This cross-disciplinary session seeks discussion around effective climate communication, scientists as change makers, and the role of emotion in climate communication. Scientists have front row seats to unfolding and projected changes to Earth systems, with long-lasting implications for human well-being. Observing these changes and understanding their implications can spark a variety of emotions both for the scientists and the public. Do scientists have a responsibility to sound an alarm? Should scientists seek to maintain a veneer of objectivity, even if they might be feeling grief, anxiety, dread, or other emotions? How can this dilemma be informed by social science, psychology, and the humanities? What benefits could arise from a more humanistic approach in the way scientists and the public communicate about the consequences of the breakdown of Earth systems?