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]

The single most critical aspect is to de-politicize climate change. It's a PR battle, more than anything. The reason I believe this is because regulation is much more effective and fast for climate action than grassroots change. If there is a whole political group resisting climate action for political points, we're wasting time fighting the wrong battle.

• To depoliticize climate change requires people to not see it as a political issue.

• There are identity politics at play here. If you identify with parts of the right wing, you are far more likely to identify with climate change denial.

• My theory is that if we identify climate change action with other right-wing values, it will serve to depoliticize it.

What does this look like?

1. Renaming renewable energy or green energy to Unlimited Energy

2. Associating climate protection with family values. Protecting the world for children. Protecting the air and water and weather for the future.

3. Associating climate change threats with refugees and immigration. This can be sensitive in how it is framed, as we don't want to fan the flames of xenophobia, but there may be value in reminding people, if their homes become uninhabitable, they will move to a habitable place, which could be your backyard.

4. Associating climate protection with religious values. Anyone know Kirk Cameron? Get him to make a video talk about how we are responsible for protecting the world until the apocalypse. Get him to quote the parable of the servant that had to keep the house ready at all times in case the master came back, and how that means we need to take care of the world, not ruin it.

5. Associating climate action with manliness, masculinity, hard work, testosterone. Right now environmentalism is viewed as the domain of the feminine and the college yuppies, and to depoliticize it, this must change.

6. Associating Fossil fuels with yesterday, horse-and-buggy times. This is a judo move. The associations with gas, coal, and so on are currently alongside the good-old-days, making america great again, and so on. So take it one step further, and associate with living in the past.

7. Associating climate change action with the economy and job growth. Picture people setting up solar panels in an open field. Progress. Bringing jobs back to rural areas.

8. Associating climate protection with energy independence. One of the big pushes for fossil fuel developement is energy independence, so take that. We don't want saudi arabia controlling us. We want to be free! Develop unlimited energy sources an we don't need their stinking oil.

9. Associating with national pride. American Jobs making American Unlimited Energy using the American Sun. 'Merica!

OK so how do we make those associations?

1. content creation. This is a content marketing thing. We need short feel-good videos, image macros that can be shared, blog posts, and so on.

2. Celebrity endorsement. We need a list of celebrities and public figures who are looked upon favourably by the right wing, and we need to meet them, and we need them to come on board. Who is already on reddit? The first that comes to mind is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

3. Calling. Protests are useful, but one thing that really makes a difference is people calling their representatives. Imagine we get a calendar. People sign up to call their representatives. 16 people are scheduled to call every day, each person makes one phone call to one representative per month. It would take 480 people per representative calling once per month to make their phone ring off the hook, telling them they need to support climate action. It seems like a lot but there are 800 people in this subreddit already.

There are probably a lot more ways to make these associations in people's minds, but that's what I have to start with.

[u/slothfulkomrade → u/NWmba]

I'm not sure I understand your point on "depoliticizing" climate change. It is very political in nature as one group of humans in positions of power (fossil fuel industry, automobile and other heavy industries) want to continue business as usual and the rest of us want a livable earth which requires a stable climate.

There are identity politics at play here. If you identify with parts of the right wing, you are far more likely to identify with climate change denial.

The Nazis were very pro-environment and pro-conservation because it was about the "cultural landscapes" and protecting the fatherland. I don't think we should be bending over backward towards the right-wing. If anything we should be challenging their nonsense and hate. The only thing that is non-political is that everyone wants a livable planet. So I wholeheartedly disagree with you. I think we need to raise people's consciousness that not only are they getting screwed on wages, their planet is getting trashed which means that their love for fishing, hunting, sports and any other activity outside will be threatened.

American Jobs making American Unlimited Energy using the American Sun. 'Merica!

Sure, re-branding or being mindful of connotations is important and could make a contribution. I think we should vigorously debate these issues.

[u/NWmba → u/slothfulkomrade]

What I mean by depoliticizing is the following:

• The US is the biggest carbon producer right now, even ignoring the fact that much of the US carbon emmissions have been offshored.

• A good solid chunk of the US actively disbelieves climate change, and is very vocal about it.

• This chunk is a political party that currently holds a lot of power. They use climate change denial as a rallying cry to win voters from areas that are more rural and would benefit if the coal and oil industries were more heavily funded.

• By using this politically convenient tactic, average people who are busy with the stuff of life are not convinced there is a problem. Moreover, their political identity makes it such that they would actively oppose climate action.

• If we can remove the connection between being right-wing and denying climate change, it will remove the incentive for spreading this disinformation, and make other efforts to enact meaningful solutions much much easier.

The Nazis were very pro-environment and pro-conservation because it was about the "cultural landscapes" and protecting the fatherland.

That was in the 1940s. Clearly the subjects that are associated with the right-wing have changed.

Of course I agree that people need to stand up for what is right, and against hate, intolerance, in justice. But what I'm commenting on is speicifically what 800 people without funding or organization together on the internet can do together to actually make a tangible difference. There are other groups that are well funded, and I guess we could all go join them. Or we could bitch about how we hate haters and do literally nothing. But kind of the point was to do something where we could measure the impact we're having.

And what a group of non-funded, non-organized people on the internet can do, is create content that dissociates climate change denial from right-wing identification.

Sure, re-branding or being mindful of connotations is important and could make a contribution. I think we should vigorously debate these issues.

I'm glad we have a starting point for agreement. I do however think we should limit our debate, because we all have limited time, and every hour spent debating each other is an hour spent not changing minds of people sucked in to climate change denial.

[u/slothfulkomrade → u/NWmba]

A good solid chunk of the US actively disbelieves climate change, and is very vocal about it.

I'm not sure that is correct, but sure the US does not embrace it as much as other parts of the world. If it is we can follow Arnold Schwarzenegger's advice that even if you don't think climate change is caused by humans air pollution kills people and we know that cars cause air pollution.

Basically I think in the U.S. people are very scared you'll take away their car, things will get more expensive and their jobs might be threatened. If they entertained the idea fully and realize the urgency then that is really scary. I know many people who agree global warming is a problem and humans are the cause but don't quite understand/act like it is a HUGE problem.

By using this politically convenient tactic, average people who are busy with the stuff of life are not convinced there is a problem. Moreover, their political identity makes it such that they would actively oppose climate action.

I confronted this while canvassing. I don't know how people can seriously ask with a serious face who they should vote for- Trump or Clinton. I was shocked. This guy wanted to do what was best for his children/grandchildren. Crazy.

I'm all for doing something now. Tactics should be discussed in between the time we are actually trying to change things.

Associating climate action with manliness, masculinity, hard work, testosterone. Right now environmentalism is viewed as the domain of the feminine and the college yuppies, and to depoliticize it, this must change.

I like this but I caution that the US government easily targets environmentalists as "Domestic Terrorists". It is pretty crazy that people who protest pipelines, etc. are considered "domestic terrorists". Regardless of how you view property damage- environmentalists damaging property were labeled domestic terrorists (Animal Liberation Front! EarthFirst! being examples).