Converge - Where the Good Life Meets the Green Life

8/9/2019 Converge - Where the Good Life Meets the Green Life

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Converge

Once upon a time

A nation of people faced anenormous challenge.

Many tried to see a way out,but they could see only an

unhappy ending to their story.

This is a different storya story waiting to be told.


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Welcome to Converge where the good lifeand the green life meet.

Come on in!


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AstrongAmericaneconomyandlots

ofjobs

The Converge American Future


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Healthy Americankids and adults


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A Strong,

SecureAmerica


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America Leads the World


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After years of messaging about thedangers of climate change and the

investment of huge resourcesby NGOs and people at COP15what the &*@# happened?!

Were not getting the change we seek.


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TheU.S.holdsthekeystochange,

butsomethingiswrongwiththeway

werecommunica;ngtoAmericans.


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As people whocare, we thought

that data andvisions of dangerwould motivate

people to moveand change.


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Hmmmwhat do

we do now?


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The good news is:

we dont have to guessWE KNOW WHAT WORKS


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The Research is In!

Based on thisresearch, weKNOW

what messages

DO WORK

And

DONTWORK.


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From the rightbrainhereswhat we knowbased on ourexperience andhistory.


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Americans respond to

positive visions of the future,even if they mean sacrifice.

I have a dream

We choose to go to themoon in this decade and

do the other things, notbecause they are easy, butbecause they are hard.


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From the left

brainhereswhat weknow based

on research.


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Sell Heaven Not Hell

Researchshowsthatnega.ve

messagingandimagerycausespeopletoshutdowntheyneverhear

themessageofhopeorpossibility,

andmayevendenythat

climatechangeisreal


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Tooo%en,climatesolu1onsadvocateswork

thebase(elites)whileignoringmainstreamAmericans.Andwhenwedotalktoswingvotersorencourageourbasetoreachout,typicallywelackeffec1ve,emo1onallycompellinglanguageontheseissues.

ClimateandEnergyTruths(EcoAmerica2009)


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Wecanswitchhighconsump1on,highstress,andhighheartdiseaselifestylesforsomethingmore

desirable.Whatwillitlooklike,feellike,andbelike

ifwemanagetopullitoff?Thatisthepicturewe

needtocreate.

SelltheSizzle(Futerra2009)


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ThekeyforcleanenergysupportersistowrestthediscussionawayfrompolicymechanismsandIPCC

sta1s1csandtowardthebenefitsofclimate/energy

solu1ons.

TheLanguageofACleanEnergyEconomy

(theworddoctors,2009)


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Message More Around Human Values, Less OnData, Acronyms and Technical Terms

350ppm?Ohmygod,I

failedChemistry!

20emissions

reduc1oninCO2?

SeeOYou,Too!

$Billions?No

way

26to78riskofovershoo1ng

a2Cgoal?Ummmwhats

Celsiusagain?

LULUCFemissions?

WhoisLulu?

GHGs?

2.5annuallytoreacha

goalof80below990

levels?Imjusttryingto

loseweight!

Imahorrible

personifIdont

liveinatentand

eatgrass?!?!!?

CapandTradehasbaseball

seasonstartedagain?

This is too muchIll

deal with it later.

Maybe itsnot even real!


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Messages that WORK

to Influence Americans

Whetherthescienceisrightor

not,Iwanteconomicprosperity

andahealthy,safeandsecure

futureformeandmyfamily.

And,IwantAmericatoleadthe

worldthesearethethingsthat

areimportanttome


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PLAIN SPEAKING

We know POSITIVE messages work.

We know to FOCUS on the economy/job, health and safety/security.

How do we USE this information to deliver a messagethat will catalyze change in America?

Answer: Through the POWER OF STORY.

CONVERGE is the story of

the good life Americans wantand the green life we need

for our prosperity, health and safety.


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Why the Power of Story?


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1. A Book- each chapterillustrates a different facet ofthe future. A core storycombines these chapters intoone narrative. The book also

includes summaries ofcredible plans for making theConverge story a reality.

2. A Website features shortvideos that further explore thefuture. Readers can edit or

expand the core story andoffer their own visions of thefuture.

The ConvergeStory

Experience it online atwww.convergestory.com!


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Converge

Chapter 1

The Vision

Asmall group of Americanthought leaders, primarily fromthe economic, health andnational security sectorswill lay

out visions of the future in easyto understand, entertainingnarratives and later, on-linevideos.

These leaders will offer a vision

of the future for Americanswithin a world that has met theclimate change challenge.


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Converge

Chapter II

Whats Life Like?

Basic questions aboutAmericanlifewill be answered by thoughtleaders AND ordinary people incompelling essays.

How will we work?Where will we live?How will we get around?What will we eat?How will we be safer?A core narrative will be written thatcombines these visions into onestory.


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Converge

Chapter III

We Can Do It

Credible, expert planswillbe laid out in easy tounderstand language andimagery.


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Converge

Chapter IV

What If?

Visitors to the Convergewebsite can explore theimpacts of each of theseplans or experiment withscenarios of their own withan interactive climatesimulation model .


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Converge

Chapter V

Do Something

An interactive module on thewebsite and available onFacebook and other socialmedia outlets will allow

people to offer their ownvision of the future andthoughts on how to make itreal.

This section will also providelinks to organizations and

efforts that link people withevery day actions they can do.


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Who Will Share and Use Converge?

Anyone who wants to persuade someonein America that:

the good life and the green lifeare the SAME LIFE.

ActivistsTeachersNGO leadersCommunications/PR/MediaCity councilmenPop culture writers and producersFunders

Scientists and academicsPolicy expertsYOU and ME!


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Good News! The First Step Has Been

Taken at www.convergestory.comOriginally conceived as a more globalproject, the focus of Converge hasbeen shifted to an American audiencein the wake of COP15.

Its clear now that Americans mustbuy into a vision of a future they wantso that they will push leaders to makechange.

But the basic thrust of Converge

remains the same: we seek tomotivate people to action using thepower of positive story that isinspiring, doable and desirable.


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Make theConvergeStory Real

We seek investment inConverge because we believeits an approach that willWORK to create changebased on experience and new

research.

Behind the Story Ask $Chapter I Ask $Chapter II Ask $Chapter III Ask $Chapter IV Ask $

Chapter V Ask $


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ConvergeAn American Future

A Story created so far by

these partners and peoplewho care and believe that

THE ENDof this story will be ahappy one.

Lisa Renstrom Tracy Russ

Documents

Converge - Where the Good Life Meets the Green Life