better and may also remember it longer.

Why It Matters

The climate crisis threatens humanity’s very existence, yet people often resist adapting to the realities of a changing world. Humour has the power to start tough conversations and drive social change.

Lexa Graham jokes it was the chemical burns she got at university that gave her the thick skin she needed to go into stand-up comedy. But a Master’s degree in chemical engineering also gave the Toronto-based comedian, writer and tutor something else — the ability to weave meaningful information on climate change into her humour. “When it comes to climate change, you have to meet people where they are,” she says. “And comedy can be a really great way to do that.”

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