“It was an ‘Oh My God’ moment,” said one of the Princeton researchers who published a report on massive oceanic extinctions recently. The team was stunned by their conclusions — by the magnitude of the risk and by our ability to avoid it. So they changed the working title from “Marine Extinction Risk From Climate Warming” to “Avoiding Ocean Mass Extinction From Climate Warming.” And this word tweak may motivate more people to insist on the solution, which is, of course, to reduce fossil fuel emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Notice that “avoiding” is a verb: an action word. People want to know what they can do about climate change and planetary health. The answer: Plenty. They can insist on aggressive decarbonization plans from every company they do business with, and every government entity that receives their tax dollars.

Bad News/Good News or Good News/Bad News: either way, land a One-Two punch to show off solutions. Why? People need hope. They need to know that progress is well underway, because, as social scientists tell us, it’s human nature to want to join in a winning effort.

Experts note that the human mind is uniquely unsuited for dealing with climate change. We’re wired for the here-and-now, and not for long-term planning. Societal response to COVID-19 happened immediately because the threat of the virus was immediate. A similar societal response to climate change is more elusive, despite expert recommendations for swift and sweeping action.

Beat this with the One-Two Punch:

1) Name a problem about climate change (there are plenty).

2) Follow promptly with a promising solution, recommended action (e.g., Vote), or good news. For example: the world’s first carbon offset deal has been reached by Peru and Switzerland (10.22.20). Peru will get finance for sustainable development projects while Switzerland takes credit for the emissions cuts. Is this a replicable model for other countries? Yes. More here.

Here’s an example of the One-Two punch in one sentence. First the bad news, then the good news: a simple equation.
”As a record heatwave pushed California’s electric grid to the brink last week, the world’s most powerful lithium-ion battery was unveiled outside San Diego, showcasing a technology that could cut the risk of blackouts and aid the state’s climate goals.” Financial Times, 8.25.20

People are motivated to join a cause when they are aware of what can fix it, and not so much when they are unaware of those solutions and frankly scared to death.

For instance, when

1) June temperatures in the Arctic Circle hit 30C (86F!). (Important because of sea-level rise and tundra methane release. The greenhouse effect of methane is 80x more potent that CO2);

2) Share the U.S. solar installations are expected to increase 33% during 2020; and/or link to a current Project Drawdown study that outlines 76 such solutions that are available today and in need of rapid deployment.

More examples below.

1) Antarctica posted its highest temperature ever (65 degrees F/18.3C, Feb. 6, 2020), its glaciers are melting and destabilizing at historic rates, with warm water supplies forming underneath, and significant sea-level-rise implications.

We are in deep trouble. But ambitious, potentially impactful leadership is equally clear:

2) In January, Microsoft announced a carbon-negative strategy by 2030:

“Those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so. Today we are announcing an ambitious goal and a new plan to reduce and ultimately remove Microsoft’s carbon footprint.

By 2030 Microsoft will be carbon negative, and by 2050 Microsoft will remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975. Full story.

For more One-Two punches, stay up with scientific developments and ambitious solutions via Recommended Resources, Twitter here and LinkedIn here.