@Loukas@mastodon.nu
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Loukas

@Loukas@mastodon.nu

Journalist, teacher, Londoner, Stockholmer.

Editorial worker at Freedom news.

Writing about autism, ADHD and disability.

Profile image description: me on a balcony
Background image description: dry grass reviving after winter

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Loukas, to climate
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

According to these climate scientists here are the top four political actions you can take to "help get bold policies in place."

  1. Vote
  2. Get active in a political party or climate organization
  3. Create media attention
  4. Contact your rep
    Source: https://wecanfixit.substack.com/p/12-ways-to-delay-climate-action
    🧵 1/5
Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

If we read this list of effective action in reverse we can also see what measures have been effective in stopping climate action, or in pushing pro-fossil action.

Corporate and fossil lobbyists are very good at generating storms of fake public opinion in the media, and they are very good at being constantly in touch with elected representatives.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar
  1. Vote
    "Every election is a climate election, and every leader needs a serious plan to go fossil-free fast.

Check who funds politicians.

Vote out the ones beholden to climate destruction.

Elect those who have pledged not to take fossil fuel money."
🧵 2/5

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

Yesterday I posted a chart of climate-consumption choices. People pointed out, rightly, that focusing on individual consumption at all is not the priority.

So I asked one of the authors of the chart, Dr Kim Nicholas, for suggstions and so today I'm sharing this list of evidence-based suggestions for action that affects policy, rather than just our individual lives.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar
  1. Contact your rep🧵
    "Directly contacting your elected rep­resentatives is a highly effective political strategy. But it’s under-used.

Real letters are more effective than emails.

Phone calls to your rep’s local district office, focused on your personal story related to the issue, are even more effective than writing."
5/5

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

As you can imagine, I have my own take on what counts as effective action, but I think more important than my own opinions is to share work that's been done by people who study this problem.

I'm not telling you to follow these four points, I'm saying (just like with yesterday's consumption chart) that when we have this evidence added into our decision-making we can make better choices.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar
  1. Create media attention
    "A free and independent press plays so many important roles, including shaping public opinion. A US study found more media coverage directly increased public concern for climate change.

For example, you can write op-eds, or work with groups organizing media-worthy actions."
🧵 4/5

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar
  1. Get active in a political party or climate organization
    "Elections only come up a few times a decade, and climate action can’t wait. That’s why getting active in political and civil society organizations is essential, to pressure the politicians in office to adopt ambitious climate policies now. Social movements also build community, capacity, relationships, and trust."
    🧵 3/5
Loukas, to random
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

🧵Sometimes friends of mine say they feel guilt they aren't recycling more, or swapping out their lightbulbs for more efficient ones.

But those aren't really very important things to do to lower your emissions.

I think it's important that we all have a basic mental map of what really are the effective consumer choices.

This chart from Kimberly Nicholas and Seth Wynes at Lund University (2017) deserves to be more widely known.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@GhostOnTheHalfShell I don't know anything about that, but thank you for adding something for USA readers.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@jackofalltrades @enobacon yes, it's difficult, but the alternative is to put ourselves in the hands of technocrats and fascists - or to try to become them. Every small bit of collective power we can build now will be of vital use.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@enobacon @jackofalltrades I'm not saying it doesn't matter, more that it isn't enough, and isn't a feasible route to extremely swiftly cut lots of emissions.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@fifilamoura it's very entertaining and also accessible. I think more people probably know about ethics from The Good Place than from all university philosophy departments put together.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@jackofalltrades @enobacon no, the talking is about finding ways to get together and exercise collective power.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@tomw personally I'm sure that's not the intent, because I know the researchers in question, but I accept that the fact it's there at all can be enough to render the whole chart suspect.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@jackofalltrades @enobacon yes, political action needs to be collective action. So in the everyday it could involve reaching out and talking to people, sharing your concerns and finding ways you can act as a group in your local situation.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@emc2 they are the ones who should be ashamed:)

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@jackofalltrades just voting every four years is a very small political action. It still has an impact, but what I'm talking about is if political action could be carried out in the everyday to the same extent that people carry out consumption choices. It needs to be a constant activity that links with other people.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@tomw @gojonnes after seeing the reactions here I'm going to reconsider whether the chart is too much of a distraction to be posted.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@Sh4d0w_H34rt absolutely

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@enobacon @jackofalltrades there's definitely an interaction between personal decisions and political impact. Like you say, you need to create a sustainable way.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@jackofalltrades @enobacon I can understand that often people can't build collective power with their neighbours or with their colleagues, or it's hard. That's why it's great we can link up across vast distances like this and work on solutions together.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@fifilamoura I identify with him strongly;)

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@aral @SuperDicq "have one fewer subsidiary". "Mount one less coup of a small resource rich country". Every little helps, even if you just reduce your footprint by one oil well.

Loukas,
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

@jackofalltrades @enobacon ah, you mean you're looking for what can be achieved by one day of doing something, for example?

The key point for me is that we who are high emitters can absolutely cut a ton or two off our yearly emissions by trying really hard. But if we tried just as hard all year to cause structural change then we'd cause bigger reductions than a couple of tons.

Also, the structural emissions of high emission societies are such that we can't reach a 1.5c individually.

NatureMC, to random
@NatureMC@mastodon.online avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    Loukas,
    @Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

    @NatureMC 😢😢😢😢 my lawn got the same treatment by some unknown vandal

    Loukas,
    @Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

    @NatureMC he'll get grass stains on them!

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