The Climate Emergency Toolkit, 7 Ways to Feel Better About The Climate Crisis, “The New Climate War,” LondonElectricCars.com

 THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY TOOLKIT           

We’ve covered some of the roles religious organizations are playing in nudging their congregants towards combating climate change here on The Climate Daily. Well today, we’re reporting on the climate emergency toolkit, developed by over a dozen religious groups to activate their churches, including the Church of England, Tearfund, A La Rocha, Climate Sunday and Christian Aid.

According to their website, as the climate crisis accelerates, millions of lives are at risk. Christians around the world are taking urgent action. ​​Step by step, the Climate Emergency Toolkit guides one’s church or Christian organization through simple but powerful actions that have an impact far beyond your own walls or community.

It’s based on three legs: preparation, declaration and impact. Preparing involves broaching the climate crisis conversation in one’s church community that leads them toward preparing for an appropriate response. Declaration is a way to acknowledge the emergency within your community in an engaging way. It’s a clear public statement. And finally, Impact–amplifying the declaration and response plan by partnering with community members outside of one’s church–in essence, joining together to compete together in the fight against climate change.

Why does the climate emergency toolkit matter to us? Because it’s tools are bigger than religious affiliation. The climate emergency toolkit is available to download from the climateemergencytoolkit.com website for the cost of your email. From what we’ve seen of it so far, well worth the price of admission.

DEEPER DIVE: CE Toolkit, Premier Christianity Magazine, 4 Good Christian Climate Code Red Responses

 7 WAYS TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE CLIMATE CRISIS

The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. Here’s an article for the public good I highly recommend. It’s called, “7 Ways to Get Proactive About Climate Change Instead of Feeling Helpless: Lessons from a Leadership Expert.”

This is just a quick rundown of the seven. Even before I finish the list, you’ll understand why this matters to us: 

1. View yourself as someone who cares about the planet and the future: self-identity is how we view ourselves, and how we see ourselves determines how we conduct ourselves.
2. Honestly assess our own climate change mitigation efforts: the author’s example is most people think they’re better drivers than they really are. Likewise, most eco-aware folks think they’re more environmentally friendly than everybody else. That attitude leads to complacency, not periodic reassessment and goal setting.
3. Assume responsibility for more useful engagement in solving climate change: in other words, be aware of the past, but hold yourself responsible for the future.
4. Resolve to actively navigate to change the future: Looking ahead is a more positive way to approach life. So take time to envision a good future in the era of climate change. This will take deliberate practice, especially in the face of all the climate crisis alarmist news out there.
5. Learn more about humanity’s biggest challenges: IOW, be prepared to be astounded by the reality of what’s next, and gird yourself for it. No sense pretending it won’t happen.
6. Help solve problems and seek constructive opportunities: IOW, stay solutions-oriented and avoid the trap of being a Debbie Downer.
7. Become a “multisolver”: this is new to me. According to the authors, multisolving identifies solutions that address a root cause of multiple problems. This is a concept worth reading in full and then taking some quiet time to process fully.

Great advice from Thomas S. Bateman, Professor Emeritus of Organizational Behavior, University of Virginia. Thanks to The Conversation staff for all they do. Click on the links in the Deeper Dive section of this story at theclimate.org/episodes to learn more.

DEEPER DIVE: The Conversation, Thomas S. Bateman

“THE NEW CLIMATE WAR”–A MUST READ

Recycle. Fly less. Eat less meat. These are some of the ways that we’ve been told can slow climate change. But the over emphasis on individual behavior is the result of a marketing campaign that has succeeded in placing the responsibility for fixing climate change squarely on our shoulders, not on big Oil/Gas/Plastic.

Fossil fuel companies have followed the example of other industries deflecting blame (think “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”) or greenwashing (think of the beverage industry’s “Crying Indian” commercials of the 1970s).

Meanwhile, they’ve blocked efforts to regulate or price carbon emissions, run PR campaigns aimed at discrediting viable alternatives, and have abdicated their responsibility in fixing the problem they’ve created. The result has been disastrous for our planet.

In his book, The New Climate War, scientist-turned-climate activist Michael Mann the battle lines between the people and the polluters-fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and petrostates. Dr. Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State.

He outlines a plan for forcing our governments and corporations to wake up and make real change, including: 

1. A common-sense, attainable approach to carbon pricing-
2. Allowing renewable energy to compete fairly against fossil fuels
3. Debunking the false narratives and arguments that have worked their way into the climate debate and driven a wedge between even those who support climate change solutions
4. Combatting climate doom-ism and despair-mongering

Science Magazine wrote, “This book is a must read not just for people currently working to address climate change but also for those who are new to the climate fight, the latter of whom will learn much about past challenges, struggles, and attacks that have been aimed at climate champions.”

The Globe & Mail says of him, “Michael Mann may or may not be a Climate Jedi, but he is a climate smart guy and The New Climate War is a must read.” The New Climate War, arm yourself today.

DEEPER DIVE: The New Climate War, Michael Mann

LONDONELECTRICCARS.COM RECHARGES BRITISH CLASSICS

You know what I like? I like when pretty good minds think alike, especially when they’re pretty good minds separated by thousands of miles. I’ve been saying for years that the best way to get everybody into an EV is to convert existing ICEs (internal combustion engine cars) rather than making everybody go out and buy a new EV. After all, there are about 1 billion ICEs on the world’s roads. No way they’re all gonna get swapped out by 2030.

Well the folks at London Electric Cars agree. Their goal is to get more people to drive electric cars. The leading question they ask their site visitors is, “As we a convert to an electrically-propelled society, are we going to scrap 1 billion cars?”

Presently, the answer is no. Their answer is to offer “bespoke” car conversions. “Bespoke” is British (aka high-falutin’) for one-off or personalized conversion.

Why does what London Electric Cars doesher co on that side of the pond matter to us? Each conversion costs an average of 30K pounds (about $40 grand American). Given that the average entry level price of an EV these days is comparable, converting your old ICE has three immediate benefits:

1. You get to keep the vehicle you know and love
2. It instantly becomes a “new classic EV” which also bolsters its resale value over time. That’s because you will actually be able to resell it in a carbon-free future instead of having to scrap it when it’s time to buy a new car.
3. About 50% of the carbon cost of a car occurs during its manufacture. So by converting rather than buying new, you’re saving the climate by reducing CO2 emissions in the car manufacturing

Now that last point might be a sticking one with Tesla and well, any current automaker looking to electrify their lineups, but the truth is, their business model really is kind of obsolete…

Check out some of the cool conversions on their website—londonelectriccars.com

DEEPER DIVE: London Electric Cars