Is The Environmental Community More Concerned About Being Right Than Being Effective?

 What is the best design for a national climate change engagement, education and communications campaign? How do we encourage Canadians (and Americans) to support local, regional and national policies to reduce emissions through either passive acceptance or vocal demand?

This new paper outlines what leading communication thinkers and social change practitioners have to say about these difficult questions.

The paper (attached below) takes an honest look at the environmental movement’s current strategy to communicate with and engage the public. It discusses internal and external restrainers and drivers of transformative change, and outlines how environmentalists can become more effective messengers and create an ‘environmental culture’, not just a movement.

This involves seizing opportunities and leveraging teachable moments (such as the 2010 BP oil spill), and engaging with the public and policy-makers in innovative ways – the paper proposes 3 new and exciting projects that do just this.

A summary product of the 2010 Stonehouse Summit, the paper is an in-depth analysis of the Summit Delegates’ contributions. It was prepared by Margery Moore and Brendan DeMelle and reviewed by James Hoggan and Stonehouse intern, Julien Landry.

The authors thank all the 2010 Delegates for their participation and contributions.

Read the full paper from the Stonehouse 2010 Summit.