In the discussion on the Volts podcast which introduced me to your excellent work, you referenced some research/evidence you'd found a) about the best ways to un-car cities that are also the most politically feasible and b) about measures that work best in more rural areas and in North America. Could you bring some of them together in a future post? Having moved from London, UK to a car-dominated low density city struggling intermittently to change, I am desperate to find ways to get the message across!
Thanks so much for the comment! I probably won't be able to dive into these specifics for a future post, but can give you some tips on where to look further:
Appreciating hearing from you again. Your commitment to informing us. Keeping these concerns up front. Deepening my understanding about what needs to happen. I live in one of the biggest cities in Massachusetts, USA. Imagining how this plan could play out. Downtown. But also in the neighborhood I live in south of it. This information is so thoughtfully put together. Will pass it on to some leaders I know. What I might add, about how climate activists are relating is this. There needs to be a whole different level of connecting going on. I think having a covenant for how they speak to each other would help. An agreement. So there would be guidelines for communicating with each other that were simple yet clear. When you do this, how you treat others, is just as important as what you say to others. Sometimes this just happens over time. Like with my neighbor across the street, whom I have known for 30 years. I feel blessed that we honor a way of speaking to each other, without ever having to create a formal covenant. Kimberly, I think it's critically important what you bring up about infighting. And really, part of addressing Climate Change, is about changing the way we treat each other. How we show up for each other. So it is so relevant. Feelings are big. They matter.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful contribution, Nancy! I am so glad you find value in these updates, and I love that you're imagining how to make your city entered around people instead of cars.
Thank you for the ideas for how to better connect, I fully agree that how we relate to each other is critical for healing the climate crisis and so many other problems too. I will think more about how to cover this going forward-- stay tuned for my conversation with Dr. Britt Wray next month!
Thanks for the great newletter as usual! I already bought the book you introduced in your last newsletter about Zen something ...this new book you mention Return to Nature sounds interesting too.. too many books that are interesting ...!
I haven't been encountering the climate infighting so much recently (I am maybe spending less time on social media) but I know what you are talking about. (Like degrowth scholars being attacked by left/ecosocialists who you'd think are quite on similar pages...) I have been thinking about it as an obsession to prove that you are 'right'..
but very difficult to imagine how we could change the conversation in the direction that you mention, especially online. I feel like the more engaged you are, the more urgency you are feeling, and perhaps the more aggressive and desperate people get to prove that they are right?
But it would certainly interesting to think of designing a space for sharing vulnerability to create a more supportive community around that... but yes I agree that social media is maybe not really designed around that at the moment ... so it needs to be a different space perhaps!
Thanks Sachiko! I'm familiar with the more good books than time problem! :)
Good point, I agree trying to prove to others you are "right" is often underlying infighting. Something to be aware of! And urgency does seem to tip easily into aggression and desperation, trying to move the system in a positive direction (which comes from a good place, but maybe not the best way to do it).
It's a lot of pressure on climate scientists to "provide a united front", we are used to so much criticism from dismissives questioning scientific findings, perhaps also any disagreements about social and political tactics seems threatening and some people want to have a singular coherent universally agreed approach...?
I think it's easier to exchange ideas constructively in smaller groups. I really like a workshop method called 'The Big & The Small Room' (developed by the Swedish CSO MÄN), which provides two different frames for the conversation. In 'The Small Room', one person at a time gets to share their thoughts and feelings (everyone gets the same question) for a limited time (a timer is set for 2-3 min) while everyone listens actively and nonjudgmentally. It sets the ground for being respectful and open-minded during open discussions in 'The Big Room', where one can challenge each others' ideas and talk about practical implementation. Diversity and contradicting opinions can then contribute to creative exploration of how to achieve a common goal in different ways.
This workshop method is used in two conversation guides (for both physical and digital groups) that promote collective organization and individual behavioural change for the environment/climate:
Men in the Climate Crisis (especially encouraging men to take a larger responsibility). English and Swedish versions available.
To Reorganize Everyday Life Together: A Conversation Guide about Housing and Sustainability (directed at neighbours in housing associations). Only in Swedish atm.
Thank you so much Robin for sharing these super useful resources! I will have a look, they would be a great addition to a climate action guide I'm developing. :)
In the discussion on the Volts podcast which introduced me to your excellent work, you referenced some research/evidence you'd found a) about the best ways to un-car cities that are also the most politically feasible and b) about measures that work best in more rural areas and in North America. Could you bring some of them together in a future post? Having moved from London, UK to a car-dominated low density city struggling intermittently to change, I am desperate to find ways to get the message across!
Thanks so much for the comment! I probably won't be able to dive into these specifics for a future post, but can give you some tips on where to look further:
1. We developed a method to analyse political feasibility using 3 criteria in the study I talked about in the podcast. See Table 7: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X22000281
2. For rural areas, see this report: https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/339397/1107-UH-Roundtable-Report_P5.pdf
Appreciating hearing from you again. Your commitment to informing us. Keeping these concerns up front. Deepening my understanding about what needs to happen. I live in one of the biggest cities in Massachusetts, USA. Imagining how this plan could play out. Downtown. But also in the neighborhood I live in south of it. This information is so thoughtfully put together. Will pass it on to some leaders I know. What I might add, about how climate activists are relating is this. There needs to be a whole different level of connecting going on. I think having a covenant for how they speak to each other would help. An agreement. So there would be guidelines for communicating with each other that were simple yet clear. When you do this, how you treat others, is just as important as what you say to others. Sometimes this just happens over time. Like with my neighbor across the street, whom I have known for 30 years. I feel blessed that we honor a way of speaking to each other, without ever having to create a formal covenant. Kimberly, I think it's critically important what you bring up about infighting. And really, part of addressing Climate Change, is about changing the way we treat each other. How we show up for each other. So it is so relevant. Feelings are big. They matter.
It would also help if this group was somehow facilitated. By someone who could model these guidelines about to speak to each other.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful contribution, Nancy! I am so glad you find value in these updates, and I love that you're imagining how to make your city entered around people instead of cars.
Thank you for the ideas for how to better connect, I fully agree that how we relate to each other is critical for healing the climate crisis and so many other problems too. I will think more about how to cover this going forward-- stay tuned for my conversation with Dr. Britt Wray next month!
Thanks for the great newletter as usual! I already bought the book you introduced in your last newsletter about Zen something ...this new book you mention Return to Nature sounds interesting too.. too many books that are interesting ...!
I haven't been encountering the climate infighting so much recently (I am maybe spending less time on social media) but I know what you are talking about. (Like degrowth scholars being attacked by left/ecosocialists who you'd think are quite on similar pages...) I have been thinking about it as an obsession to prove that you are 'right'..
but very difficult to imagine how we could change the conversation in the direction that you mention, especially online. I feel like the more engaged you are, the more urgency you are feeling, and perhaps the more aggressive and desperate people get to prove that they are right?
But it would certainly interesting to think of designing a space for sharing vulnerability to create a more supportive community around that... but yes I agree that social media is maybe not really designed around that at the moment ... so it needs to be a different space perhaps!
Thanks Sachiko! I'm familiar with the more good books than time problem! :)
Good point, I agree trying to prove to others you are "right" is often underlying infighting. Something to be aware of! And urgency does seem to tip easily into aggression and desperation, trying to move the system in a positive direction (which comes from a good place, but maybe not the best way to do it).
It's a lot of pressure on climate scientists to "provide a united front", we are used to so much criticism from dismissives questioning scientific findings, perhaps also any disagreements about social and political tactics seems threatening and some people want to have a singular coherent universally agreed approach...?
Thanks for these amazing newsletters Kimberly!
About infighting:
I think it's easier to exchange ideas constructively in smaller groups. I really like a workshop method called 'The Big & The Small Room' (developed by the Swedish CSO MÄN), which provides two different frames for the conversation. In 'The Small Room', one person at a time gets to share their thoughts and feelings (everyone gets the same question) for a limited time (a timer is set for 2-3 min) while everyone listens actively and nonjudgmentally. It sets the ground for being respectful and open-minded during open discussions in 'The Big Room', where one can challenge each others' ideas and talk about practical implementation. Diversity and contradicting opinions can then contribute to creative exploration of how to achieve a common goal in different ways.
This workshop method is used in two conversation guides (for both physical and digital groups) that promote collective organization and individual behavioural change for the environment/climate:
Men in the Climate Crisis (especially encouraging men to take a larger responsibility). English and Swedish versions available.
https://mfj.se/assets/documents/english/Men-in-the-climate-crisis-(prototype).pdf
To Reorganize Everyday Life Together: A Conversation Guide about Housing and Sustainability (directed at neighbours in housing associations). Only in Swedish atm.
https://designforenergi.se/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Samtalsmaterial_brf_1.pdf
Please use and spread if interested!
Thank you so much Robin for sharing these super useful resources! I will have a look, they would be a great addition to a climate action guide I'm developing. :)