I have a friend who wanted to get involved in the climate movement and wondered what organizations would be appropriate for his interests? I asked him some questions, one of which was… how would he describe himself? He answered, “Well, you know me. I’m no tree hugger.” Ouch. It’s [...]
(Photo by Angus Mordant/www.angusmordant.com ) If you are a climate activist, or care about what happens to the earth or environment, then read this carefully. Our democracy is on the endangered species list. It is dying. And when it does, there will be no hope for the climate, ourselves, or [...]
“You need to lighten up a little.” “I’m not angry.” “Yes, you are.” “No! I’m not!” This is a conversation I observed between my daughter and her 10 year-old. It reminds me that no one likes to be told what to do. Not kids, and not adults. Telling people [...]
The other day I was talking to my daughter on the phone when I noticed a subtle change in her reaction to the pandemic. I believe this also applies to the climate crisis. She said she’d just gotten back from a run to Target with her youngest daughter and [...]
Warning: Nerd Alert. Nerd Alert. (But I'll make this easy.) Ever wonder why some of your climate communications work better than others? Some emails get more opens. Some campaigns get more calls to your elected officials. Some fundraising gets more responses? Once you master this secret magic formula, it [...]
We Need to Pivot to Our Own. I am giving testimony to an administrative law judge on the impact of climate change on Minnesota crops, and why we shouldn’t allow a dirty tar sands pipeline to be built in our state. There are three hundred people in the [...]
I am heading west. The land is brushed with a thousand shades of khaki and rust. As I rise up out of the Missouri breaks, the sun slides under a reef of clouds and lights the horizon for a thousand miles. Hawks stand witness as they sit on fence [...]
Black Lives Matter! I can't breathe. George Floyd. No justice/no peace. Defund the police. Protestors. Looters. Riots. Law and order. Activism is not terrorism. Movements and causes rise and fall based on the language they use. Not only the current events, but the climate and environmental movements as well. [...]
"Do you want to eat your peas with a fork or a knife?" is a well known false choice that parents use with kids. In either choice, hopefully, they will eat their peas. False choices are a particular type of frame. They are used a lot with both climate [...]
The death toll does matter, but I want to tell you a story. When I was a kid, my father stopped to get gas at a country station. I saw an old man sitting in the shade outside. He was dressed in a torn hunting vest and ragged clothes. [...]
