Getting the message across

[Iceberg]

As part of Environment week (22 Jan) I am going to be doing a presentation where I work on GW and how best to combat it.

The audience is around 100 middle aged weathyish IT consultants, most of whom leave a very large carbon foot print.

They Fly to much, drive 4X4's or posh cars and basically don't include the environment in any of there thoughts.

TBH they are the very people who have to change there ways IF the UK is to try and cut it's CO2 emissions.

But the question is What's the best way of convincing these people to do something ?. and how should I go about doing it ?.

I am going to try and explode some of the myths around AGW and CC, probably use some of the google flood maps on here to show how there place of work and homes will be directly effected etc. But I don't think this will be enough.

I'd also be interested in hearing about the pro's and anti's so I can come up with some ideas and also possible responses to some of the more difficult questions.

i.e why should a small country like us do anything if China India etc are going to go there merry way ?.

Any help would be very appreciated. This will also take my mind of the crappy models atm.

Cheers

Matt Swift

[Calrissian]

I'm sorry, but you yourself are entirely targetting the WRONG people. You think any of them are going to actually do anything? At best, maybe they'd cut back by a few % this year, but then by 2010 their energy usage will be higher than it currently is.

Q. Are you interested in targetting the right issue, or must it be techies?

I'm sorry if that annoys you, but i'm sure if you ask some of the others here, they might back me up. It makes little sense to try to get westerners to cut back, its largely a pointless exercise.

If you want to make an impact, then start buying up rainforest and other land. I heard that if rather than investing in energy efficiency, carbon trading schemes etc, we simply bought up large chunks of the forest that are currently being burnt to the ground, then the UK could argubly be said to have cut back emissions by hundreds of times the amount that any current schemes suggest.

Its really quite simple. Save the rainforest...save the world.

Calrissian: Yatta !

[Mondy]

where I work on GW

I am going to try and explode some of the myths around AGW and CC,

I don't think Gray Wolf or Canadian Coops will take too kindly to that......

/~ ~/

Edited January 6, 2007 by Mondy

[SP1986]

If you want to get the message across you have to use popular celebrities and media - theres no other way I'm afraid except by stamping fines/taxes on everything or forcing people to do it.

Media is the only way because everyone can indentify with media.

[Mondy]

Media is the only way because everyone can indentify with media.

RubbiDoh a dumb swear filter got the better of me! I don't identify with the Express or Mail; especially if Jonathan Powell and the boy Corbyn have anything to do with it

[MAF]

hey Iceberg. you have quite a task there mate. i don't envy you. perhaps a bit of research on a few favoured sites could inspire you. the bbc has a reasonable amount of data, as does the met office. and then theres good old google. all of which should help inspire you. good luck mate.

[SP1986]

RubbiDoh a dumb swear filter got the better of me! I don't identify with the Express or Mail; especially if Jonathan Powell and the boy Corbyn have anything to do with it

Not them, I'm referring to TV. You're in the know anyway so it wouldnt hit you. I'm talking about the general public. There is no other way where the general public will take notice. You'd have to offer a very large incentive for most people to act.

[HighPressure]

As part of Environment week (22 Jan) I am going to be doing a presentation where I work on GW and how best to combat it.

The audience is around 100 middle aged weathyish IT consultants, most of whom leave a very large carbon foot print.

They Fly to much, drive 4X4's or posh cars and basically don't include the environment in any of there thoughts.

TBH they are the very people who have to change there ways IF the UK is to try and cut it's CO2 emissions.

But the question is What's the best way of convincing these people to do something ?. and how should I go about doing it ?.

I am going to try and explode some of the myths around AGW and CC, probably use some of the google flood maps on here to show how there place of work and homes will be directly effected etc. But I don't think this will be enough.

I'd also be interested in hearing about the pro's and anti's so I can come up with some ideas and also possible responses to some of the more difficult questions.

i.e why should a small country like us do anything if China India etc are going to go there merry way ?.

Any help would be very appreciated. This will also take my mind of the crappy models atm.

Cheers

Matt Swift

I just said my bit on GW on the GW thread, but to take your point about convincing people like me the average joe, you need to win the argument, at this point in time I don't see it as won. You will have to get images off the the TV of Blair as pictured today standing in between a government Range Rover and government Jaguar, the one thing I don't like is hyprocracy. You will have to at some stage convince the British public that the UK cutting its CO2 emmision will make a difference, and I am afraid that agument don't hold water however valiant it is.

Edited January 7, 2007 by HighPressure

[parmenides3]

Iceberg: for the effects of climate change, you can produce your own, personalised and regional scenario on the UKCIP Scenarios Gateway section. Making current climate predictions 'up close and personal' will have more impact on your audience. If they are climate science 'virgins, as it were, then the Hadley Centre power point presentation is also clear and concise, though it's a good couple of hours' worth on its own.

On combatting GW, are you planning to present about policy issues, or about personal responsibilities? Is your intention to influence your audience's attitude to GW, thus generating their concern & a greater likelihood of a response, or your audience's behaviour, i.e., getting them to be respondible about their carbon footprint? These are different problems and will have a big impact on what sort of information you end up presenting and what the focus of your presentation will be.

Final point, for the moment: if you want to get an audience to listen, hit them where it hurts; the economic arguments for personal energy efficiency are equally as valid as the ecological ones, but often more relevant to people's real lives; the risks to their own children's wealth, well-being and stability will be more meaningful than the risks to people five thousand miles away.

Be warned that there are a significant number of members of the public who do not accpet that GW is happening, refuse to believe that CO2 is an issue, and won't act for any reason you can find. You will need to be very well-armed to deal with the likely objections. Good luck.

:)P

[SP1986]

Final point, for the moment: if you want to get an audience to listen, hit them where it hurts; the economic arguments for personal energy efficiency are equally as valid as the ecological ones, but often more relevant to people's real lives; the risks to their own children's wealth, well-being and stability will be more meaningful than the risks to people five thousand miles away.

Be warned that there are a significant number of members of the public who do not accpet that GW is happening, refuse to believe that CO2 is an issue, and won't act for any reason you can find. You will need to be very well-armed to deal with the likely objections. Good luck.

:)P

I agree, it's difficult to get people to change their lifestyle just a tiny bit, people hate change, you have to hit people where it hurts, to threaten them that they may lose that way of life they have so what's a small change to combat climate change? many people still wont listen as you suggest.

[Calrissian]

Q. It is a rule of the presentation that you have to tell them ways to cut their consumption?

Otherwise, you could always just do a presentation on what you think.

For instance, if you honestly think 'we're all screwed anyway', regardless of what we might try, then do that !

---

Calrissian: good riddance to the human infestation. Bring on the Ants

[parmenides3]

If you want to be armed to deal with the most likely so-called 'sceptical' responses, you could do worse than to print off and memorise this: http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/downloaddoc.asp?id=1630

Other than that, you'll need to tell us more about what your brief is, if you want more detailed suggestions.

For a quick summary, http://ukcip.org.uk/ and go to the 'climate change' section, looking through the relevant sub-menus.

:)P

Edited January 7, 2007 by parmenides3

[Gray-Wolf]

I don't think we'd be facing what we are today if people had the wish to 'hear' bad news. The number of years the waters have been muddied by people employed to distract away from, and delay change shows that Joe public wants to/enjoys saying 'ah but, it sez here.....'. Why wake the sleepers just to highlight their imminent fate?

[Extreme Alde]

Hi Matt

The attached link will take you to the rising tide resources page which has a number of tips for speakers and replies to contrarian arguments. Hope it is useful and the talk is received well.

http://risingtide.org.uk/resources/factsheets

[Iceberg]

Thanks for all your reply's so far, I'll answer any questions a bit later today.

Cheers

Matt

[Iceberg]

Firstly Thanks to everyone for your thoughts it's all appreciated.

The target audience is not changable as they are the people I work with.

The myths I 'll be exploding are from both sides pro's and anti and are by and large taken even further by the media.

David King is a culprit and are the oil lobby groups.

The Primary aim of the presentation is to raise awareness the secondary aim is to try and get some people (even 1) to change something about there life style.

There will be a dose of my own personal opinion (I am warning people before hand that my language might be emotive and a little blue at times), not sure how well this will go down with the senior execs though !.

Those are good links P3 and Extreme i'll certainly be having a look.

My biggest problem with leaving up to the media is that they invariably get it wrong or take one side or the other.

My thoughts run to.

Warming the Audience up getting them involved a bit.

A brief touch on the science and the role of the IPCC.

Potential effects on themselves.

How can they can help themselves (saving money etc), how they can help the world (if they feel they have a moral responsbility.)

A good example of this is moving to a renewable energy tarriff for your electricity, it costs a bit more but it takes almost no effort and gives you a feel good feeling.

I though I'd do a pre and post virbal questionaire.

Do they believe that there lifestyle is causing CC at the expence of other less fortunate...?

And Do they do anything about it.? Do thye know enough.?.

Anybody that hasn't learnt anything in the presentation wil be forced to stay behind afterwards for further

Cheers

Matt

[Guest Daniel]

As part of Environment week (22 Jan) I am going to be doing a presentation where I work on GW and how best to combat it.

I am afraid the U.K can only play a very small part in cutting pollution simply because we only give out a very tiny amount compared to the rest of the world. All we can do is clean up our little coner and have a strong voice on the issue.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Robbie
Chopped quote to save space size

[Gray-Wolf]

I am afraid the U.K can only play a very small part in cutting pollution simply because we only give out a very tiny amount compared to the rest of the world. All we can do is clean up our little coner and have a strong voice on the issue.

And in 1910? As a percentage of world pollution in that age we'd come out pretty well on top I'd imagine. You cannot say it is less our problem when we historically instigated the whole thing! We are a developed nation who have already undergone (and are in in the decline from) heavy industrialisation so why should we be let off so lightly? Our CO2 burden from the past century is still part of the problem today you know.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Gray-Wolf

[Wynn D Woo]

And in 1910? As a percentage of world pollution in that age we'd come out pretty well on top I'd imagine. You cannot say it is less our problem when we historically instigated the whole thing! We are a developed nation who have already undergone (and are in in the decline from) heavy industrialisation so why should we be let off so lightly? Our CO2 burden from the past century is still part of the problem today you know.

But is it our problem? - the UK can only clean up its act as it stands today and encourage other nations to do the same.

[HighPressure]

When getting the message across I don't see why the GW argument has to be won first? as a sceptic on the impact of man on this event there is no denying its happening. There is also a valid argument for man to act responsible on all environmental issues including carbon emissions. This way you can present a case that can put both sides of the augment and still suggest that reducing emissions is just plain sensible. You only need to leave the audience with the fact that we might be, to get them thinking!

[Gray-Wolf]

But is it our problem? - the UK can only clean up its act as it stands today and encourage other nations to do the same.

I would imagine we have a moral obligation to be amongst the world leaders in both cleaning up our acts and helping (as we are) the third world clean up it's act.

As with everything this starts at home and seeing as we are the worst in Europe at reducing waste (largest amount of waste per person into landfill sites) then maybe this would be a good place to start (and show our kids we do care about their planet).

[Gray-Wolf]

And we also pollute massively by proxy. Think of all those factories in China (just one example) producing the goods we buy in enormous quantities. Simply because the pollution doesn't happen here, doesn't mean we don't cause it. I'm fairly sure in terms of world pollution we still come in to at least the top 10 (top 5 or more?) of current polluters, let alone past polluters.

And of course you are correct in your post (silly me for not following that line too!) We are in the 'super legue' so far as demand for goods are concerned never mind our energy consumption per head of population compared to rural China. Maybe we should average out energy consumption per head of the global population and only allow you that per year! wouldn't be fun beyond march in the first world but they'd be well happy in the third world!!!

[Mondy]

I am afraid the U.K can only play a very small part in cutting pollution simply because we only give out a very tiny amount compared to the rest of the world. All we can do is clean up our little coner and have a strong voice on the issue.

100% agree with that.

[Mondy]

Call me ignorant if you want. ( ) We are a very, very small isle in the whole of the world, therefore because of our small status we cause as much pollution as the "bigger countries"?. I'm sceptical about that.

If the US, China, Russia, Canada - vast nations in size compared to us - got their act together, fair enough.

So, really, and to be blunt, what's the point of the UK striving to be "clean" when the big countries clearly couldn't care less?

Sky News today was full of the "Green Britain" issue..doesn't really wash with me when the world neighbours can't be arsed to subscribe to it. I give you Dubya for starters..

..and don't get me started on the billions spent bombing the Doh a dumb swear filter got the better of met out of Iraq, whereby in truth, those billions could've been spent better educating the western world about pollution, ie the USA itself

Edited January 8, 2007 by Mondy

[BARRY]

Sorry Mondy, but we emit a lot compared to most other countries, by default. Have a look around your house and see where everything is made. We export so much pollution all day every day. Everything you find in your house that's "Made in China" is "Polluting in China". :unknown:

thats because cheap laborer costs and sweat shops are making the minority rich and we as bloody fools buy the cheap trash