Scientist Drag Queens can Educate the Public about the Climate Crisis – Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

“… we can see that …, we are actually engaging with unique audiences and bringing people along to that conversation. …”

Climate change can be a laughing matter

Published 27 April 2025 7:00am
Source: SBS News

The climate is changing and so is the way people are talking about it – with science communicators around the world using laughs over lectures to drive the climate conversation.

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“Everyone’s an audience! When it’s a wicked problem like climate there are infinite audiences, everyone deserves quality information about climate change.”

Dr Naomi Koh Belic is a biologist and award-winning science educator, based in Sydney but travels Australia offering creative science communication events.

This includes a series of events called “The Drag Experiment”, where drag performers with a science background – including Milton Mango – collaborate with other scientists to create factually informed comedic performances.

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“Almost half of that audience, it was their first time coming to a science event. So, we can see that when we put forward these creative approaches for science communication, we are actually engaging with unique audiences and bringing people along to that conversation.”

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Read more: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/climate-change-can-be-a-laughing-matter/ap3xqm9lq

I applaud the scientists for trying to broaden the horizons of climate communication, but aren’t drag acts a bit 2024?

What they need to truly get the message across is Mime. I mean, how can they create an inclusive act representative of all the voiceless victims of their climate crisis, when the performers are still using their voices? Only through the noble silence of mime can scientists truly stimulate their creativity and overcome the final barriers to climate communication and informing the public.