Green Reads: Social Mobilisation for Climate Change
“In the quest for spatial justice, digital media serve both as a catalyst for change and a mirror reflecting the inequalities that permeate our society. They enable individuals to challenge prevailing narratives, assert their right to the city, and demand accountability from those in power. Yet, they also lay bare the structural injustices of inherent in our spatial arrangements, from the commodification of land to the displacement of marginalized communities.”
- Social Mobilisation for Climate Change
Social Mobilisation for Climate Change investigates how citizens turn their concerns for the health of the planet into praxis. From young people spreading awareness online and engaging in grassroots organizing, protesters participating in civil disobedience, and policy makers relying on indigenous knowledge and traditions, to street artists creatively displaying work that educates the public on global sustainability goals, we are reminded that each of us have the power to affect change.
Beatrice Ruggieri describes the adoption of Talanoa Dialogue, or “a Pacific way of generating discussion… and of telling stories to pass on the values and beliefs of indigenous cultures to future generations”, into COP23 and how it gave indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands agency in discussions over the particularly high risks of climate change they face, and how these might best be addressed. Stefania Benetti points to street artists in the city of Turin, creators of the art project titled, “Toward 2030. What Are You Doing?” which consisted of 18 murals throughout the city, coinciding with the UN’s 17 Sustainability Development Goals.
Social Mobilisation for Climate Change notes the success of the Save Lamu group who prevented the building of what was to be the first coal plant of East Africa as a part of "China’s Belt and Road Initiative". Organizers were able to push back against the Kenyan government by raising awareness online, engaging in public protests and ultimately winning their case before the Kenyan National Environment tribunal.
Readers are encouraged to unpack the small but significant ways we as consumers make decisions for or against the health of the planet with our dollars. Matteo Nicolini warns that these consumer actions, or lack thereof, are often based on pressures by “interpretive communities” who are either invested in the health and longevity of life on the planet or invested in the processes that churn out profits. Nicolini writes, “This community [transnational economic actors] has carefully cultivated our illusion that it is possible to save the planet by reconciling our ecological commitments with their unsustainable economic system.”
What we can do:
- “Education and awareness… Educating individuals and enhancing their awareness on the consequences of unsustainable behavior is the first step toward effective change.”
- “Providing incentives… providing discounts or other financial support for individuals who chose to adopt sustainable behaviors… can motivate people to translate their intentions into concrete actions,”
- “Environmental change. Designing spaces and services in a sustainable way can facilitate the adoption of virtuous behaviors.”
- “Regulation and public policies… the adoption of taxes based on emission levels might incentivize the adoption of environmentally sustainable technologies and in turn positively influence consumers’ everyday choices.”
- “Technologies and innovations. The development and diffusion of sustainable technologies offer new opportunities. A few examples are the availability of renewable energy solutions or the access to digital products and services that encourage products and services sharing and reuse,”
More recommended reading on the subject
- Engaging Communities in Climate Action: A Transdisciplinary Approach by Connor McGookin and Evan Boyle
- Managing the Local Climate: How to Positively Affect the Local Climate and Agrecological Conditions with Local Interventions by Femke van Woesik, Frank van Steenbergen, Francesco Sambalino, Hugo Jan de Boer, Jean Marc Pace Ricci and Wim Bastiaanssen
- The Routledge Handbook of Grassroots Climate Activism edited by Sabine von Mering, Thomas E. Bell, Alexandre da Silva Faustino, Wendy Steele, Ann Ward, and Mariana
- Climate Justice Beyond the State by Lachlan Umbers and Jeremy Moss
- A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future by J. Mijin Cha
- Changing Our Ways: Behaviour Change and the Climate Crisis by Peter Newell, Freddie Daley, Michelle Twena
- Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change by Joan Fitzgerald
