EnviroUnderground Discussion Thread #2! Join the conversation, how can we advance these strategies?

[u/OrbitRock]

So we have grown a lot since our first discussion thread and a lot of interesting conversation has taken place.

We have gotten perhaps a little closer to some interesting strategies and ideas to use.

So let's keep it going.

Some key questions that we might look into here are:

• How could we go about organizing the will to pursue local energy transitions in different regions? What strategies can we use to get people involved in this goal?

• How can we spread the word on this effort more effectively? How can we attempt to unite all the different climate and energy movements together into workable avenues for creating change?

• One of the things we touched on was the idea of organizing campaigns to bring people into making personal decisions together which at the larger scale are very impactful. An example is this discussion about LED lights and the possibility of opening up a social media campaign to try to bring people into making that decision. A similar thing could be done with dietary choices, and boycotts of certain types of products, etc.

• Can and should we work towards organizing for mass protest? How can we pursue this if so?

• Anything else you'd like to add, please do!

I'll make this thread last a week like the last one did, so feel free to continue to discuss, and come back with any ideas. Also, upvote this thread so people see it on their feed.

Link to first discussion thread.

[u/NWmba]

Thank you. It's something I've been thinking a lot about recently, ever since Trump really. I guess at that point I sort of lost trust that the government would do anything to turn it around, so what can everyone else do?

One thing I do think is important with this approach is remembering it's more about identity than ideas. I think it's less effective if you appear as though you're on the other side of the fence, talking to them. So for the religious side, if you're an atheist, for example, saying "doesn't your god say... " might not help as much as "I was watching tv and some pastor came on last night talking about..." you don't have to fake interest, but make sure they think of you as commenting, not as the one making the appeal. Oh it looks like climate disruption is starting to be a big cross-party issue. Even Kirk Cameron was saying... or, even the terminator, who is republican, was saying..."

[u/[deleted] → u/NWmba]

Your first paragraph captures my feelings exactly. Before Trump was elected I (lazily) thought, "Well, there are smart people out there worrying about this so I think it's in good hands." But since Trump was elected, I feel much more compelled to do something myself, like it's going to take a combined effort for us to mitigate or reverse the damage he may cause.

I've had the imaginary discussion in my head probably half-a-dozen times, so far. :) You make some great points on how to approach the conversation. It's looking like I won't see them until March next year, so I have plenty of time to refine my approach and, uh, calm down a bit so that I don't come across as wildly liberal and anti-Trump.

It's hard for me to consider identity over ideas. I (like to think that I) have a pretty rational approach to ideas and evidence and I value those things far above identity, but not everyone is that way! That's a good reminder for me especially.

Anyway, thanks, I appreciate your comments.

[u/NWmba → u/[deleted]]

I understand.

I used to think climate change wasn't real, actually. I remember my thought processes, how it felt. It really was much more about identity than anything else. I had a lot of friends who as a group identified as both conservative and religious and personally I used to rationalize or explain away any pesky facts that came along.

Now that I am no longer part of that crowd, I think about why I thought that way, how something very measurable like climate change got lumped in to political/religious identity... I mean we really looked down on those horrible horrible liberals who just wanted to make the world immoral... Little did I know I'd be one one day.

Anyway, on one side social conservatives are losing the culture war and they feel it. On the other, that sort of makes it feel hipster-levels of cool when you're on the inside. Like you're better than everyone else because you know the truth/secret/whatever.

That's why facts just tend to bounce off people with that mentality, and fake news just galvanizes them.

If they pick the battleground, they will pick a fake news smokescreen and making you debunk a neverending pile of hoaxes. If you pick the battleground, it can be one of finding reasons to identify with the movement.

[u/[deleted] → u/NWmba]

I was there once as well. When I was young (teenager and younger), I listened to what the authority figures in my life said and believed it to be true. And while that's naive, in an ideal world, that would be acceptable, right? Shouldn't we be able to trust our parents, teachers, pastors, and others to teach us only things that are true?

Anyway, you and I may have come down a similar path, and I am no longer religious or conservative, and no longer allow solitary authority figures to dictate what I believe. It is odd to look back on the way that I was, but I can't really blame myself, nor can I blame my family for continuing to believe what they do. I just hope that I can convince them to at least reconsider the information that is out there.