Page 210 - Carbon Capitalism and Communication Confronting Climate Crisis

206 B. PALESE AND B. BREVINI

BP: Climate change is an incredibly difficult issue for people to get their
heads around. Complex, yes, but more importantly, made confusing by
media with vested interests questioning climate change science for decades
—a tactic straight out of the tobacco playbook. Understanding that science
is never 100% certain is not something most of us think much about, so it’s
easily exploited.
That said, those of us working on the issue do need to reach out more
broadly to everyone, everywhere about the importance of the issue and
ensure our movement spans the political, race, gender and age spectrum to
be truly representative. It’s worth remembering that the People’s Climate
Marches of 2015 saw more than 600,000 people take to the streets in 175
countries—by all accounts the biggest thing of its kind in history.
Participants included union members, nurses, doctors, lawyers, business
owners, students, refugees, members of the lesbian and gay community
and people from virtually all ethnic groups. We’ve made real progress but
there’s certainly more to do.
350.org was founded in 2009 with an inclusive approach and we con-
tinue to live by author Naomi Klein’s mantra: To change everything, it will
take everyone. Our job now is not only to raise the alarm about climate
change but to make clear the huge benefits we all get from solving this
huge challenge. Our voices need to be loud and everywhere if we are to
successfully stand up to fossil fuel dollars and influence. Knowing this, our
focus now is to continue to grow and expand around the world so that the
call to action can’t be ignored.