Imagining our future is one of the most powerful action tools we have as humans.
When you think about climate change, what do you imagine?
Climate doom? The apocalypse? Scary information?
According to Katie Patrick, this kind of messaging fail at driving people to take action, which is what Soapbox is all about.
She says, "imagining a new and desirable world matters. It matters because vision is a goal that people can work towards. It gives people hope, optimism, and agency... The imagination is a human being's greatest super power."
Katie also adds that "research shows that creative imagination exercise lead to pro-environmental behavior and political action", which is why we're focusing this Action Pack on climate imagination.
This is our opportunity to dream big. We’re currently living in the dreams of other people (oil barons, fossil fuel execs, politicians), so why not erase those and make our own?
For this Action Pack content, we’re going to be collaborating with Frame! What if you got your news in a way that was interactive, informative, and fun to read? (#dreambig) That’s what Frame is doing — they even text you their stories so you can read them on your phone.
🎯 Action step 1 of 4: READ — Let's start by looking at a few articles together.
Question. What if, just like nutrition labels, we had carbon labels to teach us what really goes into a product?
To explore the powers of innovation and imagination, we'll look at two articles. The first, as promised is Frame’s interactive journalism on Carbon Labels. I’ve dropped some key takeaways below but I highly rec checking out the whole piece!
Carbon labels break down how much carbon was emitted in creating a product, and from what stages in a product’s lifestyle. They help us be more conscious consumers AND put pressure on companies to do better.
The second article — which I won’t be summarizing — answers “What is Sociological Imagination?” If you’re wondering why I’m hyped about this imagination topic, or you’re interested in new frameworks and schools of thought, this second piece is for you.
So. Why should we put a label on our relationship with carbon?
Catch the interactive Carbon Labels piece here and don’t forget to drop your # to get these delivered straight to your phone.
🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 1 of 4: READ.
🎯 Action step 2 of 4: LISTEN — we'll watch a short video or listen to a podcast to further expand on our topic.
Soapbox Project's two core values are courage and joy.
It's time to talk about joy.
Continuing this theme of imagining the future we want, it’s time to talk about SOLARPUNK! Check out this video by Saint Andrewism, an Afro-Trinidadian creative who makes lots of videos on this topic.
What is solarpunk?
Please watch the video and let me know if we should be solar punks together. I’ve never been converted to anything so quickly.
I hope you're primed to take action with all these amazing visions of the future! We've got lots of exciting actions coming up.
🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 2 of 4: LISTEN.
🎯 Action step 3 of 4: ACT — Now it's time to do something. Let's go!
I’m convinced that the only way we can get out of this crisis is through a collective reframing. Climate change is not just a crisis. It’s a chance to dream big.
We were born into a planet of other people’s dreams. We can’t control that. But we can control our own imaginations for the future. And that is SO EXCITING!
Today’s section is a quick and snappy list of ways to practice your climate imagination. Definitely the most fun ACT module of all time in my opinion.
I can't wait to see what you dream up!
🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 3 of 4: ACT.
Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!
🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?
This REFLECT module is a 3-step concept scavenger hunt:
It's time to think about thinking. Let’s wrap up our Climate Imagination topic with some reflection on why we should incorporate journaling into our activism🤔
I usually request you to share these things with me, but today, let's just keep them with ourselves, nice and cozy. I would love for you to share your commitment here though - it's how you can get your free prompts. They'll last you three months!
🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.
Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!
Get our free bite-sized climate action plans before you go!