Citizens' Climate Lobby

CCR 79 How to Tell a Climate Change Success Story

In this episode we look at climate stories that reveal the impacts of climate solutions. This is a harder story to tell because many of the best solutions are still on the table. In fact, you are working hard to get lawmakers and community leaders to take these solutions seriously and put them into practice. In 25 or 50 years we will be able to tell many stories about the beneficial impacts these solutions will have. But we need to tell these stories today. 

There are three different types of Climate Solution Impact stories you can tell.

1. The Current Solution Success Story
2. The Future Solution Success Story
3. The Solution Motivation Story

For examples of Current Climate Change Solution Success Stories, we hear from Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz and Yale Climate Connections. 

• A new solar-powered car designed to travel up to 40 miles on sunshine alone: That’s enough to cover many people’s daily commutes.
• Eight states, 30 cities team up to reduce flooding threat along the Mississippi: They’ve partnered with Ducks Unlimited to restore more than 60 wetlands that will hold floodwaters during storms.

To hear and read more of these stories visit Yale Climate Connections. 

 

The Future Climate Change Solution Success Story

This type of story relies on our efforts to envision and imagine the world filled with the solutions we advocate. We want to paint a picture of a future worth pursuing. When we succeed, we create a yearning in others for this better world. For examples of these, head over to the Clifi Imaginarium. Allison Whitaker tells us about the ways they take seemingly dry information about solutions, and turn them into compelling stories. Check out With Many Roots to read these Cli-fi solution stories and to learn about the free monthly Introduction to Climate Fiction on-line workshops. 

The Climate Change Solution Motivation Story

This story reveals why I am motivated to do the climate work I am doing. The story itself may not seem to have anything to do with climate change. Still this story goes right to the heart of my work. I will tell you one of my climate solution motivation stories. 

Citizens Climate Radio host, Peterson Toscano, shares one of his motivation stories, and shows us how to then pivot to climate change solutions and specific meaningful action. 

What you will learn in this episode

We can tell effective climate stories. There are two types of climate change stories. 

1. The climate change impact story--A story that reveals the dangers climate-changed induced extreme weather and other impacts have on our lives and the world. 
2. The second are the climate solution stories. We covered three different climate solutions stories. 
   1. The Current Climate Change Solution Success Story. This might be a story about a breakthrough in technology, a new important person or group who is on board in pursuing climate change solutions, or it can be about a solution that has been put into action.
   2. The Future Climate Change Success Story. This one requires your imagination to envision what the future will look like with solutions in place. This is a form of clifi, or climate fiction. 
   3. And finally the Climate Change Solution Motivation Story. This story reveals why you are so passionate about a particular climate change solution. 

Once you tell a compelling story about your motivation, the future, or climate impact, you can then do the Climate Change Pivot. Connect your story to the solution you are pursuing.  

But don’t leave them with just a pivot. Provide your listener with a specific, meaningful, and achievable next step. It might be as simple as asking, “Do you want to get together over coffee sometime next week to talk more about this?”

Do you want to learn more about climate storytelling and get some experience in a group? 

Join Peterson for a free on-line storytelling workshop January 17th 2023 8:00 PM Eastern. He will share activities and insights, and he will give feedback to participants about their stories. You will walk away with fresh inspiration in telling your compelling climate stories. It will be fun and informative. Click here to register for the training.

The Art House

Alan Gratz has written nearly 20 books for young adults including PRISONER B-3087, about  World War Two holocaust survivor and Refugee, which weaves togethers stories of three children from three countries escaping their countries in search of a new home.  In his latest book, Two Degrees, Alan takes on climate change.

He tells us about the challenges he had to overcome in writing about climate change, and how this book was much harder to write than his previous ones. He also gives us a reading from the book. 

13-year-old Juno gives a review of Two Degrees. 

Resilience Corner

Tamara Staton is the Education and Resilience Coordinator for Citizens Climate Education, and in this installment of the Resilience Corner she helps us to ask for the help we need.  

Get more tips and resources by visiting The Resiliency Hub. 

Transcript

Click here to view a full transcript of this episode.  

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Photo by MART PRODUCTION

CCL Training: An Introduction to Building Electrification and Efficiency

Join CCL's Vice President for Organizational Strategy Tony Sirna for a training  that provides an overview of Building Electrification and Efficiency, one part of CCL's policy agenda, why this is an important policy area for addressing climate change and what types of policies CCL supports.

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/building-electrification-slides  
CCL Community Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/building-electrification 

CCL Training: An Introduction To Carbon Pricing

Join CCL Research Coordinator Jonathan Marshall for a training that explores what carbon pricing - the flagship element of CCL’s policy agenda - is, why it's an important policy area for addressing climate change and what types of policies CCL supports.

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/intro-carbon-pricing  
CCL Community Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/carbon-pricing 

CCL Training: An Introduction to Healthy Forests

Join CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli for a training that provides an overview to explain why Healthy Forests is an important policy area for addressing climate change and what types of policies CCL supports within our policy agenda.

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/healthy-forest-slides   
CCL Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/healthy-forests 

#CCL2022: Inflation Reduction Act Details & Implementation

In this seminar, CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli will review the content of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, how it can help a variety of different communities, and how it relates to clean energy permitting reform. Then, Dane County, Wisconsin Office of Energy & Climate Change Director Kathy Kuntz will share how states, cities, and other local municipalities can take advantage of the programs in the IRA. Some of these programs include tax credits and rebates, and how the IRA has the potential to transform the efforts of local governments. Be sure to bring your questions!

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/ira-dec-22  and https://drive.google.com/file/d/1psMAoo4-rbUbC9Z6QEMzBToFql5BfYMX/view?usp=sharing 
CCL Community Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/inflation-reduction-act 

#CCL2022: Conservative Climate Action Pillars

Join ClearPath and ClearPath Action CEO Rich Powell for a comprehensive look at conservative climate action pillars that make the energy sector cleaner and more reliable, while making our economy stronger. Rich will also review messages that resonate with conservatives in order to communicate better and move the conversation forward in your community and with members of Congress.

ClearPath Action: https://clearpath.org/ 

#CCL2022: Online Climate Advocate Training

For those who can’t attend our Climate Advocate Training live, we provide a pre-recorded version here. After attending CCL's informational session (cclusa.org/intro), this training is geared for new volunteers (and seasoned volunteers who want a refresher) to understand CCL's method and vision, and inspire you to find your role so you can hit the ground running.

In this webinar you will:

Learn the basics of becoming an effective climate advocate
Review the structure, mission, and purpose of CCL
Learn how to build constructive relationships with elected representatives with a simulated lobby meeting
Review CCL’s methodology of creating political will
Practice how to appeal to the best in others and build common ground
Review the details and further resources to understand how CCL is helping ensure strong climate legislation passes in the final months of the 117th Congress.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(4:04) CCL’s Values, Organization & Structure
(18:15) Building Common Ground & Savor vs. Savor Activity
(39:49) How to Create Political Will & Five Levers of Political Will
(53:11) CCL's Policy Focus
(1:04:53) Motivational Interviewing Practice & Preparing For Your Lobby Meeting
(1:21:21) Regroup & Closing Thoughts

Slides & Notes/Transcript: http://cclusa.org/advocate-slides 
Connect with your local chapter and explore CCL Community: https://community.citizensclimate.org/chapters  
Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby   and Twitter: https://twitter.com/citizensclimate/  

More About The Speakers:
Solemi Hernandez is the Southeast Regional Coordinator covering Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. She is currently enrolled as a Political Science student at Florida Gulf Coast University. She has been a grassroots activist and community organizer for many years in Florida. Prior to CCL, she worked as the co-host of a Spanish language TV talk show based in Southwest Florida. While at this position she had the opportunity to research and conduct in-depth personal interviews with political candidates and politicians. She has been volunteering with a number of organizations advocating in Tallahassee for the environment and the Everglades restoration.

As Education & Engagement Senior Director Brett strives to develop learning pathways that create the most empowered, informed citizen lobbyists possible. Brett began his career in northern MN as a wilderness program director & instructor for several outdoor education non-profits. Connecting civic engagement with democratic participation & issues-based advocacy, Brett has a PhD in Public Policy/Political Economy, & taught undergraduate policy courses, secondary social studies, & campus sustainability.

#CCL2022: Diverse Community Building & Retention of Volunteers: Laying the Foundations

This workshop will support participants in gaining a deeper understanding of their role in diversity and inclusion efforts and cultivating chapter culture. Participants will also acquire the necessary knowledge and communication tools to actively build and foster diverse, inclusive communities within their chapters and communities at large. This workshop will be led by CCL National Chapter Development Intern Danielle Whyte, and CCL Diversity & Inclusion Director Karina Ramírez.

More about CCL's DEI Work: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/about-ccl/diversity-equity-inclusion/ 

#CCL2022: Closing Keynote w/ Sen. Tina Smith & Rep. Paul Tonko

Member of Congress Remarks from:
Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Senator, (D-MN)
https://www.smith.senate.gov/ 
Rep. Paul Tonko, U.S. House Representative, (D-NY20)
https://tonko.house.gov/ 

#CCL2022: Volunteer Keynote w/ Giovanna Santo

Featuring Giovanna Santo
Group Co-Leader, CCL Broward County Chapter
For Full Transcript of Gigi's Speech: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/blog/blog/volunteer-keynote-gigi-santo-december-2022-conference/