Climate change is hopeful, actually

Question. What if, just like nutrition labels, we had carbon labels to teach us what really goes into a product?

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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?

• Big dreams, big changes. Prominent carbon labels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ~25%. Twenty five per cent!!
  
  
• Nutrition labels, more like new-trition labels. Nutrition labels, which we’ve pretty much taken for granted, only became mandatory in the US in 1994. Nutrition labels helped people reduce calorie intake by ~7% — labels have power. Someone dreamed up nutrition labels and they happened — we can do the same with carbon.
  
  
• The dream is coming alive. Japan and Sweden started mandating carbon labels for some products before 2010, and Unilever announced in 2021 that it would add carbon labels to its 70,000+ products. If you like being on the winning team, it's time to learn about carbon labels and expand our collective imagination.

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Catch the interactive Carbon Labels piece here and don’t forget to drop your # to get these delivered straight to your phone.

Soapbox Project's two core values are courage and joy.

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It's time to talk about joy.

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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.

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What is solarpunk?

• Solarpunk is a fusion of art and politics — from a positive imagining of our collective futures to actually creating it
  
• Solarpunk is futuristic, but it’s grounded in our present. It emphasizes environmental sustainability, self-governance, and social justice
  
• It’s BEAUTIFUL AND I’M OBSESSED
  
• Ok that bullet above was not a “fact” about Solarpunk technically. Solarpunk DOES take inspiration from nature motifs and Asian and African artistic movements.

Please watch the video and let me know if we should be solar punks together. I’ve never been converted to anything so quickly.

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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.

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.

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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!

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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.

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1. EASY - 5 min daily | Start a dream journal practice.
   
   I don’t mean the dream journal where you write down your night time dreams. Every time I do that, I get sleep paralysis, so I can’t recommend it.
   
   Instead, dream of the world you want to see! Sample prompts for a daily 5-min journal session: what does your hometown look like in 2200? what world do you want for your great great grandkids? if humans were immortal, what would change about the world?
   
   I also love the Climate Journal Project, so check them out if self-guided journaling isn’t your thing. They have free weekly climate journal circles!
   
   
2. EASY - 15 sec | sign up for Frame’s texts.
   
   I firmly believe we’re all reflections of the media we consume. That’s why I wanted to collab with Frame this month — they’re truly reimagining what journalism could be. They’ve made mobile-friendly documentaries shining light on the US Army’s role in the climate crisis to carbon labels, which we shared in the first Changeletter of the month.
   
   Sign up here to get notified when a new story drops — all you have to do is enter your cell #.
   
   
3. MEDIUM - 5+ min | Ask someone else about the world they want to live in.
   
   I nanny two kids and I gave them a version of this question by asking them about their dream house. One of them talked about how there would be no chores; people would take care of their home and gardens and animals because they WANT to. It’s a wonderful exercise! We even got featured in Grist for this.
   
   Bonus points: try it on your boss. Making change at work can feel scary, but this is a fun way to truly uncover someone’s values and vision for change.
   
   
4. HARD - idk? 10 hours? | Submit a short story for Grist’s cli-fi contest*
   
   *This is an annual contest
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   Climate fiction, or cli-fi, is starting to blow up. Grist is hosting their second annual contest, Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Stories can be 3k-5k words and you can win up to 3,000 bucks. Enter here — no cost to submit.
   
   
5. HARD - like at least 15 hours probably | Read/listen to Braiding Sweetgrass.
   
   I recently finished Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Potawatomi professor Robin Wall Kimmerer. She narrates the audiobook herself, and it opened my eyes to imaginations of the past (aka history).
   
   It is INCREDIBLE to think that a world I dream of has already existed and that we can make it exist again — where strawberries belong to no one and the currency of life is measured in gifts and reciprocity.

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I can't wait to see what you dream up!

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!

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🎯 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:

1. Learn about divergent thinking (which you can basically do in the image below)
2. See the science-backed benefits of journaling
3. Time block at least one 15-minute journaling session

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🤔

• Divergent thinking
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  You can learn more about divergent thinking here. It can increase your creativity and problem solving skills. Guess what skills we need to heal our planet? 😜

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• Journal science, science journals
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  This article references a science journal studying journal science. I love it. Seriously though, a journaling practice is linked to reduced blood pressure, improved lung function, and even quicker re-employment after job loss!
  
  
• Deepest darkest secrets
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  I should tell you I don’t journal. I have a daily bullet pointed list of good things that happen in my life, which isn’t exactly a gratitude journal but is similar, and that’s different than the kind of open-ended journaling the study talks about. I might be a little scared of this practice, but I’m willing to try it if you are. I will commit to at least 10 of the prompts I’m sharing with you — will you do the same?
  
  (Even 1 is a good place to start 💝)
  
  You’ll get a list of 90 journal prompts when you submit the Action form to commit to this process.
  

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.

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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!