Welcome to Planet Days, a roundup of the latest climate news and what it means for our Planet. If this was forwarded to you, smash that subscribe button:
You may have noticed a trend in these Friday morning newsletters. Besides being a three-minute takes on a big climate story from the week, these newsletters are largely about challenging long-held environmental mindsets (from recycling to maintaining lawns to driving electric vehicles).
In other words, they’re about cutting through a greenwashed Planet. As we continue to place Planet Days within the larger climate community, we’d love your thoughts on this approach. Email us at planetdaysnews@gmail.com, or drop a comment below.
Now, onto the story.
Stop driving. Stop eating meat. Stop using plastic.
Individual climate action can feel like rules to follow — restrictions that remind us to (literally) eat our vegetables. Worse yet, suggested changes can be perceived like the Green New Deal: a far-left attack on “rights” and “freedoms” and poisonous to half our elected officials.
In other words, if individual climate action is a drag, no one will take it.
This may be why Republicans, who have a long history of doing nothing on climate, deprioritize climate change:
A recent study found that Republicans disproportionately prefer climate legislation that expands consumer and business choices, rather than limiting them (e.g., adding incentives to install solar panels v. banning gas-powered cars or tightening emissions standards).
The study, which looked at 868 state bills linked to decarbonization (418 enacted and 450 failed) between 2015 and 2020, found that Republicans are also more likely to favor climate-friendly initiatives if they “explicitly aim to benefit economically disadvantaged citizens, but lack social justice frames.”
In other words, how we talk about climate matters.
This is particularly important when viewing climate action at the federal level. We’ve already seen what happens when opposing parties and internal factions can’t agree on climate legislation:
Democrats are about to blow past yet another deadline for passing their climate bill, as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) — who has single-handedly blocked President Joe Biden’s landmark climate bill — is now on his fifth round of bipartisan climate talks.
Who knows what’s on the mind of the centrist senator from West Virginia, but I wouldn’t rule out framing: Manchin has cited everything from inflation to deficit reduction to defend his legislative blockade, while still emphasizing the need to pass a climate bill.
But even though we’re not senators, talking about climate still matters. So much change happens at the local and state level, where our voice, decisions, and perspectives can shape the communities we live in.
Take transportation, for example. The sector accounts for the largest slice of emissions in the United States. It’s also extremely relatable: After all, a majority of Americans own their own cars or take flights.
But rather than tell people to stop driving or flying, we can root conversations about transportation in things that matter to them, such as cost or convenience:
Recent research found that, on average, the lifetime cost of a car can exceed $400,000 (think sticker price, gas, car insurance, parking, maintenance). Bikes and public transit, on the other hand, forgo the upfront costs and maintenance of cars.
Though limited in the U.S., train travel can be way more convenient than flying and even driving: You can work from “home” on trains — which can be unrealistic in cars or planes. Plus, timewise, train travel is often more comparable to driving or flying than you’d think.
Of course, the choice to take a bus, train, or bike is largely dependent on where you live, which brings us back to politics and the importance of elevating talks at the local or state level.
On top of framing climate action as an economic or convenient choice, we could do better at connecting it to everyday values. In a warming world, beachgoers see more algae blooms. Skiers see shrinking snowpack. Fishers and hunters see less wildlife. The list goes on.
“As challenging, stressful, and painful it might be, addressing climate change begins by actually talking about it,” writes climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe. “It begins with why climate change matters to us.”
Climate action could be seen as a cost-effective, convenient, and even rewarding choice. Fortunately, many times it is. The key now is to communicate that in a way that doesn't alienate or push us apart, but rather brings us together.
Climate action is a drag
Thanks for this! That research on framing is fascinating. And trains are the best; I took one from NYC to DC last year and it was the same amount of time as driving but without the hassle of traffic or parking. 10/10 lol