The state of the climate movement

A long, but interesting perspective on the emergence, and necessary next steps, of the climate movement by Alex Evans of Global Dashboard:

Climate activists are now speaking with a strong, morally grounded voice that’s totally different from the old, leaden, technocratic language we used to hear. But it’s still what George Marshall calls an “enemy narrative”.

We need epiphanies — possibly, but by no means necessarily, of the religious variety — that create the sense of being part of a larger us, of living in a longer now, and of wanting a different good life to the one that’s been sold to us.

Climate campaigners can sometimes seem to believe that if they can just make everyone feel guilty enough about climate change, results will follow. But people already feel guilty about climate change — and it’s a big part of why they don’t want to think about it. Guilt is only helpful if we can do something with it; otherwise it turns toxic and ultimately debilitates us.

So we need ways of recognising and expressing where we’ve screwed up, and of being forgiven.

…and much more: The state of the climate movement