Why does ExxonMobil get to determine the fate of your kids, family and community? Does this piss you off? Then, I'll get to it in a moment. I want to tell a story first. I was talking to a new member of a climate group recently and asked him [...]
Would you show up for a first date with a ring, a proposal for marriage, and your parents in tow? Of course not. But that’s what a lot of climate activists and communication professionals do by mistake. I was talking to the director of a Minnesota climate organization the [...]
Once when I was hiking in the gloaming, down from the mountain where the stars begin in the vault above. Once when I descended into the forest, and the moon rose over the glade, and the night hawks pealed against the fading light. Once when I was young and [...]
... And What You Can Do About It! Two wind turbines were walking across a field when one said to the other, “Say, what kinda music do you like?” The other wind turbine replied, “I’m a big metal fan....” In 2023, one third of energy generated in Minnesota came [...]
If our climate message(s) were succeeding, then why are we still facing a climate crisis future without more action? Why does Exxon Mobile still get to determine the fate of our children? Why is there a backlash against renewables all across our country? Why did Biden just approve the [...]
I almost didn’t read Re-Imaging Change by Patrick Reinsborough and Doyle Canning. I’ll tell you why, though I’m going to bury the lead here, so stick with me. I first opened the book and sampled a page. Here’s an example: “As the story-based strategy approach has evolved, it has [...]
The Strategy and Language of the Gas Stove Culture Wars So you want to “ban” gas stoves? A firestorm erupted in January over the pollution of gas stoves. As climate activists, we reacted without a solid strategy and without testing the language we are using. Consequently, we may lose [...]
Almost every climate message can be made better. While we are admonished to not make perfect the enemy of good, climate messages are often lacking and ineffective despite our best intentions. We can and must do better if we want to save ourselves and preserve a habitable earth for [...]
… And We Better Figure It Out Fast As liberals, progressives and climate activists we are busy analyzing and dissecting the new (poorly named) “Inflation Reduction Act” climate bill. Does it contain too many giveaways to fossil fuel companies? Is it enough? How much will it lower our carbon [...]
“We can no longer tolerate Republican’s bankrupt delay on climate.” Do you get an image or feeling on the quality of their delay from this sentence? If we want our ideas to spread, we must use words that create images and feelings and connect them to stories and narratives [...]
