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 [...]
We know that the way we use language in the public debate often influences which policies or candidates gets supported. Often, the most effective language activates deep-seated circuits or frames in our brains that are about right and wrong. For example, “My country, love it or leave it.” This [...]
Choose Your Climate Label Carefully... The new House Speaker, Mike Johnson, has been described in headlines by the Guardian, US Energy News, the Hill, and many other media outlets as a “Climate Skeptic.” Most of the articles identify his connection with the fossil fuel industry, and his 100% rating [...]
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 [...]
