CALS 501

Who is Holding us Back?

Leave a Comment / Academic Writing, CALS 501 /
Women helping people transition from carbon intensive lifestyle to low carbon lifestyle.
Photo credit – Adam Simpson, The New York Times

The impact on the vulnerable is a priority often mentioned in climate action reports and plans. Climate leaders know that every tonne of greenhouse gas emitted increases the intensity, frequency, and duration of climate impacts (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2021), and thereby human suffering. There are multiple climate action frameworks from social and physical science that “identif[y] opportunities for transformative action which are effective, feasible, just and equitable” (Lee et al., 2023). Now is the time to apply them. But there has been a frustrating lack of effective measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so suffering continues. What or who is holding us back from taking climate action?

Understandably, as communities mop up from disasters, awareness is growing about the need to increase climate adaptation measures (Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), 2022). Unfortunately, increased support for adaptation has not translated into support for emissions reductions (Lavery, 2022). Therefore, without support for emissions reduction, is transformational action possible?

As it stands, incremental change has failed to do enough to reduce emissions and slow the rate of change or increase the resiliency of vulnerable communities (Eichinger, 2019, Uitto, 2022). Transformative adaptation is a way to deal with the multiple crises communities face (Fedele, 2019). It is a way to restore ecological systems while reducing the underlying causes of vulnerability to create resilient and sustainable communities (Fedele et al., 2019). Fedele et al. point out there are many barriers to implementing transformative adaptation. Barriers include challenging ones, such as different visions of the future and actors benefiting from the status quo. To achieve transformational change that will rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stewarding the ecosystems for the benefit of ALL will require broad consensus about the problem and the solution (Eichinger, 2019, Uitto, 2022).

At this point, surveys indicate Canada is far from a broad consensus (Lavery, 2022). Canadians’ support for implementing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ranks near the bottom of 34 countries surveyed by Ipsos. Although “younger age groups and women were more likely to back the proposals” (Sanyam Sethi, as reported by Lavery, 2022), their support is still below the global average. Climate communications researchers similarly find that women are more concerned and “much more likely to support climate action” (Bennet et al., 2021, p. 4.).

In their report, Ipsos Public Affairs (Sethi, 2022) highlighted the need for an effective education and communication campaign to increase Canadians’ support of the climate change policies listed in Table 1. If the Canadian government implements such a campaign, who should they target to achieve a broad consensus? Based on the Ipsos poll (see Table 1) and climate communications research, men have the lowest support for climate action (Bennett et al., 2021 & Sethi, 2022). Should they be targeted?

Interestingly, men dominate the industries responsible for climate change and the political arena responsible for implementing climate policies (Nagel & Lies, 2022). Men are “captains of industry and the champions of carbon consumption” (Osborne, 2022, p. 2). If men are also doubtful or dismissive (see Table 2) and “completely unconcerned and strongly opposed to policy responses” (Maibach, 2011, p. 16), their disproportionate amount of power is of concern. Gender inequality is not just in industry but also politics. Men dominate politics and can be “motivated by powerful and wealthy interests who tend not to lobby for climate justice” (Nagel & Lies, 2022, p. 3). This is demonstrated by ‘Big Oil’ remaining undeterred and unembarrassed by the exposure of its role in climate denial. These companies continue to lobby the government and politicians intensively to minimize climate action. Oil companies’ influence has left politicians squabbling and ineffective rather than working on climate change. If the politicians cannot stand up to the mostly male ‘Big Oil’ executives, who will? Is it left to activists like Mary Heglar, who target greenwashing online “with wit and memes” (Telford, 2021, p. 1), to sway opinion?

Another aspect to consider is not just the specific gender of the actor but the predominance of masculinity embedded in political and corporate institutions, particularly those associated with the fossil fuel industry. However, even “climate scientists …tend to focus on physical science, not the human dimensions of climate change” (Masood, 2021, as cited by Nagel & Lies, 2022, p. 3). The need to engineer solutions and control nature is a predominately masculine desire leading to expensive technical solutions that prop up the status quo, such as carbon capture and storage (Nagel & Lies, 2022). Similarly, climate science modelling has made advances in understanding the physical aspects of climate change. Still, there is not a similar understanding of climate change’s impacts on “social inequalities or human physiology, psychology, and wellbeing” (Nagel & Lies, 2022, p.3).

Masculinity is also identified by social economist Julie Nelson in her essay Economics for (and by) Humans (2022) as impacting mainstream economics. She argues that mainstream economics is “profoundly gendered” (p. 271) and built around masculine characteristics such as markets, self-interest and competition and tends to reject those that are deemed feminine such as other-interest, cooperation, or qualitative analysis. Mainstream economics accepts that profit maximization is the primary goal. There is little concern for ethics which has had unfortunate effects given the economists’ knowledge is rarely questioned (Nelson, 2022). Ignoring ethics and narrowly focusing on economic objectives has contributed to rapid growth in inequality and insufficient effort to combat climate change. As an antidote, Nelson argues that “in the service of survival and flourishing” (p. 280), economists must “help people see that we are all part of a complex social economy” and can take an ‘all hands-on deck’ attitude towards addressing the world’s pressing problems”(p. 279 & 280).

To help people work toward a livable future, climate change communication research has found that it is important to provide a vision that demonstrates the benefits of a zero-emissions and biodiverse world (Bennett et al., 2021). Do men beholden to fossil fuel see themselves in this vision? Are zero emissions transportation choices or lifestyle (veganism, for example) threatening masculinity? Interestingly, researchers Brough et al. (2016) have found that sustainable behaviours and products have a “green-feminine stereotype” (p. 568). The stereotype sufficiently threatens some men’s masculinity that it prompts opposite behaviour. However, the researchers also found that “the identity signalled by a particular product or behaviour can change when a new social group identifies with it” (Berger and Rand, 2008, cited in Brough et al., 2016, p. 580). Also, “that masculine branding could be an effective strategy for altering the feminine association attached to green products and actions” (Brough et al., 2016, p. 580). This highlights a key point for climate leaders working on transformational adaptation to consider how all audiences receive messaging or engagement efforts. It is important to remember that changing people’s minds is more complicated than providing facts (McRaney, 2022).

In his book, How Minds Change (2022), author David McRaney dives into why people develop strong beliefs, and how their minds can change. He writes, “no status quo is eternal. Every system occasionally grows fragile. The key to changing a nation, or a planet is persistence” (McRaney, 2022, p. 288). He contends that anyone can “start striking at the status quo” (p. 288). Each of our efforts is part of the collective action that will inevitably flip the system. He found effective techniques such as Street Epistemology encourages people to think about their thinking process rather than challenging them on what they think or believe. Through respectful conversations, actors evaluate “the merits of their own arguments” (McRaney, 2022, p. 227). If the government wants to change the status quo, then there must be conversations with those that do not support climate action. An awareness campaign on its own will not be enough.

If transformative adaptation is going to be a climate action solution, then men who oppose climate action must be engaged. Based on David McRaney’s research, this could mean through conversations or other means to get men opposed to climate action thinking about how they think and act and its impact. Men that have already adopted a green, climate-action lifestyle are the best ones to deliver the message or demonstrate the behaviour needed for a sustainable future. “Women’s skills at negotiation and insights into the human dimensions of climate change” (Nagel & Lies, 2022, p. 4) are well suited for leading transformative adaptation.

 

 

References

Bennett, A., Hatch, C., & Pike, C. (2021). Climate messaging that works. Climate Narrative Initiative, Climate Access. https://climateaccess.org/sites/default/files/Climate%20Messaging%20that%20Works%20-%20Talking%20Energy%20Transition%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20Canada.pdf

Brough, A. R., Wilkie, J. E. B., Ma, J., Isaac, M. S., & Gal, D. (2016). Is eco-friendly unmanly? The green-feminine stereotype and its effect on sustainable consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(4), 567–582. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw044

Eichinger, M. (2019). Transformational change in the Anthropocene epoch. The Lancet Planetary Health, 3(3), e116–e117. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30280-8

Fedele, G., Donatti, C. I., Harvey, C. A., Hannah, L., & Hole, D. G. (2019). Transformative adaptation to climate change for sustainable social-ecological systems. Environmental Science & Policy, 101, 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.001

Lee, H., Calvin, K., Dasgupta, D., Krinner, G., Mukherji, A., Thorne, P., Trisos, C., Romero, J., Aldunce, P., Barrett, K., Blanco, G., Cheung, W., Connors, S., Denton, F., Diongue-Niang, A., Dodman, D., Garschagen, M., Geden, O., Hayward, B…Zommers, Z. (2023). Longer report (Subject to copyedit). In P. Arias, M. Bustamante, I. Elgizouli, G. Flato, M. Howden, C. Mendez, J. Pereira, R. Pichs-Madruga, S. Rose, Y. Saheb, R. Sanchez, D. Urge-Vorsatz, C. Xiao & N. Yassaa (Eds.), Synthesis report of the IPCC sixth assessment report (AR6). https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_LongerReport.pdf

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2021). Summary for policymakers. In V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (Eds.), Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (pp. 3−32). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. https://doi:10.1017/9781009157896.001

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). (2022, November 15). New data shows 85% of Canadians want action on climate adaptation. Retrieved 1 April 2023, from http://www.ibc.ca/on/resources/media-centre/media-releases/new-data-shows-85-percent-of-canadians-want-action-on-climate-adaptation

Lavery, I. (2022, November 6). Canadian support for climate change initiatives lags ahead of COP27: Ipsos. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/9255609/canada-climate-change-cop27-ipsos/

Maibach, E., Matthew, N.,& Weather, M. (2011). Conveying the human implications of climate change – A climate change communication primer for public health professionals. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. https://nswnma.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Conveying-the-Human-Implications-of-Climate-Change-attachment-4C-Communication-Primer.pdf

McRaney, D. (2022). How minds change: the surprising science of belief, opinion, and persuasion. Portfolio/Penguin. New York, N.Y. https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome

Nelson, J. A. (2022). Economics for (and by) humans. Review of Social Economy, 80(3), 269–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/00346764.2020.1792966

Osborne, N. (2015). Intersectionality and kyriarchy: A framework for approaching power and social justice in planning and climate change adaptation. Planning Theory, 14(2), 130–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473095213516443

Sethi, S. (2022, November 6). Ahead of COP27, Canadian public support for policies encouraging sustainable technology adoptions trails behind most other countries surveyed. Ipsos. https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Ahead-of-COP27-Canadian-public-support-for-policies-encouraging-sustainable-technology-adoptions-trails-behind-most-other-countries-surveyed

Telford, T. (2021, July 30). These self-described trolls tackle climate disinformation on social media with wit and memes. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/07/30/greentrolling-big-oil-greenwashing/

Uitto, J. I. (2022). Transformational Change for People and the Planet: Evaluating Environment and Development – Introduction. In J. I. Uitto & G. Batra (Eds.), Transformational Change for People and the Planet: Evaluating Environment and Development (pp. 1–13). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78853-7_1

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. (2023). Global Warming’s Six Americas. Retrieved 18 June 2023, from https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/.

 

Who is Holding us Back? Read More »

white rabbit running away from big waves

Climate Risk – Time to Hop to It.

Leave a Comment / Academic Writing, CALS 501, CALS 502, CALS 503, Climate Risk Management, Leading Climate Action in Society /

One might think that doing a climate risk assessment for “the greatest threat the world has ever faced” (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR], 2022) would be a top priority for policy and decision makers. Unfortunately, adaptation planning, and implementation of strategies are not keeping up with changing climate (IPCC, 2022). That gap will widen at the current pace increasing the risk for more people. So how do practitioners get policy and decision makers to match the urgency the IPCC tells us is needed?

Having completed CALS503 Climate Risk Management, I know there are many tools, frameworks, and methods available to undertake a climate risk assessment. Some of these frameworks have been around for many years and have been honed with years of experience (for communities, built infrastructure, and ecosystems). Therefore, the how-to-do-it is available and should not be a barrier. In addition, there are also adaptation solutions that can cost effectively reduce an organization’s or community’s risk if only they would invest. Thus, the lack of solutions should not be a barrier.

Is How We Think a Barrier to Climate Action?

Perhaps a barrier is in how we think. Neuroscientist and psychologist research tells us that how we think and evaluate risk is based on intuition and that this shapes our decision to act (Roberts et al., 2021). Intuition is developed based on past experience, areas of expertise, bias, and prior knowledge. As a result, a climate practitioner needs to understand the decision makers’ areas of knowledge and expertise to frame the message accordingly. Doing so requires knowledge and interpersonal skills to communicate with the intended audience. Having these insights and skills is an essential aspect of what I think of as the art of climate action leadership.

The Art of Climate Action Leadership

At a minimum, the art of climate action leadership requires good communication skills. Those skills are applied initially to get a risk assessment process approved, secondly to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders and knowledge holders, and thirdly, to build sufficient momentum for action that will be taken on the highest priorities. Practitioners can start this process by focusing on listening, getting to know the intended audience, and understanding the primary risks the audience is already concerned about (Bennett et al., 2021; Maibach et al., 2011 & Roberts et al., 2021). With that information, the climate change practitioner can link the audience’s primary concerns to the climate risks affecting them.

Practitioners need to be aware that different audiences have different priorities. For example, Indigenous communities may not see the framing of climate risk as a top priority (Whitney et al., 2020). Solely focusing on climate risk misses context from the community’s history, the impacts of colonialism on the local environment, and the lack of self-determination and governance. Asking questions and listening first is foundational to the climate risk engagement process and will ensure the outputs are useful to end users (Roberts et al., 2021). The table below provides some questions to get the conversations started.

Questions to Start Building the Engagement Process

Note Table format adapted from ICLEI Canada (n.d.). Questions adapted from 1 Roberts et al., 2021, p. 13 & 14 and 2 ICLEI Canada, n.d., p. 19.

Benefits of the Engagement Process

 Answers to the questions in the above table can be used to build the engagement process. When considering the process, Tuhiwai Smith, in Decolonizing Methodologies (2012), points out that the process is more important than the outcome because of the potential for healing and education that people involved undergo. Similarly, a climate risk assessment process can be used to build trust, especially when it involves diverse perspectives (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment [CCME], 2021). Such a process can also build momentum for the adaptation phase and lead to long-term success.

An involved initial engagement process may be at odds with the urgency climate change practitioners feel to generate action. Planning the engagement process will help the practitioner determine where and when the effort should be made. Completing preliminary research or a desktop assessment with existing information can provide the practitioner with an understanding of local climate impacts and what organizations or similar communities are doing to address the risk (ICLEI Canada, n.d.). With that information in hand, the practitioner can look for win-win options that achieve the objectives of concerns facing the community or organization while addressing climate change risk. This win-win approach to climate risk assessment can create the desired support and build the most momentum. Additionally, another benefit of an involved engagement process is the exposure to climate risks that participants will go through as part of the process.

Talk About Local Climate Change Trends and Impacts

Increasing exposure to regional climate information and trends can help shift intuitive risk perception for decision makers (ICLEI Canada, n.d., & Roberts et al., 2021). Practitioners should have decision makers consider what climate impacts have already occurred and what trends they have noticed. Most people will have a story to tell. By listening to those stories, telling the stories of what others are doing and reiterating the scientific consensus, practitioners help decision makers connect climate change risk to their area of influence and ease doubt (Bennett et al., 2021 & Lewandowsky, 2021). In addition, practitioners can frame trends as “too much rain” or “too much heat” to make it easier for the audience to relate to these changes as critical risks (GIZ, EURAC & UNU-EHS, 2018).

Keep It Local and Within Decision Makers’ Area of Influence

Research also tells us to keep it local in time and space, as feeling a personal sense of risk is a powerful motivator to act (Maibach et al., 2011). However, climate change practitioners often use dates such as 2030, 2050 and 2100 to discuss milestones for climate targets or climate change impacts. Since most people typically think in much shorter time frames and have many immediate problems to contend with, distant dates may not be intuited as immediate risks. This can be addressed by pointing out that some of the adaptation work needed will take time to be implemented.  Also, climate impacts are already occurring and will increase in severity, duration, and frequency (IPCC, 2022).  In short, we are already in a pot of boiling water, and it is time to jump out.

Have You Noticed? Climate Change is Already Happening

comic strip about a frog in a pot of slowly warming water and not noticing the heat is getting dangerous.

Note From Ingemann, M. (2020, May 18). Don’t be the boiled frog. Jump out! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dont-boiled-frog-jump-morten-ingemann/

To get decision makers to take the jump and recognize climate change risk as a top priority, practitioners can think about decision makers’ areas of knowledge and expertise and how that is applied to their understanding of risk. Practitioners can start the process by asking good questions and listening. If decision makers prioritize health, then link to health impacts from climate change and the health benefits of implementing adaptation measures (Maibach et al., 2011). Spending time at the beginning of the process builds trust and develops relationships. Mutual understanding can foster the momentum needed to ultimately implement climate adaptation measures.  Additionally, practitioners should frame the issues around local climate impacts already occurring and bridge the far-off dates so decision makers can understand that humans are already in the soup, and it is getting hot!  It is time to act in our areas of influence and communicate to deliver an understanding of climate change risk.

 

 

References

Bennett, A., Hatch, C.,& Pike, C. (2021). Climate Messaging that Works, Climate Narrative Initiative, Climate Access.  https://climateaccess.org/sites/default/files/Climate%20Messaging%20that%20Works%20-%20Talking%20Energy%20Transition%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20Canada.pdf

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. (2021). Guidance on Good Practices in Climate Change Risk Assessment. https://ccme.ca/en/res/riskassessmentguidancesecured.pdf

GIZ, EURAC & UNU-EHS. (2018). Climate Risk Assessment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation – A guidebook for planners and practitioners. Bonn: GIZ. https://www.adaptationcommunity.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/giz-eurac-unu-2018-en-guidebook-climate-risk-asessment-eba.pdf

ICLEI Canada. (n.d.). Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation. https://icleicanada.org/project/changing-climate-changing-communities-guide-and-workbook-for-municipal-climate-adaptation/

IPCC. (2022). Summary for Policymakers. [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, M. Tignor, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem (eds.)]. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 3–33, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.001

Lewandowsky, S. (2021). Climate Change Disinformation and How to Combat It. Annual Review of Public Health, 42(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102409

Maibach, E., Matthew, N.,& Weather, M., (2011). Conveying the Human Implications of Climate Change – A Climate Change Communication Primer for Public Health Professionals. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.

Roberts, F., De Meyer, K. & Hubble-Rose, L. (2021). Communicating climate risk: a handbook, Climate Action Unit, University College London. London, United Kingdom. DOI: 10.14324/000.rp.10137325

Tuhiwai Smith, L. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Bloomsbury Academic & Professional. (Chapter 7). http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/royalroads-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1426837

United Nations Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR). (2022, October 12). Climate change the greatest threat the world has ever faced, UN expert warns. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/climate-change-greatest-threat-world-has-ever-faced-un-expert-warns

Whitney, C., Frid, A., Edgar, B., Walkus, J., Siwallace, P., Siwallace, I., & Ban, N. (2020). “Like the plains people losing the buffalo”: Perceptions of climate change impacts, fisheries management, and adaptation actions by Indigenous peoples in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Ecology and Society, 25(4). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12027-250433

 

Climate Risk – Time to Hop to It. Read More »

The Bad News but the Least We Should Know About Climate Change

Leave a Comment / Academic Writing, CALS 501 /

Climate science informs us that humans have unequivocally caused global warming and details what is driving the warming (Chen et al., 2021, p. 150). For more on that, see my Climate Diagnosis Post. In addition, climate science identifies what planetary systems are changing and what climate impacts are already occurring. More importantly, these impacts can be projected into the future based on how much greenhouse gas is emitted. This gives us a window into various futures depending on our current choices. The troubling part is that in the last 50 years, there has been a rapid increase in greenhouse emissions and, correspondingly, the global surface temperature. Both have risen faster than in any other period in 2000 years (IPCC, 2021, p.8). Also, in the previous 50 years, almost all the world’s glaciers have retreated, which is unprecedented in the last 2000 years. Arctic sea ice has been at its lowest since 1850, and the global mean sea level has risen faster in the last century than any previous one for at least 3000 years. In addition, the increase in sea temperature, oxygen concentrations, and declining global ocean pH (Arias et al., 2021, p.74) all affect the ocean environment, circulation, and coastal shorelines.

Scientists assure us that human-induced climate change has affected every region of the planet with extreme weather and unprecedented climate events (IPCC, 2021, p. 8). Those impacts will increase in frequency, intensity and duration with each incremental degree of warming (IPCC, 2021, p. 18). Although this is alarming, there is more. As warming continues, multiple extreme events will happen simultaneously (IPCC, 2021, p. 25). This will be further exacerbated by the warming rate that increases the occurrence of record-shattering events such as heat waves and droughts (Fischer et al., 2021, p. 692). Figure 2 graphically shows the climate impacts and how they intensify for higher surface temperatures (Arias et al., 2021, p. 89). The warmer it gets, the worse it is and the more inhospitable to human, animal and plant life. There is no motivation to allow warming to rise beyond 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Figure 2

Climate impacts for different global surface temperatures

From Arias et al., 2021, p. 89.

As shown in Figure 2, global warming is currently at 1.1oC above preindustrial levels, and the climate impacts on ecosystems and humans have already been widespread, extreme and deadly. To help contextualize this, I found it helpful to think about local impacts. For example, southern Canada is warming at double the global average, with northern Canada warming even faster (Bush et al., 2022, p. 7). The three oceans surrounding Canada have been negatively affected as they warm, lose oxygen below the global average for the Pacific and become more acidic. Regional coastlines are impacted as the global mean sea level (GMSL) rises. Some will have much higher sea levels than the GMSL (Bush et al., p.30). Although precipitation is increasing, this will be from intense rainfall in the winter, while lower rainfall in the summer increases the incidence, duration and intensity of drought (Bush et al., 2022, p.8). Extreme hot temperatures will continue to increase in intensity and frequency, as will heat waves and weather extremes (Bush et al., 2022, p.9). There already is less snowpack, glaciers are rapidly receding, permafrost is thawing, and Arctic Sea ice is melting (Bush et al., 2022, p. 8 & 9). In British Columbia, we have already experienced some significant impacts from climate change, including deadly heat waves, record-breaking wildfire seasons, unprecedented drought, extreme winter storms, heavy unremitting precipitation and devastating floods (MoE, n.d.). It is difficult to imagine it getting worse, but unfortunately, that is the track we are currently on.

But a few things caught my attention as necessary for all to know when we think about climate action. Firstly, every tonne matters, each additional tonne of CO₂ emissions adds to global warming (IPCC, 2021, p. 28), and therefore, each tonne avoided matters. As CO2 is so long living in the atmosphere, our emissions today will be affecting the climate of our great-grandchildren; not a legacy any of us should be leaving, so any effort we make now will make a difference. Secondly, because CH4 has such a high warming potential and is rapidly increasing, getting that under control quickly is essential (Arias et al., 2021, p. 103). We need methane police! Finally, realizing that rapidly reducing GHGs now would make a difference within years and global temperatures would stabilize in twenty years (IPCC, 2021, p. 30) made me wonder why we would want to drag this out any longer than necessary. Getting on this now means most humans alive today will benefit from their efforts. For those that have already experienced climate impacts, that should be motivating.

Note on Citations

The information in the IPCC reports is very dense. To aid in finding the reference for myself, instructors and readers that might want to follow up I have included page numbers.

References

Arias, P.A., N. Bellouin, E. Coppola, R.G. Jones, G. Krinner, J. Marotzke, V. Naik, M.D. Palmer, G.-K. Plattner, J. Rogelj, M. Rojas, J. Sillmann, T. Storelvmo, P.W. Thorne, B. Trewin, K. Achuta Rao, B. Adhikary, R.P. Allan, K. Armour, . . . K. Zickfeld, (2021). Technical Summary. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 33−144, https://doi:10.1017/9781009157896

Bush, E., Bonsal, B., Derksen, C., Flato, G., Fyfe, J., Gillett, N., Greenan, B. J. W., James, T. S., Kirchmeier-Young, M., Mudryk, L., & Zhang, X. (2022). Canada’s changing climate report, in light of the latest global science assessment. https://doi.org/10.4095/329703

Chen, D., M. Rojas, B.H. Samset, K. Cobb, A. Diongue Niang, P. Edwards, S. Emori, S.H. Faria, E. Hawkins, P. Hope, P. Huybrechts, M. Meinshausen, S.K. Mustafa, G.-K. Plattner, and A.-M. Tréguier. (2021). Framing, Context, and Methods. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L., Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R., Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 147–286, doi:10.1017/9781009157896.003.

Fischer, E. M., Sippel, S., & Knutti, R. (2021). Increasing probability of record-shattering climate extremes. Nature Climate Change, 11(8), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01092-9

IPCC. (2021). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 3−32, https://doi:10.1017/9781009157896.001

Minster of Environmental & Climate Change Strategy (MoE). (n.d.). Climate Preparedness and Adaptation. Province of British Columbia. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/adaptation#impacts

The Bad News but the Least We Should Know About Climate Change Read More »

Planet earth with eyes looking at a rising thermometer and sweat coming of her brow

Climate Change Diagnosis

1 Comment / Academic Writing, CALS 501 /

Before taking MACAL CALS500 Climate Science, Impacts, and Services, I had the notion that the 2015 Paris target of “limiting global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels” (Chen et al., 2021, p. 161) would mean the world would be a different but still somewhat safe place. Striving for 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels would be even better. Diving into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report Working Group I (WGI), it is evident that allowing the global temperature to rise higher than 1.5°C above preindustrial levels will push the planetary systems to inhospitable places for many of the living beings that rely on a functioning biosphere, including humans. Unfortunately, modern humans’ extractive, consumptive lifestyle has not only threatened the climate system but has pushed biodiversity and other planetary boundaries to or beyond safe limits (Chen et al., 2021, p. 161). This is what systems thinkers like Donella Meadows call the tragedy of the commons (Meadows, 2008, p. 118).

The biosphere is the commons as it is not owned or regulated by any one entity. Humans (some more than others) have benefited enormously from extracting resources and dumping waste into the biosphere with little regard for the consequences. The tragedy comes from the lack of feedback to those responsible for the biospheres’ demise until it is too late (Meadows, 2008, p. 121). As dire as this sounds, spending time studying climate science and the WGI report, with contributions from thousands of scientists and researchers collaborating around the world, provided necessary insights. It was like being given a proper diagnosis for a long-endured ailment or essential feedback on the state of the commons. Although the diagnosis is bad news, the treatment provides better news as it leads us towards an equitable, just, safe, biodiverse and healthy path. In this blog post, I will provide some background on how humans caused climate change and how we need a vision of a very low emissions sustainable future to save ourselves. 

Background on How We Caused Climate Change

Scientists have proven the cause of global warming through paleoclimate records and climate modelling (IPCC, 2021, p. 4). They have found that “[i]ncreases in well-mixed greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations since around 1750 are unequivocally caused by human activities” (IPCC, 2021, p. 4). Also, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most significant contributor to GHGs due to its higher concentration level and long life span (centuries). It has not been at such a high concentration “in at least 2 million years” (IPCC 2021, p. 8). Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are the next most significant contributors, with concentrations “higher than at any time in at least 800,000 years” (IPCC, 2021, p. 8). CH4 has a shorter life span (decades) in the atmosphere. Still, it has a much higher global warming potential than CO2, so it can have dramatic short-term impacts (IPCC, 2021, p. 27), which is essential to remember when looking at mitigation actions.

Unfortunately, humans have increased the release of all GHGs, but unlike CO2, “land and ocean are not substantial sinks for other [greenhouse gas emissions]”(IPCC, 2021, p. 4). This fact caught my attention as there is so much focus on CO2, yet short-lived emissions could cause problems if not reduced significantly. Unsurprisingly, given how much we rely on it, the primary source of all three of these gases is fossil fuel production, distribution, and combustion for energy, transportation, and industry (Arias, 2021, p.102). Other human activities, such as deforestation and agriculture, also release greenhouse gas emissions (Chen, 2021, p. 244). As a result, the more humans there are and the more we consume, the higher the emissions and concentrations. To date, emission levels and population have only continued to rise (NOAA, 2022, UN, 2022).

The global surface temperature has also risen (Chen, 2021, p. 211). Paleoclimate records show that over the centuries, the rise in global surface temperature has followed the same trajectory as the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Chen, 2021, p. 159). Greenhouse gases are so named because they trap heat within the planetary atmosphere, much like the inside of a car on a sunny day that warms up much more than the outside air. Earth’s atmosphere holds heat that would otherwise be reflected out to space. For thousands of years, the atmosphere has been finely tuned with just enough greenhouse gases to balance the heat absorbed from the sun and reflected by the planet (Forster et al.,2021, p. 1021). Figure 1 graphically shows the imbalance today and where the energy is stored, with the majority stored in the ocean.

Figure 1

Incoming and Outgoing Energy Flows and the Current Imbalance Caused by Greenhouse Gases

Comparison of earth with an atmosphere that balances incoming and outgoing energy to one that is out of balance and retains too much energy.

Note. Before human-caused greenhouse gases started accumulating in the atmosphere, the incoming energy was balanced with the outgoing energy. The atmosphere maintained a stable climate. As greenhouse gases accumulated, the energy balance has shifted, with energy now being stored in the ocean, land, ice and atmosphere. From Forster et al., 2021, p. 1021.

The finely balanced atmosphere and stable climate created a hospitable environment for a thriving biosphere (Holocene, 2022), and living beings evolved to work within the web of life through reciprocity and mutual flourishing (Kimmerer, 2013, p. 382). But that all changed with industrialization and the release of human-caused greenhouse gases. Here lies the tragedy for humans to solve. Our societies, cultures, and economies have developed around the extraction of resources and high levels of waste. It has afforded incredible technological advancements and consumptive lifestyles for those fortunate enough to create and increase wealth. Unfortunately, there is plenty of “bad news” about the damage and impacts already caused by modern-day living and what we can expect if we keep on a high emissions pathway. Please read my “Bad News” post for my reflection on the points that hit home for me. If you prefer only to know our best option for our survival, then skip to the “Better News” section for a reflection of what a very low emissions world could be.

Holding a Vision and Shifting our Mind Set

Holding a vision of a very low emissions future is what is needed. The vision, like a beacon, will guide us in our work. This will be necessary as we untangle the economic system that has led to the demise of the planet’s life-giving complex systems. We need to change the economic systems’ destructive goals, structures, and parameters that focus on unlimited growth, putting humans above all and nature as a resource for human fulfillment (Meadows, 2001, p.163). Ultimately a shift in mindset or paradigm, as system thinker Donella Meadows describes, is one of the most effective ways to change a system (2001, p. 163). Getting that shift requires clear communication about the failures of the status quo and a high-emissions pathway so that the problem is defined (Bennett et al., 2021). Included in that communication must be the vision, goals and benefits of the new low-emissions sustainable world. Looking for and talking about successful transitions and approaches help to demonstrate that this is possible. Indigenous Knowledge Keepers have much to show us in this regard. Reorienting humans’ current trajectory towards the Green Road while implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a legacy we can leave for the next generations. In this way, they will know that we have done the best that we were able to, which is the ultimate act of love.

Note on Citations

The information in the IPCC reports is very dense. To aid in finding the reference for myself, instructors and readers that might want to follow up I have included page numbers.

References

Arias, P.A., N. Bellouin, E. Coppola, R.G. Jones, G. Krinner, J. Marotzke, V. Naik, M.D. Palmer, G.-K. Plattner, J. Rogelj, M. Rojas, J. Sillmann, T. Storelvmo, P.W. Thorne, B. Trewin, K. Achuta Rao, B. Adhikary, R.P. Allan, K. Armour, . . . K. Zickfeld, (2021). Technical Summary. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 33−144, https://doi:10.1017/9781009157896

Bennett, A., Hatch, C.,& Pike, C. (2021). Climate Messaging that Works, Climate Narrative Initiative, Climate Access. https://climateaccess.org/sites/default/files/Climate%20Messaging%20that%20Works%20-%20Talking%20Energy%20Transition%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20Canada.pdf

Chen, D., M. Rojas, B.H. Samset, K. Cobb, A. Diongue Niang, P. Edwards, S. Emori, S.H. Faria, E. Hawkins, P. Hope, P. Huybrechts, M. Meinshausen, S.K. Mustafa, G.-K. Plattner, and A.-M. Tréguier. (2021). Framing, Context, and Methods. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L., Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R., Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 147–286, doi:10.1017/9781009157896.003.

Forster, P., T. Storelvmo, K. Armour, W. Collins, J.-L. Dufresne, D. Frame, D.J. Lunt, T. Mauritsen, M.D. Palmer, M. Watanabe, M. Wild, & H. Zhang. (2021). The Earth’s Energy Budget, Climate Feedbacks, and Climate Sensitivity. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 923–1054, doi:10.1017/9781009157896.009.

Holocene. (2022, October 29). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Holocene&oldid=1118882407

IPCC. (2021). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 3−32, https://doi:10.1017/9781009157896.001

Kimmerer, R.W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions. https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass

Khor, N., Arimah, B., Otieno Otieno, R., van Oostrum, M., Mutinda, M., Oginga Martins, J., Godwin, A., Castan Broto, V., Chatwin, M., Dijkstra, L., Joss, S., Sharifi, A., Sverdlik, A., Simon, D., Florio, P., Freire, S., Kemper, T., Melchiorri, M., Schiavina, M., . . . Unnikrishnan, H. (2022). World Cities Report 2022 Envisaging the Future of Cities. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. https://unhabitat.org/wcr/

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in Systems: A primer (D. Wright, Ed.). Chelsea Green Publishing. https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/thinking-in-systems/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2022, April 7). Increase in atmospheric methane set another record during 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/increase-in-atmospheric-methane-set-another-record-during-2021

O’Neill, B. C., Tebaldi, C., van Vuuren, D. P., Eyring, V., Friedlingstein, P., Hurtt, G., Knutti, R., Kriegler, E., Lamarque, J.-F., Lowe, J., Meehl, G. A., Moss, R., Riahi, K., & Sanderson, B. M. (2016). The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) for CMIP6. Geoscientific Model Development, 9(9), 3461–3482. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3461-2016

United Nations (UN). (2022). World population to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022. https://www.un.org/en/desa/world-population-reach-8-billion-15-november-2022

Climate Change Diagnosis Read More »

Critical Reflection on Climate Communication

Leave a Comment / Academic Writing, CALS 501, CALS 502 /

Climate change is a complex, pervasive and unprecedented challenge facing all living beings and ecosystems (IPCC, 2022). During MACAL 502 Climate Communications course, I have found that communicating about climate change is as challenging as achieving emissions reduction targets and attaining the necessary adaptation of mindsets, society, and infrastructure. At the very least, I have learnt that providing alarming scientific facts about future events will not spur sufficient action and can cause psychological paralysis, distancing, indifference, or apathy. In addition, and worse, there has been a concentrated, well-funded effort to oppose the science and emissions reduction efforts by those who fear that emissions reduction will impede the growth of their industry (Lewandowsky, 2021; Treen, 2020). If this is not enough of a challenge, different audiences react differently to the information provided and how it is communicated (Hine, 2016). As Howarth et al. (2020) point out, “The choices people make will be guided by government regulations, social practices, and individual decisions, all of which will be shaped by the availability of information and how it is communicated”(p. 320). Fortunately, the science of climate change communications has been developed in a relatively short time and offers insights into what has worked and what might work going forward (Moser, 2016). I am grateful to have been introduced to this body of work that can help me be more effective in my communications. Now, as I write or talk about climate change, I am thinking about the emotions fearful messages create in myself and others, as well as the worldviews and values of the audience, and looking for optimal ways to deliver a message that can effectively motivate positive action.

As I struggle to maintain my sense of hope with the slowness and tepidness of government actions, I have learnt that the perceived lack of action and the complexity of the issue can impact individuals’ willingness (or motivation) to act and increase fear, anxiety, and apathy (Moser, 2016; O’Neill & Nicholson-Cole, 2009). This was brought home to me when I mentioned climate change in a recent conversation with my daughter. She asked why I always talk about climate change, a topic she finds “so depressing”. As a young person, she is not alone in this feeling. A Lancet Medical Journal survey of 10,000 youth on climate anxiety found that 75% think the future is frightening, and 50% felt several negative emotions, including powerlessness and hopelessness (Hickman et al., 2021). In their discussion of the failure of government and those in power to act, the authors are scathing, claiming that “[s]ubjecting young people to climate anxiety and moral injury can be regarded as cruel, inhuman, degrading or even torturous” (Hickman et al., 2021, p. 9). This is also important to consider when delivering climate news.  Climate communications researchers found that framing climate change sensationally when communicating with students increased perceptions of risk compared to those reading neutral information (Schuldt et al., 2018). Sensational messages also elicited “stronger negative emotions toward climate change” (Schuldt et al., 2018, p.61).  As noted, fearful messages can cause psychological distancing; however, this can be minimized by including a pathway or solution for the audience to deal with the threat (Howarth et al., 2020). I also need to recognize my reaction to fearful or sensational messages as well as the reaction of others so that I can be empathic to the audience and reframe the message to include a pathway forward whenever possible.

Paths forwards can include encouraging audiences to be aware of their mindset. Mary AnnaÏse Heglar’s blog post, Home is Always Worth It (2019), captures her feelings of shock and hopelessness when confronted with bleak and dire proclamations for the future. However, she quite pragmatically points out that we have “no time for nihilism” and that “we can recognize that hopelessness does not mean helplessness”(Heglar, 2019). Similarly, Hannah Richie, in her article Stop Telling Kids They’ll Die From Climate Change notes that she needed a change in mindset (Richie, 2021).  She reframes her thinking by acknowledging that the world is slowly moving to lower carbon options and that “we need a new message for climate change … that drives action through optimism” (Richie, 2021). Although I recognize the necessity to acknowledge the feelings of hopelessness, I want to find ways to motivate climate action. To this end, I have looked for ways to include solutions, pathways, and benefits from implementing the solutions in my communications. Thinking about the benefit triangle (Figure 1) has been practical and helpful in achieving this.

Figure 1

Benefit Triangle

An image of a triangle with the challenge at one point, the benefits at the apex and the pathway at the third point.

Note. The Benefit Triangle is a helpful tool. From: (Bennett, 2021, p. 2).

In Climate Messaging that Works, Bennett et al. (2021) found that when communicating about a challenge, it is effective to connect solutions and benefits with the challenge being communicated. Hence the Benefit Triangle. The authors note that the benefit triangle “allows you to keep things simple amidst all the noise — to connect the dots between what people care about and what can be done” (Bennett et al., 2021, p. 2). The next time the topic of climate change came up between my daughter and me, it was in a conversation about flooding from a local river. I mentioned the municipality’s commitment to restoring the riverbanks as a means of adaptation. This nature-based solution allows nature to provide the infrastructure and many other benefits for the environment instead of a single-purpose retaining wall. This time the message was received with interest. She could see the benefit of this pathway as it improved an essential and valued watershed.

Bennett et al. advise climate communicators to “[h]one in on the benefits of climate action most relevant to audiences by talking about what will improve for their lives … or other things they care about”(p. 3). Taking this to heart, I recently developed the blog post, Nanaimo citizen’s climate action story gallery, which showcased friends and family taking positive climate action measures. The post also incorporated images and audio and was written to assist those with visual impairments and cognitive challenges. Actions featured in the blog ranged from starting a seed library to cycling for transportation to installing heat pumps and solar systems. While the actions reflect the individuals’ interests, ages, and access to capital, each action contributes to emissions reduction, health and well-being and community building. Using narrative was a new and previously untried approach for me. I found that doing the research and writing was a positive personal experience and, to my surprise, gave me hope.

MACAL 502 included readings about Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, which has stretched my thinking, world view and understanding in new and improved ways. Understanding or at least having an inkling of Indigenous knowledge offers an insightful approach to climate change communications and validates my innate connection to nature. Through this learning, I have come to understand that climate change is a symptom of colonialism and capitalism that has separated humans from being connected to nature (Kimmerer, 2013; Whyte, 2017). In writing about the Indigenous Knowledge Keepers who attended the Onjisay Aki International Climate Summit, Cameron et al. (2021) share the Elders’ insights regarding climate change. The Elders at the summit suggested that solving greenhouse gas emissions with technical fixes will not work without going deeper and finding the underlying cause of the problem(Cameron et al., 2021). Understanding the underlying causes resonates with me as a way to understand why those in power and many others are threatened and dismissive of climate action.

The Elders identified the core of the problem as self-centred human values such as greed, arrogance, and domination, which lead to destructive behaviours and actions such as extraction and exploitation (Cameron et al., 2021). Ultimately these actions result in climate change, biodiversity loss and other impacts on the ecosystem. Although these consequences are devastating, the Knowledge Keepers generously offer a way forward that includes “Indigenous peoples reclaim[ing] positions of leadership to help guide humanity in returning to a way of life in balance with the Earth’s limit and laws”( p. 8). We can look at the root cause of climate change as “a deeply human story about the relationality between humans and the planet” (p. 16). As Robin Kimmerer (2013) notes, “we are deluged by information regarding our destruction of the world and hear almost nothing about how to nurture it” (p. 327). Therefore, as a white settler who is sometimes overwhelmed by the grief and magnitude of the climate change message, I can remind myself of the necessity to tell stories with nurturing in mind and look for opportunities to communicate about reconciliation, reconnection with nature and living in reciprocity with the natural environment.

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to delve into the research and science of climate change communications. Studying climate change communications may be a science but applying it is an art. I say this because to be effective I need to understand people’s emotional responses, values and mindsets and appeal to them to consider other ways of seeing or being in the world. I  may have intuitively understood some of this in the past, but now I can look to climate change communications science for tools and research to help me be effective. Going forward, I will use the benefit triangle, increase my narrative and storytelling skills, promote a deeper connection to nature and look to the wisdom of the Indigenous peoples. In addition, my future writings will include using message frames, careful use of imagery and icons and maybe other forms of media beyond the blog.

 

Reference

 

Bennett, A., Hatch, C.,& Pike, C. (2021). Climate Messaging that Works, Climate Narrative Initiative, Climate Access. https://climateaccess.org/sites/default/files/Climate%20Messaging%20that%20Works%20-%20Talking%20Energy%20Transition%20and%20Climate%20Change%20in%20Canada.pdf

Cameron, L., Courchene, D., Ijaz, S., & Mauro, I. (2021). ‘A change of heart’: Indigenous perspectives from the Onjisay Aki Summit on climate change. Climatic Change, 164(3), 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03000-8

Heglar, M. A. (2019, September 17). Home is Always Worth It. Medium. https://medium.com/@maryheglar/home-is-always-worth-it-d2821634dcd9

Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: A global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3

Hine, D. W., Phillips, W. J., Cooksey, R., Reser, J. P., Nunn, P., Marks, A. D. G., Loi, N. M., & Watt, S. E. (2016). Preaching to different choirs: How to motivate dismissive, uncommitted, and alarmed audiences to adapt to climate change? Global Environmental Change, pp. 36, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.11.002

Howarth, C., Parsons, L., & Thew, H. (2020). Effectively Communicating Climate Science beyond Academia: Harnessing the Heterogeneity of Climate Knowledge. One Earth 2(4), 320–324. https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.04.01

IPCC, (2022). Summary for Policymakers [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, M. Tignor, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem (eds.)]. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 3–33, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.001.

Kimmerer, R.W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions. https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass

Lewandowsky, S. (2021). Climate Change Disinformation and How to Combat It. Annual Review of Public Health, 42(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102409

Moser, S. C. (2016). Reflections on climate change communication research and practice in the second decade of the 21st century: What more is there to say? WIREs Climate Change, 7(3), 345–369. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.403

Ritchie, H. (n.d.). Stop Telling Kids They’ll Die From Climate Change. Wired. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.wired.com/story/stop-telling-kids-theyll-die-from-climate-change/

Schuldt, J.P., Krasny, M.E., & Armstrong, A.K. (2018). Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators. Ithaca: Cornell University Press., http://doi.org/10.1353/book.68536.

Treen, K. M. d’I., Williams, H. T. P., & O’Neill, S. J. (2020). Online misinformation about climate change. WIREs Climate Change, 11(5), e665. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.665

Whyte, K. (2017). Indigenous Climate Change Studies: Indigenizing Futures, Decolonizing the Anthropocene. English Language Notes, 55(1–2), pp. 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1215/00138282-55.1-2.153

 

Critical Reflection on Climate Communication Read More »

The interconnected structure of a wooden rail trestle. This is meant to represent the inter-relationships required for mainstreaming.

Mainstreaming a Climate Action Leadership Competency

2 Comments / Academic Writing, CALS 501 /

Introduction

Mainstreaming is one of the core competencies of a climate action leader, as identified in the Climate Adaptation Competency Framework within the domain of “Climate Adaptation Planning & Implementation” (Cox et al., 2021). It is a strategy used to integrate climate action within an organization or across a sector with the intention to include climate action in “all objectives and decisions across programs, projects, operations, policies, procedures, financing and training” (Cox et al., 2021). To develop a further understanding of mainstreaming, the following three paragraphs summarize research papers on the topic. The papers were selected as they provided variety in research methodology and date of publication. The first paper is a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed research on mainstreaming, thereby giving a broad perspective and providing an analytical framework that could be used for future research. The second paper is a case study of five municipalities in Norway to understand what drives mainstreaming. This paper was one of the papers cited in the meta-analysis and provided foundational information to that work. The final and third paper is also a case study of a municipality in Ireland just published this year differing from the other case studies in that the lead author worked for the municipality. It provides a recent example of mainstreaming in action. The primary theme coming from all three papers was the need for a strong mandate and adequate resources to support mainstreaming.

Article 1 – Summary of Mainstreaming climate adaptation: taking stock of “what works” from empirical research worldwide

In the article Mainstreaming climate adaptation: taking stock about “what works” from empirical research worldwide Runhaar et al. (2017) assess existing peer-reviewed literature to identify: what mainstreaming has achieved and how; what the differences are “between policy sectors and countries” (p.1202); and what the critical factors are that makes mainstreaming effective. Runhaar et al. found that climate adaptation mainstreaming has different meanings to different authors. Therefore, their research used four of the five mainstreaming strategies identified by Wamsler and Pauleit (2016, as cited in Runhaar et al., 2017): managerial mainstreaming, intra – and inter-organizational mainstreaming, regulatory mainstreaming, and directed mainstreaming. Similarly, the authors could not find agreement in the literature on what mainstreaming should achieve or how it is measured, so they looked at policy outputs and outcomes to assess effectiveness (cf. Persson 2007; Jordan and Lenschow 2008, as cited in Runhaar et al., 2017). Their analytical framework also includes policy output effectiveness to determine how well the adaptation measures worked. To evaluate policy output effectiveness, Runhaar et al. looked at the drivers and the barriers identified in previous studies and came up with six categories for their evaluation.

This paper provides insights relevant to the mainstreaming competency that is part of the Climate Adaptation Competency Framework developed by Cox et al. (2021). It identifies what has worked and what has failed and develops a framework to assess adaptation mainstreaming. In terms of what works, their results show the main drivers are political will backed up with financial incentives, external cooperation, work of a policy entrepreneur, and focusing events (though only for a short duration after the event). Barriers are many, with the dominant ones affecting implementation being organizational and managerial structures that impede collaboration and lack climate adaptation mainstreaming as a clear priority or mandate. In the literature reviewed, the authors found that without adequate support from the top, mainstreaming becomes a voluntary activity with numerous implementation barriers. To achieve climate change adaptation implementation, the researchers identify the need for strict requirements or mandates that support mainstreaming. This will provide the impetus for all governments and organizations to climate adapt their sectors. Not surprisingly, there needs to be sufficient funding and staff resources to achieve mainstreaming effectively.

Article 2 – Summary of Mainstreaming climate change adaptation at the local level

Mainstreaming climate change adaptation at the local level is an examination of mainstreaming in five municipalities in Norway. Researchers, Rauken et al. (2015) seek to determine what drives mainstreaming and provide an explanation of why different approaches are used. Additionally, as the five municipalities have similar organization and management traits to other western communities, the study may provide a more comprehensive understanding of adaptation mainstreaming challenges in these settings. Conducting the examination included a literature review focused on the integration of policy and the origins of mainstreaming to provide the framework for evaluation. Rauken et al. determined they would use three aspects of mainstreaming to assess the various approaches the municipalities used or did not use. The aspects are comprehensiveness, aggregation, and consistency. A demonstration of comprehensiveness occurs when there is an awareness of the need to adapt, when strategic decisions reflect concern about climate change adaptation, and when climate change adaptation is integrated into related policy fields. Aggregation is demonstrated when climate change adaptation is assessed from an overall perspective rather than from a single sector perspective through a joint approach. Lastly, consistency is demonstrated when climate change adaptation has a connection to other policies and conflicting policy issues are addressed across policy fields (Rauken et al., 2015). Rauken et al. also argue that mainstreaming requires both vertical and horizontal approaches to achieve all three aspects of mainstreaming.

Rauken et al. (2015) findings provide a view into mainstreaming in action and a framework for assessing an organization’s use of mainstreaming. Results for each community are summarized in Table 1 from the study to compare the type of integration used, and what aspects of mainstreaming were achieved.

Table 1

Comparison of integration, approach and effectiveness of mainstreaming

Notes: Rauken et al. (2015) p. 415.

Direct quotes from the study participants provide context about their attitudes regarding the need and urgency for climate adaptation and how the flow of information may or may not be working. Interestingly the municipality that used vertical integration achieved the most climate change adaptation measures implemented but only in specific departments directly impacted by climate change. They did not intend to go beyond this action to have a cross-sectoral comprehensive climate change policy. The two larger municipalities in the study had more political focus on climate adaptation. This empowered the communities to use cross-sectoral groups and horizontal integration, resulting in steps towards comprehensiveness, aggregation, and consistency. Interestingly the community that used vertical integration had little political attention as there was a climate skeptic at the top leadership level.

The results also showed that the more resources invested, the more attention was paid, resulting in a higher level of comprehensiveness. Of interest, Rauken et al. (2015) surmise that a vertical integration approach could be helpful if there is a lack of political support or resources to achieve comprehensive mainstreaming as a first step to getting critical adaptation measures in place. However, the legitimacy created through the effort to attain cross-sector involvement may provide more action in the long run.

Article 3 – Summary of Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Planning and Development: A Case Study in Northern Ireland

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Planning and Development: A Case Study in Northern Ireland provides an inside look at mainstreaming in action. Authors Burns et al. (2022) use five key factors to assess mainstreaming implementation. The factors were identified by the World Resources Institute (Mogelaard et al., 2018, as cited in Burns et al., 2022) and are the following: “(1) strong policy frameworks; (2) sustained and persistent leadership; (3) coordination mechanisms across sectors and between government departments; (4) information and tools; and (5) supportive financial processes” (p 130). Of equal interest to the assessment is how a small team successfully championed climate adaptation planning from within the city and district council. They were able to scale up to a dedicated task force encompassing all service areas after their recommendations received support and funding. Although there was no legislative requirement for the city to mainstream climate adaptation, the European Union provided funding and staffing resources to facilitate the process. Recent flooding events increased the public concern regarding climate change and brought to light that managing the risks is a moral obligation of local governments. There is also a recognition of the cross-dependencies within the region and the need for those sectors to adapt. This background information is of value as it provides the context and the organizational structures that facilitate mainstreaming at the local level.

This case study provides a detailed step-by-step process for the development and approval of the communities Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The overview of the five steps and the summary of each step’s actions shows mainstreaming was used during steps three and four. Step three involved one-to-one meetings and workshops that led to the strategic direction and agreed-upon priorities for the plan. Step four was the next phase of development and approval by a committee of elected officials via a consultation process with all directorates. A visual of the process of cross-cutting actions and the integration of the city and district’s functions is provided in Figure 1 from the study and demonstrates the effectiveness of mainstreaming and integration into policies.

Figure 1

Thematic priorities of the climate adaptation plan

Note: From Burns et al. (2022) p. 140. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

 For example, they decided to screen all existing and emerging policies and all committee reports to ensure services are climate resilient. The other steps provide the groundwork for steps three and four, including adding climate change to the risk register and working with the finance department to identify budget requirements for adaptation work. The overview provided in Table 1 summarizes the actions taken for each step.

Table 1

Overview of action steps to mainstream climate adaptation plan

Note: From Burns et al. (2022) p. 139. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Reflecting on the lessons learned, Burns et al. (2022) acknowledge the significant amount of engagement and communication of risks necessary to garner the support of colleagues and, therefore, the challenge of using mainstreaming for integrating climate change adaptation within local governments.

 

References

Burns, C., Flood, S., O’Dwyer, B. (2022). Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Planning and Development: A Case Study in Northern Ireland. In: S. Flood, Y. Jerez Columbié, M. Le Tissier & B. O’Dwyer (Eds.), Creating Resilient Futures. (pp. 129-147) Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80791-7_7

Cox, R., Niederer, S., Forssman, V., Sikorski, L. (2021). Climate Adaptation Competency Framework, The Resilience by Design Lab: Adaptation Learning Network. https://adaptationlearningnetwork.com/sites/weadapt.org/files/aln-competencyframework_2021_1.pdf

Rauken, T., Mydske, P.K., Winsvold, M. (2015). Mainstreaming climate change adaptation at the local level. Local Environment, 20(4), 408-423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014.880412

Runhaar, H., Wilk, B., Persson, A., Uittenbroek, C., & Wamsler, C. (2017). Mainstreaming climate adaptation: taking stock of “what works” from empirical research worldwide. Regional Environmental Change, 18, 1201-1210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1259-5

 

Mainstreaming a Climate Action Leadership Competency Read More »

A New Green World Requires Right Relations

Leave a Comment / Academic Writing, CALS 501 /
The lush green growth represents a new green world, and the exposed bark's heart shape symbolizes right relations.
Photo D Fourt

What is climate action leadership and why does it matter?

As I reflect on this thought-provoking question, I realize that my understanding of climate action leadership has evolved after the two-week Learning Intensive for MACAL CALS 501 Leading Climate Action in Society. I came into the program thinking climate action leaders must strategically and persistently develop ways to inspire climate action, learn and evolve from setbacks and bring as many people along with them as possible.  I also thought that the reason why it matters is heard regularly in the news and nicely summed up by Emanuel (2020) in Climate Science, Risk & Solutions as follows, “By the time the consequences of climate change become unequivocally clear, it will almost certainly be too late to do much about it. We must decide very soon” (p. 41).  I decided a long time ago action was necessary, but now realize that climate action leadership needs to be more than convincing people to reduce emissions and increase resiliency. Why it matters is more nuanced and requires looking for the root cause of climate change. Therefore, to reflect on climate action leadership, I will be looking at colonization, decolonization, the role of white settlers and transdisciplinary thinking.

For many decades, scientists have been tracking Earth’s warming. The video Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops (Gray, 2022) describes the warming as human-caused, primarily from burning fossil fuels. Their solutions are straightforward: Humans need to “cut their emissions, stop deforestation and regreen the earth” (Gray, 2022, 10:30). Yet, achieving climate action has been incredibly difficult. The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III Climate Change 2022 Mitigation of Climate Change report “a file of shame” and accused “government and business leaders [of] saying one thing – but doing another” while their “investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness” (UN Press Release, 2022).

If anyone should be demonstrating climate action leadership, it should be our government and business leaders. They must know better than any the consequences of their actions. 

In Thinking in Systems: A Primer, Meadows (2008) points out that governments might say they are interested in protecting the environment, but if they do not invest money and effort into environmental protection, environmental protection is not the government’s priority (p. 14).  She also notes in Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System (1999) that world leaders look to economic growth to solve global problems, but that growth also has costs, including “environmental destruction” (p. 1). That economic growth, based on capitalism and colonialism, has created the climate crisis, is noted in the conclusion of the Assembly of First Nations’ National Climate Gathering Report (2020). The report points to the failure of current attempts to address climate change and links it to the “interrelationships between the three ’Cs’ – colonialism, capitalism, and carbon” (p. 20).

If our capitalistic system is stuck in a permanent-growth mode based on colonialism and this impedes our climate solutions, then is decolonization the basis of climate action? 

Module 1 from Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives on Climate Adaptation (Brooks et al., 2022) highlights that when we disregard Indigenous worldviews in climate mitigation or adaptation actions, we risk perpetuating the damaging effects of colonialism. David Isaac’s interview, recorded in the transcripts of Module 1, takes this notion further and observes that Indigenous worldviews can guide the Canadian public when tackling the climate crisis (Isaac, 2020, 00:00:10). So how can this insight be applied to climate action leadership?  In their paper Decolonizing transformations through ‘right relations’, Gram-Hanssen et al. (2021) scrutinize their role as white settler researchers and provide insight on how they and others in similar situations can use “right relations” to decolonize their work. ”Right relations,” as described by the authors, is “an obligation to live up to the responsibilities involved when taking part in a relationship—be it to other humans, other species, the land or the climate” (p. 673). The paper frames climate change as a problem with modern humans’ relationship to the environment. Unlike Indigenous worldviews, the environment is treated as an externality and is damaged rather than sustained or regenerated. To counteract damage, the authors propose being in “right relations,” which is an ongoing process demonstrated by “respect, reciprocity and just actions” (p. 677).

Therefore, in my view, climate action leadership requires us to respect and emulate Indigenous worldviews by being in” right relations” through appropriate practices and processes.

In considering how we think, relate, and engage in climate action leadership, we can look to transdisciplinary leadership, as described in Transdisciplinarity: A Primer (Corman & Cox, 2020), for guidance. The primer describes transdisciplinarity as a way of being and working that requires an open mindset and a willingness to weave different understandings not constrained by typical boundaries into new knowledge to achieve better outcomes for everyone (pp. 6-7). This approach provides the opportunity or the framework to incorporate “right relations” and other world views. An example of how this might work is shown in the video The Transdisciplinary Approach, where the Michigan Technological University (2017) used transdisciplinary research to tackle complex problems such as climate change. The transdisciplinary team does everything together, from framing the question or problem to communicating the results (MTU, 2017, 1:14). For me, framing the question or problem with those impacted or having a stake in the process and outcome is an intriguing and respectful approach that may provide better results. Here is a future inquiry opportunity for me and a chance to further reflect on recent learnings and readings.

Climate action leadership needs to be based on ”right relations” to ensure that climate solutions are not perpetuating unintended harm or colonialism. A way to do this is to use transdisciplinarity processes, thinking and leadership and encourage others in this space to do the same. As a result, climate action leadership is necessarily an ongoing development process for the practitioner. Climate action leaders need to seek and work with methods, and ways of being that produce better outcomes for everyone. While the video Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops calls for a regreening of Earth as a climate solution (Gray, 2022, 10:30), humans also need to rethink their relationship with our planet, the plants, the animals and most importantly, with each other. Perhaps through ”right relations”, we can find the right balance for all beings now and in the future to thrive in a new green world.

References

Assembly of First Nations (2020, July 10). National Climate Gathering Report: Driving Change, Leading Solutions. https://www.afn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Climate_Gathering_Report_ENG.pdf

Brooks, J., Gilpin, E., Cougler Blom, B., Cox, R., Lambert, K., & Forssman, B. (2022). Module 1: Historical Context of Indigenous Environmental Management. Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives on Climate Adaptation. Resilience By Design Lab. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/indigadapt/

Corman, I., & Cox, R., (2020). Transdisciplinarity: A Primer. Written for the Masters’ in Climate Action Leadership, Royal Roads University. https://commons.royalroads.ca/macal/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2021/04/MACAL_Transdisciplinary_Thinking03-31-21-3.pdf

Emanuel, K. (2020). How long can we wait to act? Chapter 9. In K. Emanuel Climate Science, Risk & Solutions. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://climateprimer.mit.edu/climate-science-risk-solutions.pdf

Gram-Hanssen, I., Schafenacker, N., & Bentz, J. (2021). Decolonizing transformations through ‘right relations’. Sustainability Science, 17, 673-685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00960-9

Gray, S. (Director). (2022). Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, Moving Still Productions, Inc. [Online Film]. https://feedbackloopsclimate.com/introduction/

Isaac, D. (2022). Indigenous Worldview as guiding light in tackling climate crises. In Module 1, J. Brooks et al., Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives on Climate Adaptation. Resilience By Design Lab. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/indigadapt/

Meadows, D. (1999). Leverage Points Places to Intervene in a System. Sustainability Institute. https://donellameadows.org/wp-content/userfiles/Leverage_Points.pdf

Meadows, D. (2008). Chapter 1 – The Basics. In D. Wright, (Ed.), Thinking in Systems: A Primer. (pp. 11-34) Chelsea Green Publishing Company. https://books.google.ca/books?id=CpbLAgAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA11#v=onepage&q&f=false

Michigan Technological University. (2017, July 28). The Transdisciplinary Approach [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5xGi9EFCSY

United Nations Secretary-General. (2022, April 04). Secretary-General Warns of Climate Emergency, Calling Intergovernmental Panel’s Report ‘a File of Shame’, While Saying Leaders ‘Are Lying’, Fueling Flames [Press release]. https://www.un.org/press/en/2022/sgsm21228.doc.htm

Working Group III Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022). Climate Change 2022 Mitigation of Climate Change. https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg3/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf

A New Green World Requires Right Relations Read More »

May 12, 2022 Reflection

Leave a Comment / CALS 501, Musings and Reflections /

Maples

Today I lead the cohort online Community Building session. As the name implies, the intention of the session is to build community with the cohort and instructors. I have not met any of my cohort or instructors in person and wanted to give them an opportunity to get to know me and each other in thirty short minutes. If we were meeting in person, I would take everyone on a short nature-infused walk. I also wanted to incorporate some of the experiences, learning and thoughts that I have had so far based on the readings, online discussions, and presentations. The Indigenous scholar and readings made me think of storytelling and had me wonder if we could weave our stories together while on a virtual walk. I thought it was important to consider how we relate to nature, the ability for nature to provide solace and the impacts that climate is having in our own neighbourhoods and parks.

I decided to do a virtual walk using photos of an iconic maple tree in the park near my home. As we had done some breathing exercises the day before, this seemed like a good way to start and finish the walk. I had the group start with the ocean breath or Darth Vader breath which involves constricting the back of the throat while inhaling and exhaling to make a sound like the ocean or Darth Vader breathing. Doing this breath is calming and warms and energizes us. We finished with the energetic breath of joy.

For the walk, I used four images of the maple tree. The first is a lovely fall photo with the leaves golden and the water level moderate (see above). The second was later in the fall, with most of the leaves gone and the water level quite a bit higher. The third photo showed the tree broken off by the extremely high water that flowed over it (see below). The last photo showed the spring sunshine on the lower water flow and the tiny branches sprouting out of the remaining trunk as a sign of the resilience of the maple tree (see the last photo).

Maple broken after the extremely high water levels

As I showed each image, I provided a narrative and then asked the participants to share any thoughts, memories, or reflections that the photos or stories raised for them. The first two photos generated some nice reflections from those that spoke. Unfortunately, I did not foreshadow the third image of the tree broken, and it was a shock for the participants. It did provide the opportunity to mention the grief that we feel with the loss of nature and resulted in a discussion about that. The final picture is such a lovely picture that the participants thought it showed how they had missed other details of the environment when the iconic tree was there. Also, the fact that the tree was making efforts to grow again was a symbol of renewal, resilience, and hope.

Maple stump remains and sends out shoots of new growth

 

May 12, 2022 Reflection Read More »