I love this part of your piece: "Our mission isn’t to fight the old world, but to passionately build a new one. So although your feelings are real and valid, find ways to channel your drive into what will sustain you and your work – while inspiring others alongside you!"
This is why I lean so heavily into hope. We must continue to believe we can actively take a role in changing the way we approach the world we live in.
Great post. It's not just climate activism that is fear-based. Its endemic in social change and progressive politics.
Endurance athletes know that when things get hard, its the inner, intrinsic motivation that will keep them going.
What's crazy is that most people come to activism precisely because of intrinsic values like justice, connection or nature. We need to re-learn to build our strategy on the values that got us into this work in the first place.
Could not agree more with everything you just said! And I love the sport analogy. I recently gave a talk at the Green Sports Alliance Summit and was able to draw so many parallels to sports and resilience practice. We know how to do this, we just need to build new narratives!
Thank you for writing about this. This is such an important topic to talk about as the planet gets hotter. I’m also trying to introduce sustainability to people including the latest news, basic concepts and the cool innovations in climate tech. Just wrote about what ‘biomimicry’ is and how learning from nature only to give back to it is the right way to design! Would love your thoughts on my piece https://substack.com/@susitout/note/p-203827652?r=3pcwen&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Lots of good points here regarding our psychology. We’ve been talking boiling frogs since Al Gore. I’m 47 and so grew up in an ostensibly static world. That at least was our perception. Only in the 90’s did global warming outgrow saving whales as an issue.
I’m going to say something crazy but it is NOT doom-talk.
All the below is just a hypothetical:
America continues a political back and forth electorally that prevents a hard U Turn on Climate action. Politicians who push higher taxes will lose elections.
By 2050 things are Bad… BAD in the developing world. The west won’t take tens of millions of refugees… again just a hypothetical.
A desperate rural developing world population living in a democracy (2+ billion developing world VOTERS) will beg their politicians to do anything to help. Because it’s affordable and noticeably works within months these politicians, regardless of understanding anything, will try Stratospheric Aerosol Injection.
This is isn’t about wisdom or ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ It’s just information. You don’t have to convince someone the sun will rise tomorrow. People will try anything to save their own children.
Honestly, I think it's really powerful to shape activism by thinking, "I'm just trying to make a difference to improve folks lives, no matter how small." Certainly keeps the framing in the right place to do your best for future generations
Great post! I recently had a conversation with my boss about how I was volunteering at London Climate Action Week. He laughed and said “I hope you’re not one of those tree huggers”. I found the fact that he had 2 fans on him and had been complaining about the heatwave all day quite funny.
Yes, such an important topic right now. Always grateful for these reminders from you. Will spend some time thinking about what opportunity I see in my life right now, areas I wanna focus on and actions to take, when I am on holiday this summer
I love this part of your piece: "Our mission isn’t to fight the old world, but to passionately build a new one. So although your feelings are real and valid, find ways to channel your drive into what will sustain you and your work – while inspiring others alongside you!"
This is why I lean so heavily into hope. We must continue to believe we can actively take a role in changing the way we approach the world we live in.
Hope and joy must be part of what guides us forward!!
Great post. It's not just climate activism that is fear-based. Its endemic in social change and progressive politics.
Endurance athletes know that when things get hard, its the inner, intrinsic motivation that will keep them going.
What's crazy is that most people come to activism precisely because of intrinsic values like justice, connection or nature. We need to re-learn to build our strategy on the values that got us into this work in the first place.
Could not agree more with everything you just said! And I love the sport analogy. I recently gave a talk at the Green Sports Alliance Summit and was able to draw so many parallels to sports and resilience practice. We know how to do this, we just need to build new narratives!
Thank you for writing about this. This is such an important topic to talk about as the planet gets hotter. I’m also trying to introduce sustainability to people including the latest news, basic concepts and the cool innovations in climate tech. Just wrote about what ‘biomimicry’ is and how learning from nature only to give back to it is the right way to design! Would love your thoughts on my piece https://substack.com/@susitout/note/p-203827652?r=3pcwen&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Thank you for sharing your piece as well!! Making a note to come back later (kids just waking up). Have a beautiful day!
Lots of good points here regarding our psychology. We’ve been talking boiling frogs since Al Gore. I’m 47 and so grew up in an ostensibly static world. That at least was our perception. Only in the 90’s did global warming outgrow saving whales as an issue.
I’m going to say something crazy but it is NOT doom-talk.
All the below is just a hypothetical:
America continues a political back and forth electorally that prevents a hard U Turn on Climate action. Politicians who push higher taxes will lose elections.
By 2050 things are Bad… BAD in the developing world. The west won’t take tens of millions of refugees… again just a hypothetical.
A desperate rural developing world population living in a democracy (2+ billion developing world VOTERS) will beg their politicians to do anything to help. Because it’s affordable and noticeably works within months these politicians, regardless of understanding anything, will try Stratospheric Aerosol Injection.
This is isn’t about wisdom or ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ It’s just information. You don’t have to convince someone the sun will rise tomorrow. People will try anything to save their own children.
Interesting theory and not too unlikely… have you read ministry for the future?
The reminders to act with joy and to shape the narrative we want to see is particularly helpful.
So glad that resonates and I agree - we forget that and everything falls apart!
Honestly, I think it's really powerful to shape activism by thinking, "I'm just trying to make a difference to improve folks lives, no matter how small." Certainly keeps the framing in the right place to do your best for future generations
Yes I love this framing and it puts us in touch with the greater humanness underneath it all!
Only when rich leaders are effected will things change.
Great post! I recently had a conversation with my boss about how I was volunteering at London Climate Action Week. He laughed and said “I hope you’re not one of those tree huggers”. I found the fact that he had 2 fans on him and had been complaining about the heatwave all day quite funny.
Yes, such an important topic right now. Always grateful for these reminders from you. Will spend some time thinking about what opportunity I see in my life right now, areas I wanna focus on and actions to take, when I am on holiday this summer