Climate Stories Project by CSP
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Finalist Evaluation
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While this proposal has not been advanced as a Finalist, we appreciate your time and commitment to this initiative, and for participating in the Climate CoLab.
Semi-Finalist Evaluation
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Judges'' comments
This is a useful approach. Much about climate is couched in data, statistics and visuals rather than in stories that describe individual’s experiences. Direct experience is an important influence in attitude change. In sorting the stories is important to find those positive experiences of climate change—like “we never used to be able to grow X on our farm and now we can”, rather to only report the negatives. Climate change is complex and when it comes to experiences climate change is local not global. For example on the north east coast of Sweden land rise in causing problems for communities. If only the sea would rise faster they would not have to dredge harbors, build new jetties and even rebuild the foundation of the Swedish Parliament building in Stockholm. It might improve this project to try to find real narratives, or if necessary construct the narratives of those who lived through the “little ice age” in Europe and though desertification in the middle east a couple of millennia ago. How have humans noticed, suffered and adapted to modifications in the climate? Emphasis on adaption.
A promising project that already has a head start. I really like the idea of creating a place for diverse participants to share their emotional experiences related to climate change, and the goal to reach out to those normally marginalized in global climate politics--Alaska and the Maldives--is very laudable. Scientifically, it leverages the compelling nature of narrative. However, I'm a bit worried that those who need to change their attitudes will discount the negative effects experienced by distant, unfamiliar others (there are some scientific data on this). And there's also the "preaching to the choir" possibility. But this is clearly a well-thought out and potentially impactful project.
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 Jason Davis Jul 13, 2015 11:27  | Proposal creator
I have revised the proposal to highlight the important function of Climate Stories Project as way to share stories about what people and their communities are doing to promote positive behavior in mitigating and/or adapting to climate change. A great deal of the stories already collected focus on these positive changes, and CSP will continue to solicit motivating stories with the goal of shifting societal norms toward proactive engagement with climate change.
I have also emphasized the novel educational and artistic aspects of CSP, demonstrating how CSP stands out from other climate storytelling projects. This past spring I conducted the first pilot educational projects in two New England High Schools, and Stephen Siperstein led CSP workshops in his climate change classes at the University of Oregon. Students at these schools learned interviewing skills and then conducted interviews about personal and community responses to climate change with members of their local communities as well as with member of remote "frontline" climate change communities. The positive feedback from the pilot projects has demonstrated the tremendous potential of CSP to help students to transform their understanding of climate change from an abstract scientific concept into an urgent, present-day social issue. In addition, CSP helps students develop crucial skills in interviewing and cross-cultural empathy. As an artistic project, CSP helps to break through barriers that limit public participation and engagement by using a novel format, narrative-based music, in order to reach new audiences and recast climate change as a compelling human story.
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