I was absolutely inspired this month when I was asked to give a short talk on poetry to a group of gifted students who are writing about climate change. The students who are learning about climate change are our hope for the future. The organization that is mobilizing these children is Chicago Gifted Community Center . They support a Climate Summit once a year, and the link above will take you to the page where writing is accepted for this, whether you’re a kid or adult.
As I have mentioned before, the news is full of actions being taken by countries all over the world. Unfortunately, the United States can’t seem to get over its love affair with fossil fuels. I understand that people will be thrown out of work. So let’s train them to do something else they enjoy. I have traveled into a mine (northern Michigan) and it is not a fun job. It does put food on the table, so people don’t want to give it up. I get that. But it is going to be obsolete in a few years. Start learning new skills, people.
As for the owners of fossil fuel companies, take some of the millions you are making today and invest in another type of renewable energy. Some countries have already done it. Iceland and Sweden are leading the way, with almost 100% renewable energy. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Germany, Uruguay, United Kingdom, Denmark and China round out the top ten.
Our present system of government is failing on this front, with a minority of rural states bucking the trend. It will take a massive effort to overcome the people representing these states, who don’t want progress in our response to climate change. In fact, I have a family member who doesn’t believe there is a crisis. And it’s not the one that was described as “he doesn’t believe there’s a flood until he feels the water.”
So how do we overcome the reluctance of many people to even acknowledge there is a crisis? I believe it will come. In every new idea/invention there are several groups: the pioneers, the settlers and those who don’t want change at all. There is an excellent description of change management here: Caveo Learning. We have had pioneers for some time now, and the mass of humanity that sees the danger of not changing is beginning to move. Let's see what Caveo says about addressing the reluctance to change.
We address resistance through audience analysis. Gather data that predicts or measures resistance by the various target populations, then analyze it to determine where the problems are, the size of the problems of resistance, and the potential impact on the project. Then, build action plans to mitigate the resistance.
Of course, don’t focus solely on resistance avoidance. There are many positives—or at least, there should be—for the change being implemented; focus on those benefits, as well. (1)
Perhaps we should change our focus and spend more time preparing people for the major shift that is inevitable if we survive.
(1) Change Management and Countering Resistance to Organizational Change https://www.caveolearning.com/blog/change-management-and-countering-resistance-to-organizational-change, accessed 10/22.
