Communication

Drastic action to reverse climate change requires lawmakers to make significant structural changes to our governments. However, they will only take this issue seriously when their electorate demands it.

To motivate people to demand new legislation, we need to develop and implement an effective communication strategy and a massive, coordinated media campaign. At the heart of this strategy is clarity, simplicity, and inclusion. It will begin with a small group of dedicated individuals, but soon, individuals and organizations will join the cause, turning it into a powerful global movement.

The Message

Our basic message is as follows:

1. Climate change threatens our very existence. It will kill millions of people, destabilise governments, and permanently damage our economies. It is in everyone's interest, rich and poor, conservative and liberal, to act now.
2. Our current laws support an energy system based on fossil fuels, upheld by a powerful group of wealthy individuals who pressure governments to maintain it.
3. When governments enact new laws to invest in and subisidize green technologies, they won't just save the planet, they will make energy far more affordable for everyone.
4. People need to act now, demanding that their governments implement these changes.

The Communication Strategy

Our communication strategy has four phases:

Phase 1: Earth United

The movement begins with a non-profit organization, tentatively named Earth United. This organization or an existing one with a singular focus on the mission will assemble a small team to manage the strategy and operations. Earth United will establish a board of influential individuals passionate about the environment, green energy, and communication, who will help raise funds and secure support for the movement.

Research, Development, and Curation

Earth United will research existing content, identifying successful strategies and incorporating them into the movement's distribution plans. This content will also inform the creation and distribution of new content.

Content Creation and Distribution

Earth United will produce and distribute the initial content, which will serve as a blueprint for the type of content the movement will encourage others to create.

Phase 2: The Core Team

Earth United will then recruit The Core Team, volunteer content creators who produce and share media that inspires the public to take action. These volunteers will also provide feedback on the movement's communication efforts.

The Core Team will be equipped with a simple strategy and basic media tools to effectively understand and share ideas, called the Core Team’s Toolkit. They can also share these tools directly with the public.

Phase 3: The Public

While the Core Team’s role is to inspire the public to take action, the public’s role is to influence the lawmakers to make changes. They will do this by taking civic action, and by creating and sharing media that urges them to act.

The public will also require various types of media to remind them why they should care about climate change and the need to demand action from their leaders. The Core Team will produce this media and share a strategy with the public, called the Public’s Toolkit.

Phase 4: Lawmakers

When lawmakers hear the public's voice, they need specific media that explains the complex issues they must address to create and pass laws. They also need a plan for how to do this. Earth United, along with supportive companies, will create this media and plan, known as the Lawmaker’s Toolkit.

Paying For It

This endeavour has to be funded by those whose visions align. Here is a list of potential organizations and individuals that may be interested in investing:

Organizations:

1. Sierra Club: A prominent environmental organization focused on climate solutions, conservation, and clean energy initiatives.
2. Greenpeace: An international non-governmental organization known for its work on environmental issues, including climate change and renewable energy.
3. World Wildlife Fund (WWF): A global conservation organization that works on various environmental projects, including climate change and sustainable energy.
4. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): An organization dedicated to finding practical and lasting solutions to environmental challenges, including the transition to clean energy.
5. The Climate Reality Project: Founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, this organization is focused on climate change education and advocacy.
6. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): An international non-profit organization focused on protecting the environment and public health through advocacy, science, and law.
7. The Rainforest Alliance: A non-profit organization dedicated to conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices and consumer behavior.
8. 350.org: A global grassroots environmental organization working to combat climate change and promote renewable energy solutions.
9. Ceres: A sustainability non-profit organization that works with influential investors and companies to tackle the world's biggest sustainability challenges, including climate change.
10. Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): A research and advocacy organization focused on transforming global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future.

Individuals:

1. Elon Musk: The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and founder of the Elon Musk Foundation, he is a strong advocate for renewable energy and has made significant investments in clean energy technologies.
2. Bill Gates: Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Gates has invested in clean energy initiatives and supported climate change solutions.
3. Richard Branson: The founder of the Virgin Group, Branson is an advocate for environmental causes and has invested in renewable energy projects through the Virgin Green Fund.
4. Jeff Bezos: The founder and former CEO of Amazon, Bezos launched the Bezos Earth Fund, which commits billions of dollars to address climate change and support renewable energy projects.
5. Michael Bloomberg: The former mayor of New York City, Bloomberg is a philanthropist who has dedicated significant resources to combating climate change through his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies.
6. Larry Page and Sergey Brin: The co-founders of Google, both Page and Brin have supported various philanthropic causes, including environmental initiatives, through their family foundations and Google.org.
7. Mark Zuckerberg: The co-founder and CEO of Facebook, Zuckerberg has made significant philanthropic commitments through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which focuses on a wide range of issues, including climate change.
8. Warren Buffett: As one of the world's wealthiest people, Buffett has pledged most of his fortune to philanthropy, primarily through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He may be interested in supporting climate-related causes as well.
9. Laurene Powell Jobs: The widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Powell Jobs is a philanthropist and the founder of the Emerson Collective, which supports environmental initiatives among its many focus areas.
10. Jeremy Grantham: A British investor and philanthropist, Grantham co-founded the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, which supports climate change mitigation and environmental conservation efforts.