Have you ever felt worried or anxious about what people might think if they know you want to be a climate ‘activist’? If so, you are definitely not alone. Fear of being different - of challenging ‘social norms’ - is a major driver of human behaviour, and not always for the best. As a colleague recently explained, these norms were why it was so hard for them to take part in climate action:
“I was too worried about what other people think in terms of my social circle. I wanted to do more climate action but I would get too anxious worrying what other people were going to think.”
But social norms are not all bad. They can be beneficial; in fact, they play a critical role in sustaining communities. They help us understand how to cooperate with others, make decisions in social situations, and put others ahead of our own potential selfishness. But as my colleague showed, they can also be a major barrier to climate action.
So what can we do to turn make climate action the norm? Luckily there’s a wealth of research showing how to do it. 🚀
People in general want to form social connections, belong to social groups, and work together to solve problems. As a result, one of the most powerful ways to make climate action the norm is to take action with others. Invite a friend or family member to join you in an event or action, and share these events with others. Here in Queensland we are lucky to have so many different ways to get involved:
Learn something new at the Queensland Conservation Council’s regular webinar sessions and share the info with others
Try out a Landcare, Junior Landcare or Coastcare group with a friend
Take family and friends to a festival like the Moreton Bay Eco Fest (30th Sept 2023) or the Gladstone Ecofest (2 June 2024)
Share Climate Club Queensland’s newsletter and actions below!
We are all going on our own climate action journey, and each of us bring different strengths and skills. Bringing people along with us on our journeys and helping them find their own strengths and skills is the only way we can possibly overcome the climate crisis. 🤝🤝🤝
And that’s why Climate Club Queensland exists: to help us all take more climate action together.
So what happened with my colleague? They found strength in community:
“Putting a sign out on the front fence was a big step for me. And then suddenly I was wearing a t-shirt. Now I look back and think there's so many things I do now that I would never have done three years ago. I just gained confidence over time through talking to other people who do this stuff. It starts to become more normal. Now I have far less anxiety about taking action.”
Let’s make climate action the norm together! Check out these actions below to make a start.
What can you do today?
🏆🏆🏆 Last fortnight’s most popular action was Australia Parents for Climate Action petition for a Duty of Care for our kids. They are over half way to their target of 1,000 signatures - share it to help them reach their goal. 🏆🏆🏆
🐝 If you have 5 minutes:
What looks like climate action, sounds like climate action, but is the opposite of climate action? That’s right: greenwashing. We’ve mentioned this problem many times in CC Qld newsletters and yet companies are continuing to get away with it. New buzz words like ‘offsets’, ‘net zero’, and ‘carbon neutral’ are used to hide inaction that is making climate change worse day by day. The only way to stop this is to call it out again and again. And again.
Action: Sign Australian Parents for Climate Action’s online letter demanding power companies come clean on greenwashing.
You may be aware of Woodside’s plans to build the Scarborough Gas Project and Pluto extension in WA. Woodside, like many other fossil fuel polluters, purchase their 'positive’ public image by plastering their names over our favourite sports. It’s happening here in Queensland, but you can help call it out.
Action: Search 350.org’s list of Queensland organisations sponsored by fossil fuel companies. Write a comment asking them to take the Fossil Fuel Sponsorship Pledge.
Action: Sign 350.org’s petition asking the WA Symphony Orchestra to drop Woodside as a sponsor.
🐇 If you have 15 minutes:
We all know we need to end urban sprawl, protect urban bushland and green our urban areas, right? Unfortunately it’s not clear whether the Queensland Government knows this as well. Now’s your opportunity to ensure that the new South East Queensland Regional Plan should clearly state: No more habitat should be cleared for Development.
Action: Sign the Queensland Conservation Council’s (QCC) petition, make your own short submission on the State Development website, and answer the four quick poll questions to help shape a new SEQ 2023 plan that will protect our bushland.
Want to know how you and your friends and family can get involved in nature campaigns? Queensland Conservation Council is here to help!
Action: Check out the nature campaigns QCC is involved in and sign up to find out more on their September 19th webinar.
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more:
Have you been inspired by a person or a group in your local community who tirelessly steps up again and again to do something to help our environment? If so nominate them for the annual Peter Rawlinson Award. Past winners include Hamish Cumming, a farmer who has spent three decades conserving Brolgas, Steve Meacher from the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum group, and Carolyn Ingvarson, the founder of Lighter Footprints environmental group in Melbourne’s inner-east.
Action: Nominate a local group or individual for the Peter Rawlinson Award. Getting recognition for efforts to protect our environment is a powerful thing: but get in quick, nominations close at 5pm Monday 4th September.
Getting together with friends and family to take action is a powerful way of showing people that doing things for the environment can be fun, cool and meaningful. Here’s an opportunity to bring some people together for the Community for Creatures week between 30th October and Sunday 5th November.
Action: Join a Australian Conservation Foundation webinar on the the 5th or 7th of September to hear about how to join the week and host your own fun event.
🔦🔦🔦And finally, a spotlight on a local Queensland group ….🔦🔦🔦
Birdlife Bundaberg! Did you know that a love of birds is something that can bring people together and build communities for environmental action? BirdLife helps make this happen, with local groups all around Australia taking action to monitor, research and protect bird habitat. The Bundaberg group does shoreline surveys, day trips, camping weeks and monthly outings. Their beautiful photographs and scientific research demonstrate how we all depend on a healthy environment and a safe climate, while still finding time to organise cool trips and exciting adventures.
Birdlife also have groups in Capricornia, Mackay, Northern Qld, Southern Qld and Townsville. You can also check out Birds Queensland and specialist groups such as the Qld Wader and Study Group, and the Qld Bird Research and Banding Group.
Till the next issue … take those moments of fun when you can :)
Robyn, plus Ron, Malcolm and Jan - The Climate Club Qld team
Thanks for reading Climate Club Queensland!
We live, work and play on the lands of the Yuggara and Turrbal people in and around Meanjin - Brisbane. We pay respect to their Elders, past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded - always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
2023 Climate Club QLD - climateclubqld@gmail.com
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Thanks for this one @Robyn, plus your hilarious take on "billboards you walk past"! I particualry enjoyed reading a bit about BirdLIfe having just spent a couple of weeks out in Central Queensland where I was with a few bird lovers and knowledgeable folk! Made my appreciation of the wildlife I was seeing so much richer!