#IPCC Synthesis report is out - what does it mean for climate messages and behavior change?

1 - Of course, there are no surprises, this is a synthesis of all the reports already published. Policy makers will comb through the fine print but for comms worth noting... 2 - The news isn’t good, obvs. But IPCC go into great depth on how much each tiny increment of warming matters. That’s to lower the obsession on ‘1.5 or bust’ messages will reinforce doomism if/when 1.5 is missed. Note the highlighted passage. IPCC v firm that we CAN slow this!

This matters for climate messaging:

Greta could of replied to his ridiculous post with an earnest entreaty, science lesson, or a condemnation of ‘that type of person’ that HER followers could feel smug and comfortable with.

She didn’t. Greta replied to HIS followers,

🧵1/7

https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1608056944501178368

With a burn that meets all the criteria that TikTok, lad culture demands - a funny, short, witty dick joke.

His followers would laugh reading it. She played their rules.

& she played it so well, with such huge celebrity, that he’ll have ‘small dick energy’ accusations

2/7

So, is everyone working in sustainable lifestyles/behaviour change on the edge of your seat for IPCC WGIII AR6 SPM 5A????
Because you should be. Section '5A' of the #IPCCreport is the bit dealing with 'demand side' reduction. And we're all the demanders (aka 'consumers') along with all the organisations that actually use/consume everything.

What can we do with this #COP26 Cover Text beyond the UN process?

1 - ram that phase out of fossil fuel subsidies down the throat of every investor, every insurer and the financial markets. Stranded assets in oil, gas and coal are about to become ‘toxic assets’. 2 - start the pressure TODAY for bigger, better, stronger NDCs next year. We are now in a one year not five year cycle. Campaigners, funders and all of us need to switch to prepping demands ASAP

Climate change feels overwhelming. From the sea literally on fire to devastating floods on land. It's breathtaking, and heartbreaking and can be hard to go on.
Stop. Take a breath.
And remember... Most of the suffragettes never got to vote.
Most early LGBT+ activists never got to marry
Most civil rights activists never saw the first black President.
Inventors of electricity died by candlelight.
These people dedicated their lives for a better future they never lived in...

#Eurovision

Me in my head Me in real life I feel like we’ve collectively discovered a deeply resonate human truth while tweeting about #Eurovision

Cool cool

1/ There's an environmental metaphor for what's happening right now, explained to me by arborist Sir Tim Smit.

It's called 'death flowering' and it happens when an old tree is diseased and rotting from the inside.

Suddenly, that dying tree will burst, even out of season, into 2/ excessive flowering and fruiting. Or it will suffer from 'epicormic growth' of messy buds and branches on its trunk elsewhere.

The diseased tree is throwing up flowers and fruits as a desperate last attempt to breed and continue itself

After more than 2 decades working on climate, sustainability and social justice I’m getting more hopeful and optimistic. Why?

1 - because I rarely have to explain those words anymore (when I started I was asked if ‘biodiversity’ was a type of washing powder) 2 - because there are SO MANY people (especially young people) working, marching, inventing and changing what they can, and sometimes what everyone thought they couldn’t

WOW! Over 80% of people in the UK and USA believe we should make as many big lifestyle changes to stop climate change as we are making to stop coronavirus. I was NOT expecting that 😲 @OnePulseApp survey - 150 people in each market without filters for age or gender.

I've been reading a lot about hope versus fear and the climate emergency. Folks arguing which is the 'right' feeling and why.
But feelings don't work like that, do they?
Emotions are visceral, automatic and non-rationale. And we need them ALL...

[Thread] Our emotions evolved as a survival mechanism - an automatic response from the limbic system of the mammalian brain. Something happens - and neurochemicals (dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin etc) flood our bodies to cause a response.

We feel before we can think.

How did we solve climate change? This is your Friday #clifi storytelling challenge...

1. Scientists discovered that soaring carbon levels was causing impotence for white men over 50-years-old

2. The 'meat allergy tic" epidemic of 2021 left most of humanity vegetarian

👇 3. A global Gaia cult grew from 2019 and non-violently overthrew neo-capitalism by 2030

4. The NASA Mars rover triggered a message from ancient Martian's warning humanity against suffering the same climate catastrophe they did

👇