Read on Twitter
Why this effect? Not because @GretaThunberg ate less meat or encouraged her family not to fly: if that's all she'd done, we'd never know her name. No, it's because she did one simple but incredibly powerful thing we can all emulate: she raised her voice to advocate for change. https://twitter.com/GeoffreySupran/status/1354102674292092930
Every year, I add 2 new low-carbon habits to my life. But every DAY, I do the most impt thing anyone can to do change the system we live in: I TALK about climate change. Not the science details, but why it matters and how, working together, we can fix it. https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_climate_change_talk_about_it
Individual's power to alter the world is splashed across human history; and social science is starting to understand how we do this. A tsunami of change begins by changing social norms & accumulating a groundswell of (at first) nearly invisible support. https://www.sciencealert.com/change-don-t-happen-overnight-but-here-s-how-social-movements-have-succeeded
And who's the best person to talk about climate change? It turns out we scientists are the second most trusted messengers. The number one most effective person is YOU: to friends, family and people you know. https://www.theclimatechat.org/messengers
I'm so convinced of this that I've spent the last year reading dozens of books on everything from philosophy to neuroscience & 100s of articles from psychology to social change & putting it all into this book that I'm VERY excited about. Out in Sept 2021! https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Us-Climate-Scientists-Healing-ebook/dp/B08BZW2BQG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1611683790&refinements=p_27%3AKatharine+Hayhoe&s=books&sr=1-2
PS. For the data on why talking about it is so important, check out these three maps from @YaleClimateComm. If we don't talk about it, why would anyone care? And if no one cares, how will we act?
PPS. for more on the importance of walking the walk and (of course) talking about what we and others are doing , which is the #1 mechanism by which we alter social norms, see ... https://twitter.com/ManuelGrebe/status/1354126994129248260?s=20
PPPS. For valuable insight on the tension between individual actions and the system-wide change that's truly needed to fix climate change, please read these two excellent essays by @MaryHeglar and @MichaelEMann:
1/ https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/28/18629833/climate-change-2019-green-new-deal
2/ https://time.com/5669071/lifestyle-changes-climate-change/
1/ https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/28/18629833/climate-change-2019-green-new-deal
2/ https://time.com/5669071/lifestyle-changes-climate-change/
And just to be clear, I'm not advocating spending much time talking to dismissives. This thread explains why. I'm talking about talking to the 90% of us whose perspectives and opinions can be moved! https://twitter.com/KHayhoe/status/1235204287891988481?s=20
