Interesting to see @fstockman essay in @nytopinion out the same week as our study of the #flightfree movement. It shows the discourse we identified in Sweden is indeed spreading- though I find Americans persistently mislabel moral responsibility as guilt.
At my 2017 @oredev keynote, I asked @googlemaps to show CO2 emissions along w/ time as a metric to inform trip choice & help “maximize meaning, minimize carbon”. This tool has become a reality! Which is good! Bc people are bad at estimating climate impact:nytimes.com/interactive/20…
3/ In particular, @WynesSeth & co have shown that people underestimate the climate impact of flying (and overestimate the climate benefit of recycling).

Consumption is not the only role where we can make a climate difference, but high emitters do need to tackle overconsumption.
4/ This does NOT let governments and oil companies off the hook! We need to hold them to account, and they have huge responsibility (as I write about in Under the Sky We Make.)

We ALSO have to address overconsumption to make a fast and fair, just climate transition a reality.
5/ International debates on "flygskam" often really misinterpret what's going on. There is very little flight "shaming" going on here in Sweden (fingerpointing at others). Instead, studying people who have *actually changed* behavior & stopped/reduced flying shows they did so...
6/ ... bc of a desire to live in accordance w/ their own values. They also tended to internalize the seriousness of the climate crisis. (See "Beyond Flygskam" report by @MariaWolrath @NinaWormbs). So people need both facts & feelings to act. They're also inspired by seeing...
7/... others actually act, and taking personal responsibility for what they can control-- while relying excessively on tech or outsourcing responsibility leads to "false hope" and lack of action (@JMarlonPhD et al., "Hope and Doubt").
8/ This previous research aligns w/ what we found in our new study. The "Takeoff of Staying on the Ground" we're seeing in Sweden is questioning the previously accepted norm that frequent flying is necessary/good/high status. Part of a cultural shift! lucsus.lu.se/article/how-di…
9/ We show the discourse of "Staying on the ground" in Sweden consists of storylines that rearticulate old themes (like "vacation") in new ways-- from aspirational luxury idealizing "rest and sun" (fly to a distant beach), to valuing exploring experiences & values closer to home.
10/ We identify a shift in what constitutes "the good life": away from "what you consume" (travel experiences), or identity derived from your travel consumption, and towards living one's values. Time is not to be saved- but appreciated, & used w/ urgency to stop global warming.
10/ I would love to develop a view of climate responsibility that holds governments and oil companies to account (as I do here & elsewhere: wecanfixit.substack.com/p/voting-conse…), and also gets people engaged from where they are in high-impact climate action (e.g., newscientist.com/article/229198…).
11/ We need to think more deeply about climate responsibility, in ways that get those with the most power and historical emissions to rapidly reduce them, which is a key element of #ClimateJustice. This applies to countries, companies, and individuals. See
carbonbrief.org/experts-why-do…
12/ If you find yourself in a climate-privileged group (from an industrialized country that's burned lotsa fossil fuels; w/ a college education, steady job, income >$38,000/yr), you have SO much power. PLEASE use it to take high-impact #ClimateActionNow.
wecanfixit.substack.com/p/your-top-5-c…

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More from @KA_Nicholas

24 Nov
I have so many thoughts on climate motivations and framings that I wrote an inadvertent thread. I work to help people find their climate agency through identifying their leverage points for high-impact climate action (personal, collective, systemic). "Guilt" is the wrong framing.
Hypothesis: The focus on "guilt/shame" frame in climate debates is related to high prevalence of "purity" values in the US (Moral Foundations Theory), whereas more secular Europe centers values of care/harm and fairness/cheating.
(thread ☝️)
Would love to hear expert views (or better, data!) on plausibility of my hypothesis on climate guilt (previous tweet)-- @KirstiJylhae, @kristiansn89, @Zlevo, @WynesSeth, @brittwray, @DoctorVive ... also does this imply guilt works for those NOT centering the value of "purity"??
Read 5 tweets
22 Nov
Our new study traces an important shift in not just attitudes, but also culture, re: travel behaviors.

Flying is shifting from an aspiration, or accepted hypermobile lifestyle, to a contested norm of Staying on the Ground.

Congrats @SaraUllstrom for leading this work!!
Please see our new study tracing the "Takeoff of Staying on the Ground" (flight-free movement for climate) @katerav @jloistf @EricJLyman @themadstone @sarahkaplan48 @katherine_dunn @daisydunnesci @JannikeBK @sverkerlenas @adamvaughan_uk @MLKristola
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
Academics into sustainable mobility, please read/share our new study on the rise of the #flightfree movement: @JKSteinberger @diana_nbd @WynesSeth @cityatlas @coralsncaves @KevinClimate @StuartBCapstick @steviedubyu @ThierryAaron @TyndallCentre
Thread☝️&
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
Read 4 tweets
17 Nov
"Talking about #Climate in a Rapidly Changing World"
Fabulous @DrKateMarvel keynote on writing for the public (even if it might hurt your academic career), an Up Goer Five abstract, diversity, poetry & more. THREAD of highlights:

(Env. Research 2021 conference, @IOPPublishing)
Climate discussion in the US has (too) long focused on denial-- not "believing" scientific facts. But we don't just face denial, but also apathy and misunderstanding and helplessness and despair. More data, reports, powerpoints does not change people's minds, says @DrKateMarvel
Some real talk -- climate scientists like @DrKateMarvel face harassment and name calling for clearly communicating science. #scicomm won't help and might hurt your academic career. BUT-- the world needs scientists speaking out, and we should do it anyway. 3/
Read 11 tweets
9 Aug
Hi, it’s your friendly neighborhood climate scientist. Facing the #climatecrisis is tough! Here’s the essentials you need to know, tips for finding where you can contribute with purpose and meaning to the work needed, and evidence-based high-impact climate actions. A THREAD: 1/n
(A quick introduction if we haven’t met: I’m a climate and sustainability scientist @lunduniversity in Sweden. I research personal & policy climate solutions, sustainable food & land systems, & wine & climate change. My goal: a world where people and nature can thrive. 2/n)
@lunduniversity #ClimateChange science has been clear for a long time. I’ve taught this framework for over a decade:
It’s warming
It’s us
We’re sure
It’s bad
We can fix it.
(Footnotes: kimnicholas.com/climate-scienc…
Podcast w/ @ylld open.spotify.com/episode/5BrYPH…
Curriculum kimnicholas.com/climate-change…) 3/n
Read 30 tweets
17 Jun
Highlights from @transform_2021 conference, June 17-18, 2021. "Enabling positive tipping points in an uncertain world." transformationscommunity.org/conference-2021
Thread /1
.@DrChrisIves proposes framework for religious beliefs as sustainability lever:
Reveal -connections btwn existing religious values and env crisis
Reflect- (using @ruthvalerio book)
Reinforce- social learning, discussion
Redirect- to more sustainable behaviors (which⬆️)
/2
Thanks for this interesting study and great comments today Chris! I was happy to see that reading a book (combined with personal reflection and shared discussion) can spark change. :) You might be interested in this quick look at religious climate texts?
kimnicholas.com/blog/visualizi…
Read 32 tweets
26 May
Live tweeting from the co2-budget.com conference. First up: the inimitable @KevinClimate, who never minces words. Distressingly little progress for the climate emergency, compared with covid response. 1/n
2. Reminder: It's the carbon budget, the area under the emissions curve, that determines warming. More emissions now means more (up to impossible) cuts later. @KevinClimate
3. Net zero is NOT based on a total carbon budget (which forces us to face actions demanded today). Net zero is focused on far future (2045, 2050)- generational passing of the buck to future policymakers & scientists. Assumes all tons are =, ignores GHGs, sources. @KevinClimate
Read 37 tweets

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