David Guggenheim - "Ocean Doctor" - Meeting the Challenge of Communicating Rio+20 Earth Summit

David E. Guggenheim, Ph.D. Senior Fellow, The Ocean Foundation – Washington, DC

www.OceanDoctor.org @OceanDoctor Facebook.com/OceanDoctor

© David E. Guggenheim

Social Media Climate Change

Social Media Climate Change

Pace: Fast-moving & timely;

speaks to what’s relevant at the

moment

Disaster in slow motion

Social Media Climate Change

Pace: Fast-moving & timely;

speaks to what’s relevant at the

moment

Disaster in slow motion

Understanding: Format demands

clear, non-nuanced message.

Ideal: Bright lines, Good versus

Evil

Enormous, complex & nuanced

issue

Social Media Climate Change

Pace: Fast-moving & timely;

speaks to what’s relevant at the

moment

Disaster in slow motion

Understanding: Format demands

clear, non-nuanced message.

Ideal: Bright lines, Good versus

Evil

Enormous, complex & nuanced

issue

Motivation to Act: • Emotion/Feel Personal

Connection (humor, fear, anger,

outrage)

• Self-Interest (incl. to be cool)

• Hope

So big, hard to see one’s self or

discern who the “enemy” is

Social Media Climate Change

Pace: Fast-moving & timely;

speaks to what’s relevant at the

moment

Disaster in slow motion

Understanding: Format demands

clear, non-nuanced message.

Ideal: Bright lines, Good versus

Evil

Enormous, complex & nuanced

issue

Motivation to Act: • Emotion/Feel Personal

Connection (humor, fear, anger,

outrage)

• Self-Interest (incl. to be cool)

• Hope

So big, hard to see one’s self or

discern who the “enemy” is

Actions: Ideally short-term,

specific & focused actions.

Do individuals feel like they can

really make a difference?

Social Media Climate Change

Pace: Fast-moving & timely;

speaks to what’s relevant at the

moment

Disaster in slow motion

Understanding: Format demands

clear, non-nuanced message.

Ideal: Bright lines, Good versus

Evil

Enormous, complex & nuanced

issue

Motivation to Act: • Emotion/Feel Personal

Connection (humor, fear, anger,

outrage)

• Self-Interest (incl. to be cool)

• Hope

So big, hard to see one’s self or

discern who the “enemy” is

Actions: Ideally short-term,

specific & focused actions.

Do individuals feel like they can

really make a difference?

Community: Need “spiritual

leadership” Inspire me; I need to

relate to you; be cool, be funny;

be real

Public face: Scientists, policy

wonks, politicians

Keywords: Climate Change Hoax

Keywords: Climate Change

10/10/10

9/30/2009:

EPA moves

ahead w/

GHG rules

11/2009:

Climate

Scientists’

Email

Hacked

Source: Google Insights for Search

© David E. Guggenheim

© David E. Guggenheim

© David E. Guggenheim

© David E. Guggenheim

© David E. Guggenheim

Rio+20

Need to inspire as well as inform;

need for inspirational leadership

Priority 1

• Introduce a friend to visit Mother Nature

• Share the story!

Rio+20

Need to inspire as well as inform;

need for inspirational leadership

Parse issue, invite diverse,

nontraditional constituencies. Let

people see themselves, feel

connected

© David E. Guggenheim

Rio+20

Need to inspire as well as inform;

need for inspirational leadership

Parse issue, invite diverse,

nontraditional constituencies. Let

people see themselves, feel

connected

• Army of ambassadors, story tellers

• Youth delegations, correspondents

• Bring story to local communities,

schools

• Engender connection: Inspire,

unforgettable experience, be part of

something bigger than themselves

• I’m in Rio…are you?

• Virtual presence

• Branding

• Share the story!

Rio+20

Need to inspire as well as inform;

need for inspirational leadership

Parse issue, invite diverse,

nontraditional constituencies. Let

people see themselves, feel

connected

Local & Global: True social

movement about community, how

we live our lives

Rio+20

Need to inspire as well as inform;

need for inspirational leadership

Parse issue, invite diverse,

nontraditional constituencies. Let

people see themselves, feel

connected

Local & Global: True social

movement about community, how

we live our lives

• Show the world what your community is

doing.

• Share the story!

www.OceanDoctor.org @OceanDoctor Facebook.com/OceanDoctor

David.Guggenheim@OceanDoctor.org

© 2012 David E. Guggenheim

David.Guggenheim@OceanDoctor.org