Location: Kentucky

This report looks at this process of power building for just transition in four states: California, Kentucky, Louisiana, and New York. We combine an analysis of the pillars of just transition – strong governmental support, dedicated funding streams, diverse coalitions, and economic diversification – with an analysis of how to change power at a state level that focuses on the conditions that impact possibilities, the community-level capabilities that facilitate effective voice, and the arenas in which power is contested.

Recommendations from messaging research about climate change and the Green New Deal and how to communicate and engage people in the rural America include:

Every message must be embedded with Appalachian values (such as kinship, independence, resiliency, and resourcefulness) – whether it focuses on jobs or on health.
Show respect for the people who worked in coal and what they built.
Name entities behind the problem. Use the active voice.
Avoid alarmist messages. Show what the community gains. Offer local solutions that connect to regional values. Give examples of local people doing the work.