To start a movement you need a leader, someone who’s got the drive to get something done, but you also need followers. Simon Sinek said “People don’t buy what you, they buy why you do it.” and this means that people don’t join a motion or create change because they like the steps you’re taking, they like the goal, the big picture. And they also like that you are going to get there. A leader has to be invested, or else people won’t believe they can actually achieve their goal. Sinek also said in his TEDTalk, How Great Leaders Inspire Change, “If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.”. This is important because if a leader doesn’t attract enough people to his mission, then change will never happen. You need to inspire people to want to change and make a difference.

Some people are already starting movements around climate change. For example, the Paris Agreement set carbon emission goals for countries to hit each year as we get closer to where our carbon emissions will need to be to survive climate change. The countries involved in the agreement also will support each other with the means to deal with the impacts of climate change as it approaches as well as helping countries who need assistance adapting their ways to meet the carbon emission goals. This is a great idea and so far it’s starting to work, but the U.S. pulled out of the Agreement because it would put the U.S. at “a very, very big economic disadvantage”, as President Trump stated. So how do we prepare for climate change if our government isn’t doing anything to help? Well the Climate Change Education Program from Yale is trying to solve that problem by providing classes and workshops for high schoolers about climate change and steps to take to reduce the impact of climate change on our society. Education is also a great way to bridge the gap between deniers and acceptors and the right kind of education can urge people to take action in their own homes.

My final words for this week’s short post are:

I believe in a world where we understand and have empathy for one another. We will be able to collaborate to make a better place for future generations of caring people. Our first step will be climate change.

Sources:

Anonymous. “Paris Agreement.” Climate Action – European Commission, 16 Feb. 2017, ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/international/negotiations/paris_en.

“Climate Change Education Program Works.” Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 17 Oct. 2014, climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-education-program-works/.

Tyler, Keith. Power Fist.