— Rich N. Famou$

I’ve been looking for good analogies for awhile about climate change and the sex ed / contraception one I hadn’t thought of. It’s a bit loaded, and it’s less about a big vested economic interest, but it’s definitely a big ongoing “conversation” between two sides that is nearly purely based off of emotion.

I very much agree that if the True Cost of Carbon was built into the system then it will self balance, but in order to do that there needs to be political will to push for that (and agreement on the best way to do it). We’re far away from that even.

I have long felt that the problem with the climate change educational campaign has been mirrored in the sex ed/contraception debate. It is not about convincing people of the science or the outcomes. It is about appealing to their self interests and beliefs. This is why the right has for so long held a strong position in both arenas. If there was an honest and fact based discussion going on then we’d already be on our way to a much different future, but this is not the case.

You will make a good champion of this cause, because I think you will find ways to think outside the box in bringing the critical nature of climate change and humans role in it to the masses.

I come from a background in Environmental Studies and Biology, and it seems to me that if people were able to understand the linkages between their behaviors and the ultimate costs to their own wallets maybe they would start rethinking how they produce climate changing gasses. Everything is linked, interconnected, with weights and factors influencing every interaction, and it is only once we begin to comprehend the true threats to our very existence that we are producing maybe we will make the paradigm shifts needed.

Elmo

If you tell the _stories_ of how climate change impacts us, you might have a chance of winning hearts. (Minds have already been won).

Realistically, you are trying to educate people with this project.

So, when you mention “speaking a language” (singular), another approach would suggest that there are many “languages” you need to speak. Geography, profession, socio-economic status, age, race, religion, etc. – there are a large number of different constituencies in this issue, all of whom will have different teaching points that will resonate best for the way they learn.

In education, we look at a framework/philosophy for effective teaching that is commonly referred to as “differentiated instruction.” The general idea is that teachers need to tailor their instruction and adjust the curriculum to the needs of the individual students – rather than expecting the students to modify their behavior to fit the curriculum or the teaching practice. A good teacher realizes that if a student is not learning, it is the responsibility of the teacher to adjust her instruction.

Broad marketing is, of course, a different thing than teaching in a classroom setting – but looking more closely at how people best learn may help you craft your thinking. Considering who you are trying to teach should, ideally, shape how you teach. Who the students are is critical in shaping how they learn.

Who are you trying to teach here?

Carol Ann Tomlinson is an educator/researcher who has done much of the important work on differentiated instructional practice.

There are some other elements of adult learning theory that might be interesting – in particular, look at the work Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers have done in what makes professional development effective – specifically a cycle of modeling, opportunity for practice, feedback and coaching.

The broader point is that you are trying to educate people and (importantly) change their behavior. Spending some time thinking about how people learn most effectively might be useful.

FWIW.

Services for relationship building are usually aimed at a high level corporate or international market, or for families at risk. I want to find activities that are inclusive for my ordinary family and it it my hunch lots of other families may need the same.

I am worried about the impact of all of us being entertained separately, rather than together. There is some interesting research on the repercussions of this done by ‘The Relationship Foundation’. Do you have any suggestions?

That’s awesome that you’ve been donating to charity:water, and that’s a really good model.

I’d love to sit down and grab coffee. I’m John @ Vechey dotcom.