Spotted in: YouTube (U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright interview)
Topic: Wildfires and climate change
Frame Used: Pivot Frame + Historical Context
“Let’s talk about wildfires. The Western U.S. used to burn like crazy. A century ago, we suppressed fire aggressively. That worked for decades, but starting in the ’70s and ’80s, we changed our approach—letting forests grow wild again. Today, there’s more fuel, so we get more intense fires. That’s the history. That’s the data.”
— Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Watch on YouTube
This quote appeared in a YouTube interview.
What This Frame Does
Chris Wright reframes a loaded climate question—not by dodging, but by steering and owning what he said.
An audience member said he saw on Wright’s Twitter profile that he wrote climate change was a hoax. The memeber from the audience mentioned the Marshall fire in Colorado that destroyed more than a 1,000 homes. He then asked, can you look those people in the eye and tell them clincate change is hyped?
Rather than directly argue about climate change, he pivots to shift the conversation from climate blame to wildfire management. Then he anchors the discussion in historical context, giving the audience a bigger-picture story that feels informed, not defensive.
Instead of saying: “Climate change caused this wildfire end if story.”
he says: “Climate change isn’t a crisis—and here’s what’s really going on with wildfires.”
- Shifts focus from political blame to practical history
- Signals preparedness and composure under pressure
- Appeals to reason over emotion—without denying tragedy
Why It Works
- He’s not arguing the premise—he’s reframing it. He doesn’t fight the interviewer’s question directly. He redirects it toward a topic he controls.
- He sounds informed, not flippant. The historical story isn’t combative—it’s educational.
- He sidesteps polarization by avoiding emotional language. Instead of rebutting the wildfire deaths directly, he invites a deeper discussion of causes.
This pivot transforms a potential gotcha moment into a masterclass in composed, values-driven framing.
Takeaway for Communicators
When confronted with an emotionally loaded challenge, you don’t have to fight the premise. You can reframe the moment into a topic you’ve already mastered. That’s not evasion—it’s strategy.
Dry version:
“No, I don’t think climate change caused this wildfire.”
Framed version:
“Let’s talk about wildfires. They’ve always happened, and how we manage forests plays a major role. That changed in the ’70s, and that change matters.”