Driving to work, I caught the most powerful talkback radio commentator in Australia

My reaction: proper climate education should be supported as a great driver of positive change. But it’s his view that’s hitting the popular airwaves – not mine. And amidst his tirade, he went so far as to claim that any use of the term ‘green’ automatically cues distrust.

Our views couldn’t be more opposite. And I was left wondering how his propaganda ever came to be so popular.

Politicians and leaders of the various non-profit green groups are the current sources of public messaging around issues of climate change and emissions regulations. A few celebrities are putting their weight behind responsible education and action, but not enough. It’s mostly PETA¹ and other such cause-driven agenda-setters that own “our side” of the conversation.

Few business leaders are standing up and talking about it in any significant numbers either. Can we assume, then, that environmental issues are dropping in importance due to lack of intelligent conversation – and the overshadowing financial crisis? Climate change used to be the number one public concern in Australia, but a recent poll had it back at 7th.

We need to get it back to the centre of the public’s radar screen. We need more mainstream talking heads to support discourse on the issue to keep the drive for change alive. We should encourage our business leaders to speak up about the need for structural change. We should educate the media on the need to tell positive stories about the companies that are doing the right thing. After all, reputational gains are the biggest impetus for C-level executives to move their companies into the sustainability and climate advocacy space.

Ultimately, we need Hopenhagen, the only climate movement to celebrate the role of governments, citizen-consumers and corporations – and to enthusiastically engage with them all – to be more than a one-off event like Earth Hour. It must serve as a constant engine of positive action and enlightened change.

Let’s get these powerful talking heads back on track. It’s time to show them the way to Hopenhagen.

Editors Note:

Hopenhagen is movement that empowers global citizens to engage in the December United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen. The Hopenhagen movement is intended to be an open source campaign that all nonprofits, governments and citizens of the world can make their own. The campaign has already had early successes with this model, securing an endorsement from the Danish Foreign Ministry.

More information on Stephen Hale:

Stpehen Hale is Managing Director at Impact.  His true passion at Impact has been to develop and drive its now rapidly-growing sustainability and environmental communication practice, OgilvyEarth, which he heads.

In 2007 Stephen was a panelist at the Climate Change Summit and a guest speaker at Origin Energy's Climate Change presentation, where he presented key learnings and practices that lead to an effective sustainability program. He was on the expert panel at the Green Capital Event "Is it easy being Green. Marketing in the age of Spin".

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