I urge people to read Joe Romm's review not only because it is thorough, but also since I admire his work on the use of language. I just finished reading his book Language Intelligence, which explains how the Greek art of rhetoric is essential if we want to convince people to act to stop climate disruption (the term that today's workshop suggests as a stronger version of "climate change", and that avoids the thought that a little global warming might feel good in January in Chicago).
In the book, Romm shows how Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Churchill among others thoroughly mastered the tools of rhetoric ("the art of winning the soul by discourse"--Plato) in powerful and positive ways, and how George W. Bush seduced people to the dark side with the same tools--short words, repetition, irony, alliteration, foreshadowing, metaphors, extended metaphors, and many others. Romm makes a compelling case that we fail to employ these tools at our own peril.
The power of rhetoric is captured by Plato:
"If a rhetorician and a doctor visited any city you like to name and they had to contend in argument before the Assembly or any other gathering as to which of the two should be chosen as doctor, the doctor would be nowhere, but the man who could speak would be chosen, if he so wished."
This is the situation we find ourselves in politically, where scientists are not able to convince people that climate change is a real threat, and demagogues are able to convince people that the whole thing is a hoax.
This is where the workshop on climate change that I attended today comes in. Following the ideas of rhetoric, Betsy Taylor said that we need to tell a story, and there has to be a clear villain. Star Wars is great because Darth Vader is a great villain.
John Neffinger went on to explain a three part story that we need to tell.
John Neffinger speaking in San Francisco September 19
He explained that "Science does not win the argument. . ." but personal experience does. People are now willing to listen and talk about extreme weather--not just heat, but droughts, floods, fires and destructive storms. And this willingness gives us an opening for part one of the story.
People generally will agree that we have a moral obligation to our kids to take this seriously; "we owe it to our kids to protect them". Failure to act puts our kids future at risk. The message of part one of the story is "We must".
Part two of the story is "We can." "No one should doubt America's ingenuity and resolve." It is important to take the patriotic high ground and tap into pride that people feel in our country's technological advances. In combatting naysayers, Betsy Taylor urged a statement like, "Are you telling me you don't think America is up to this challenge. Those who say nothing can be done about climate change forget who we are and what we can do."
Of course, for those of us with solar panels on our roofs and electric cars, we can point to the technology that is here, and that it costs less than paying the utility company for electricity and the gas company for gasoline. That's what this blog is all about.
Part three of the story is "We will." This is where the villain comes into the story. Here we have powerful, greedy, deceitful oil corporations--e.g. Exxon, Chevron, BP, . . .that are trying to block clean energy and rigging the system. To protect our children's future we have to win the political battle against the oil companies who are buying votes in Congress. It's time to break the stranglehold that big oil and coal have on Washington.
So all in all, I learned a lot at the workshop and found it very inspiring. In terms of rhetoric, the story line--"We must. We can. We will."-- is short and effective, like Lincoln's "of the people, by the people, for the people."
One fascinating point is to look at President Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, where he mentions climate change. His words:
"And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet – because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They’re a threat to our children’s future. And in this election, you can do something about it.
I will not let oil companies write this country's energy plan,or endanger our coastlines, or collect another $4 billion in corportate welfare from our taxpayers."
So President Obama included "We must" by talking about our children's future. He also talked about "We can" by discussing renewable energy previously in his talk (although, unfortunately with equal emphasis on natural gas). And then he brought in the villain--the oil companies--in saying "We will" do something about the problem.One key issue that was raised at the workshop is "where do we go when people are convinced?" This the situation we have here in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. I believe that a majority of the politicians and general population here "get it" that climate change is human made, and that it is a serious problem. I'm working with 350 Bay Area to find ways to make deep cuts in CO2 emissions in the Bay Area and beyond. To take real action, even in the Bay Area, however, requires that we make a compelling case and tell a clear story. "Climate Solutions for a Stronger America" is a powerful step in right direction.
Clearly I believe that electric vehicles powered by clean energy are an essential part of our effort to address this looming crisis. I hope all of us EV owners can tell a compelling story about how much fun and fulfilling it is to drive cars that are peppy and part of the solution, not the problem.
For more about Joe Romm's excellent book, Language Intelligence, see Van Jones' review.
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