Evidence-based communication on climate change and health: Testing videos, text, and maps on climate change and Lyme disease in Manitoba, Canada

(e.g. [7,8]). For instance, Myers et al. [9] found a health frame to be more likely to generate feelings of hope and support for action on climate change than frames focused on environ- mental degradation or national security. By focusing on the health benefits of climate action, the need for greenhouse gas mitigation can become a positive and motivating, rather than threatening, message [9–11]. The mediums of communicating climate change is another area of active study, ranging from video games [12] and virtual reality [13] to interactive online platforms [14]. Online cli- mate communication platforms including Climate Information Websites (CIWs) have rapidly grown as popular tools for distributing climate data to a range of actors and audiences to inform adaptation planning and decision making [14,15]. Many of these online platforms and communications are increasingly employing visualizations and storytelling, which are strate- gies known to evoke emotional engagement, enhance policy dialogue, and support envisioning potential climate futures [16–18]. Visualizations and storytelling–including maps and videos– can localize abstract and distant dimensions of climate change, encouraging audience engage- ment and dialogue [19], and help contextualize data, facts, and information within a larger narrative framework that is interesting and accessible [20]. While there has been an increase in development of online climate communication tools, less work has been done to test the user experience and response to CIWs [14,15] and climate

visuals [21,22]. Understanding audience and user perceptions of climate communication approaches and platforms is critical for improving their efficacy, especially in cases where material creators and users may unknowingly have differing perceptions of how information is being interpreted, which can lead to misunderstanding, or worse, actual maladaptation [15]. There have even been calls for climate services to be “co-produced” by providers and users to ensure information needs are met and potential errors are avoided [23], while recognizing there is no agreed to methodology on how to do this [24]. The present study explores the use of visuals and health framing in climate change commu- nication, by testing audience responses to various communication materials on climate change and the climate-affected infectious disease Lyme disease. Communication materials were cre- ated by a university-based research team responsible for a Canadian CIW–the Climate Atlas of Canada (www.climateatlas.ca)–to enable testing of various frames and mediums employed in climate communications. Focus groups were conducted in southern Manitoba, an area of recent establishment of Lyme disease, to test public understanding and perception of commu- nication materials. This research offers insights for improving evidenced-based approaches to developing materials on CIWs as well as communications at the nexus of climate and health impacts more broadly. Methods Study area and context The study was conducted in southern Manitoba, a Prairie province in central Canada, across

three communities, ranging from urban to rural environments: Winnipeg (urban), Brandon (urban-rural), and Morden-Winkler and surrounding area (rural). Within Canada, the Prairie provinces including Manitoba have higher levels of climate skepticism than the national aver- age, particularly in rural areas. For instance, in the federal riding of Portage-Lisgar (which encompasses Morden-Winkler) research has found that 45 percent of people believe that the earth is getting warmer partly or mostly because of human activity, compared to 60 percent nationally [25]. Over the past two decades, Lyme disease has emerged in Manitoba as the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) disease vector has become established in the province. The spread of PLOS ONE Evidence-based communication on climate change and health PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252952 June 10, 2021 2 / 17 involved in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data. Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.