Climate Spring's Storytelling Guide from Apocalypse to Regenerative Futures
Advocates stories for systems change: - It is not enough that we just replace fossil fuels with renewables. To live within our planetary boundaries, we need to change our system. Emphasises stories that 1) reveal accountability and justice 2) stories of energy transition already underway 3) ‘world building’ - normalising sustainable behaviour & visualising and imaging a regenerative future. Cites Just Transition and Indegenous practices as inspiration and key.
Climate storytelling has reached ‘peak dystopia’
Climate stories don’t have to dwell on the symptom of destabilising climate systems - and can instead explore the root causes and the solutions that will heal the damage.
The climate crisis - global heating and all the knock-on effects that it is creating increased extreme weather events, sea level rising and ocean acidification - as well as the nature crisis - dangerous levels of extinction and degradation of nature - are both symptoms of how our economy and society are run: a highly extractive, linear, colonial system that is exploiting ecosystems and people in ways that are breaching the safe operating space humanity has to live.
Humanity has evolved over time to be able to live within the delicate balance of life on earth. We have now crossed the planetary boundaries of our climate, water, air, land, biodiversity and use of chemicals. These boundaries are the living conditions that humanity needs to survive. (Cites/ illustrates Doughnut Economics model)
Advocates stories for systems change: - It is not enough that we just replace fossil fuels with renewables. To live within our planetary boundaries, we need to change our system.
Also cites Just Transition and Indegenous practices as inspiration/ necessary for addressing the climate crisis.
Emphasises stories that 1) reveal accountability and justice 2) stories of energy transition already underway 3) ‘world building’ - normalising sustainable behaviour & visualising and imaging a regenerative future
We at Climate Spring see climate stories not as tools to ‘educate’ the public, or communicate how bad the planet’s health is, but rather as stories to illuminate the routes out of the burning forest, to right wrongs, and to have fun exploring what a life-sustaining world might look like