Resource Library

As EPA Administrator Pruitt and the Trump administration moved ahead Monday with their rollback of common-sense clean car standards—and Americans everywhere uttered a collective groan of frustration—this week we revisit why it is so critical at moments like this for advocates to give their supporters clear actions to take in response to discouraging news.

Roadmaps and pathways for decarbonization often gloss over a fundamental question: How do deliberate social transformations happen? Often, the social complexity of transformation processes is downplayed or ignored in favor of technical solutions and behavioral approaches. In this article, the author explores three ‘spheres’ of transformation (the practical, political, and personal) and explores how they can be used to identify leverage points for transformations that support the 1.5 degree C target.

Don’t necessarily assume that climate hawks are actually doing much about the environment in their personal lives. Those highly concerned about climate change may be more supportive of government climate policies, but less likely to take personal actions such as recycling, using public transit, buying environmentally friendly consumer products, and using reusable shopping bags, as compared to those skeptical or indifferent about climate change.

Last weekend’s March for Our Lives was one of the biggest youth protests since the Vietnam War and comes on the heels of nearly 9,000 protests documented between the Women's March last January and the end of 2017. Building on the Lab's previous tips* for sustaining engagement after mass mobilizations, this week we share reflections on what the March for Our Lives reminded us about building support for potentially polarizing policy issues and keeping folks engaged before and after moments of collective protest (in addition to participating in them!).