#95: What we can learn from Spiderman

On reframing from blame

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!

Have you ever heard someone respond to your call for more climate action by saying they don’t need to take action - someone else should? Perhaps that person thinks the government needs to regulate more, or less, or that businesses need to be more responsible, or that people just need to care more?

This subtle shifting of blame is a clear case for the classic Triangle of Inaction: my favourite framework for being clear on the key parties who need to take action, and who’s to blame. 

So often, each of the three key groups use excuses to say why they aren’t taking bolder action, by shifting the responsibility to take action to another group. 

It’s a bit like this Spiderman standoff

But we don’t have time for inaction - and blaming others definitely won’t speed things up! All groups need to take action as fast as possible.

The best way to get more action is to influence the three key groups: business, government, and society. This happens by being vocal and visible in signalling that you care about climate change through your actions, so that it’s in the best interest of businesses making money, governments being voted in, and the people around you, to care as well.

So this week I’ve chosen actions from each category for you to do. Your challenge: can you do them all? Drop a comment here when you have - or even if you just pick one! Have fun!

What can we do today?

The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was Action Station’s new petition for affordable public transport.

🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Ain’t no party like a meat-free party

• Society: Influence an event this festive season to be more climate-friendly than it would have been otherwise. You could encourage more plant-based food options, or suggest a location that involves less flying or driving, or offer a carpool.
  Action: List all your upcoming events this summer and start nudging organisers to be a bit more climate friendly this summer.

• Government: Generation Zero, the folks that brought us the Zero Carbon Act, are back and fighting to keep light rail on the agenda in the new incoming government.
  Action: Sign their petition to keep light rail on track and share it with three friends

🐇 If you have 15 minutes: It’s business time

• Business: Project Drawdown has created specific job-related climate action resources. They have super relevant suggestions for a range of roles, from work travel to marketing to procurement policies.
  Action: Click the colourful circles on this page to learn more about how you can make a difference in your role, or download their one-page job action guides here. You could even print them all out and give them to your teammates!

💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Operation Beehive

• Government: Online, Thursday 23rd, 7:30pm: A new government is about to form, and it's the perfect time to make contact with your local representative to tell them you care about climate change and don't want the government to be subsidising pollution during a climate crisis!
  Action: Join the submission writing party to write to your incoming MP about the ETS

In case you missed it!

• The Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (RPS) is asking for our prioritisation of climate action, and it needs our voices.
  Ōtautahi/Christchurch: Write as much or as little as you’d like on how Canterbury should approach climate action. All questions are optional, and you can just give feedback on the climate action section here, particularly “Reducing our emissions” in question 1.

• The Ruawai Climate Adaptation Programme is at risk of being scrapped by The Kaipara District Council, before it’s had a chance to complete its pilot. This sets a bad precedence for community-based climate solutions.
  Action: Help a local council take action on climate change

Wins!

• Paris is progressing its radical pedestrian and cycling plans, making the iconic capital more walking and cycling friendly. 

---

That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this video of a real-life Spiderman raising awareness of climate change.

See you next week, 

Emily & the Climate Club team

Linktree | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Climate Job Board