Using Language, Stories and Identity to Move People To Action Black smoke. Armored vehicles. Pepper spray. Three hundred helmeted police in black riot gear. Lockstep marching, relentlessly forward. Helicopters. Nightsticks. Snipers. Bean bags. Rubber bullets. Sound cannons. Cell phone jamming. Waiting. Drums. Sage. Prayer circles. Tobacco. Song. Unarmed peaceful [...]
Overcoming Two Biases in Our Climate Communications What makes us think we can survive the climate crisis? Certainly, a large portion of our country isn’t concerned. One of our political parties has their heads in the sand or some other place. Of course we are an optimistic species. But [...]
You don’t see many hitchhikers today. Likely due to too many exposés on axe-murderers in our media. It creates a lack of trust of our fellow man lowering the probability of getting picked up. When I was a kid, I hitchhiked to both coasts from Minnesota. I traded the [...]
David Fenton’s new book is a must read for any climate justice activist or climate communications professional under the age of 40. For anyone over that age, it is also a delightfully raucous walk through the history of liberal movements when activism was fun. For all, it illustrates the [...]
Part II One day a friend of mine was helping me refine my climate talks approach. He asked me why I was interested in working in the climate movement. It’s easy I said, “I want to help others.” Then he did something very valuable for me. He asked me [...]
I’ve seen dozens of climate and environmental campaigns over the last 10 years. Almost every one falls into the issues trap. It’s the tactic of fighting a climate or environmental problem with facts and reason, rather than calling out the underlying violation of our values and telling a story. [...]
