ADVOCACY FUNDAMENTALS
Write Your Climate ‘Why’
The Goal: Write a personal narrative about why you take climate action.
Crafting your Climate ‘Why’ makes you a more confident communicator AND a more effective advocate. Personal stories resonate emotionally when talking to friends and family, and personalization will also help your message stand out when communicating with policymakers and other key decision-makers. Rather than simply reciting stats and facts, you’ll have the tools to make a compelling, memorable case for climate action.
This exercise is an investment in your future advocacy. Upon completing this resource, you will have a personal narrative that will be incredibly useful and endlessly adaptable in your outreach, no matter the audience or the climate policy solution.
Step 0: Get Set Up
Start by getting in the right headspace. Consider closing other tabs or muting your computer/phone notifications. Maybe take 30 seconds of silence to mentally re-orient yourself to the task at hand.
Since this is a writing exercise, you’ll need a drafting space. Click the button below to create your own Scratchpad, which includes a Climate Why template, then come back to this page. The Scratchpad is a Google Doc that you can save in your personal files, making it easy to refer back to in your future advocacy. If you’re better with Word, Pages, or — heaven forbid — TextEdit, go ahead an open up a blank doc now.
Step 1: Reflect
As anyone who’s written a cover letter knows, coming up with a “personal statement” is a deceptively challenging task. Let’s start by reflecting. Below is a list of brainstorming prompts. Pick a few that pique your interest, then let the gears of your mind start turning.
You can copy/paste the questions into the scratchpad and write your reflections there, or you can think about your responses in your head.
For additional inspiration, scroll down for a full library of Climate ‘Why’s from fellow changemakers.
Some suggested reflection prompts:
Looking back, are there any important memories or aspects in your upbringing that you think explain why you’re so motivated to take climate action today?
What do you want to protect? Do you feel like climate change is putting something or someone you love at risk?
What’s the vision of the future you’re working towards?
In what moments does the climate crisis feel the most real and immediate to you? Did you have a climate “aha” moment where something clicked and you felt compelled to act on climate in a new, more urgent way? Describe that moment.
How will climate change impact your local community, geography, or groups you identify with (e.g. age, profession, socioeconomic status, race)? Do you have a story of how some of these have been impacted already?
Name 5 adjectives that describe how the climate crisis makes you feel. Then, write 1-2 sentences for each that describe why you feel that way.
Is there an issue or policy that gets you especially inspired or fired up?
Think of the most beautiful or important natural place you know. Describe how it makes you feel, and then describe how it feels to know it will change due to climate change.
How do you want to look back on this pivotal moment in time and your role?
Step 2: Draft!
Whether you typed out responses to the reflection prompts or you’ve done your thinking in your head, start forming those thoughts into a cohesive narrative. You’re trying to respond to the question: “Why do you take climate action?”
The first sentence is often the hardest, so if you’re stuck, try starting with “As a _______, I take climate action because ______.” Let the rest flow from there.
If you’d like, you can start by writing a longer personal statement (1-2 paragraphs) and not stress about editing. Just get words on paper! By the end of the exercise, try to emerge with a short, 2-4 sentence version that conveys your Climate Why in a succinct, powerful way. It’s these 2-4 sentences that you will find yourself using when advocating to key decision-makers, or explaining your motivation to your friends and family.
Quick pep talk, since this is a hard exercise!
There’s no “right” answer. It’s YOUR Climate ‘Why’, not the perfect Climate ‘Why.’
The climate crisis is very emotional for many of us. There’s no need to open the Pandora’s box of feelings for this exercise if you don’t want to. The goal is to draft a few sentences you’d feel comfortable putting in an email to your elected official.
What feels obvious to you about the impacts of climate change and the urgency of climate action is often not obvious to non-climate people. This is exactly why you need to get comfortable telling your story.
Step 3: Share your story
Mission accomplished! ✅ You now have a personal narrative that will be incredibly useful in your climate advocacy. Please consider submitting your Climate Why to the changemaker library.
Individually, your story will inspire another changemaker to find their voice. Collectively, our stories show the diversity and depth of our movement.
Community Climate ‘Why’ Library:
Step 4: Advocate for climate action
You’ve grown tremendously as an advocate by doing this exercise. You now have a written Climate ‘Why’ that you’re (hopefully) pretty proud of. This is the foundation of effective climate advocacy. You’re ready for anything!
It’s time to see the power of personalization — start advocating! Jump into the current Climate Changemakers advocacy campaign. We’ve identified an important, timely climate policy, and put together an Action Plan with step-by-step playbooks that makes it simple build support for it. Get ready to put your Climate ‘Why’ to work!
If you want to take action in community or you want the support of an experienced facilitator (or, let’s be real, if you know you just need some accountability to carve out the time), join an Hour of Action. You can read more about what to expect here.
Extra Credit, perfect if you’re heading to happy hour or home for the weekend. Check out another Advocacy 101 resource: Have an Effective Climate Conversation. It’s all about equipping ourselves to talk about climate—especially in challenging conversations with people with whom we may not see eye-to-eye, or where we find ourselves getting emotional. We’ll acquire three new tools for having real conversations about climate change and learn a few tactics that lead to more productive outcomes.
Congrats on achieving this milestone! Come back anytime for a refresh. Until then, get in on the action!