Communicating the Importance Clean Water

Communicating the importance of clean water

Create a vision

Tell people about your vision: safe drinking water, water safe for fishing, children wading in their local stream without fear of disease, streams free of trash, etc.

Be brief

Make everything as

simple as possible,

but not simpler."

- Albert Einstein

• VIDEO: TEDEd – The Power of Simple Words

A picture tells a 1,000 words

Images are easier to understand and more memorable, so focus

on impacts that are easy to visualize.

Be specific, concrete and local

Make it local

Use numbers

• The cost to build traditional infrastructure in Lancaster: $300 million

• The cost to build green infrastructure in Lancaster: $140 million

Use visual words

Words that may have issues Try these words instead

BMP’s Conservation practices

Regulations Protections or safeguards

Stormwater Polluted runoff

Low impact development (LID) Modern and efficient infrastructure

Water quality Clean water/polluted water

Watershed Land around rivers and streams

Agricultural land Farms

Impaired Polluted

Urban sprawl Wasteful and inefficient development

Environment Land, air, water and animals

Nutrients Over fertilization

Trusted messengers are key

Key message elements

• Values: Incorporating values into your communications

• Pride: Local rivers and streams, local pride, national pride

• Cooperation: We’ll make progress when government, business and individuals work together.

• Legacy: Clean water for our children and animals

• Fair share: Everyone is asked to do their fair share.

• Health: Polluted water is a health hazard.

• Economics: Reducing pollution creates good jobs.

The power of the story

• Studies prove that emotional stories are far more likely to inspire action.

• An engaging story builds a bridge.

• The main “story” in your work should give your audience a way in, a REASON to connect to you and your message

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

The question of story

• What is the story in what you have to say or tell about your work?

• What do you want your

audience to do or believe?

• How are you going to express it in a way that engages them?

• What do you want to convey?

Deb Kleiner

Choose Clean Water Coalition

[email protected]

443-759-3409