Water words that work

Posted by Genevieve Marsh

May 12, 2008

I just came back from River Network's national conference, River Rally. A truly reinvigorating experience. And one thing that has really stuck in my mind as a great tool, and a something to chew on for communicators and educators alike, is how to speak to that larger American public. Eric Eckl, the man behind Water Words that Work, taught us some new word-tools to help when we are talking in the public eye.

I learned that 30% of the general public actually might be generally knowledgeable but just not speaking up--another 40% just need to hear about it to be sympathetic. I learned that 75% of Americans have a high school degree and no more. I learned that one out of four Americans knows what watershed or biodiversity means. One out of four doesn't know the term sprawl. Water quality to many is the taste, not the pollution level. Eckl told of one man who said to him, "The water quality here is fine, it's just got polluted." I work in the Watersheds Program, and am supposed to be an educator for many Sierrans. What to do when they don't even know what my program means.

Eckl has 24 words that work, and a hit list of words not to use (as well as words to replace them). It is a great tool for anyone working in the water world or even the environmental world. And he will come speak and consult for a small, nonprofit budget sized fee.

Check the site out: www.waterwordsthatwork.com for a great presentation on the basics of communications.