Perhaps this is a cry of existential frustration, but I belong to half a dozen climate non-profits, and I’m noticing a pattern. The pattern could best be called climate atherosclerosis. A hardening of the arteries that may precede death. Or it might just be the cynicism of my old [...]
(Image Above Not a Video) No, this isn’t a post about climate denialism. I’m a climate activist, and I read a lot of posts and statements like the following. We are facing the hottest years in the history of mankind. 50 million Americans are under a heat advisory. Extreme [...]
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 [...]
I focus my blogs on climate communication. How we can tell better stories and create better climate messages. This subject floats my boat. I am passionate about it. But I am also concerned about immediate climate action. In my recent post Losing Hope, I related how overwhelming the climate [...]
I have a friend who laments the loss of hope with regard to the climate challenge. I hear this a lot in climate organizations. You work your ass off for months or years trying to stop a toxic pipeline, and then they put it in anyway. Or you can’t connect [...]
... And What We Can Do About It. The election is over. We didn’t get shellacked as bad as we thought. We took a few state houses. Many political and climate leaders are calling it a victory. So we feel pretty good about our efforts. Even though we know [...]
I saw an ad for a Chevy truck last night. It had all the requisite touch points: the deep base male voice-over, the truck driving up an impossible mountain, a female passenger adoring the ride, and by association, her driver. What caught my attention was the line “… equipped [...]
In the late 1950s, Phillip Morris & Co. hired Leo Burnett Advertising to change the image of their feminine filtered cigarettes to make them more masculine. Filtered cigarettes were a technical ruse. They were supposed to be healthier and were mostly smoked by women. Burnett launched one of history’s [...]
… 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 [...]
