Erin Remblance, a degrowth advocate, discusses creating social tipping points for change. They explore challenging power dynamics, think tanks' influence, preserving democracy, and driving societal transformation through shared values. The conversation delves into embedding new values, historical lessons, and the urgency for sustainable strategies amid the climate crisis.
Creating social tipping points requires connecting individuals with similar values and behaviors.
Establishing courses like Project Tipping Point helps mobilize movements and facilitate change.
Effective leadership in navigating incremental change involves prioritizing future generations and collective well-being.
Deep dives
Creating Social Tipping Points through Connection and Support Networks
Connecting like-minded individuals helps embed new values and behaviors, preventing them from reverting to old ways. Protecting individuals through support networks enables them to spread messages effectively to their networks, fostering change.
Building Networks for Change and Mobilization
Establishing courses and workshops like Project Tipping Point aims to connect people globally, sharing a new worldview and validating values within a supportive community. Mobilizing movements involves reaching influencers and individuals across various professions to create credibility, cascading change.
Challenges in Organizing and Achieving Change
Navigating incremental change within existing institutions poses challenges, especially in shifting embedded flaws and structures. Cultural and political transformation requires historical precedent understanding and recent examples of impactful change to motivate action.
Leadership, Education, and Envisioning Radical Change
Effective leadership entails elevating critical issues like climate change to prompt action and awareness. Educating populations and creating radical visions for the future through initiatives informed by research and inspiration can spur necessary change.
Embracing Sustainable Futures and Prioritizing Collective Well-being
Transitioning from traditional mindsets to sustainable practices involves prioritizing future generations and collective well-being over short-term gains. Embracing the inevitability of change, including potential collapses, underscores the importance of sacrificial shifts for a sustainable planet.
Sometimes it feels impossible to imagine anything other than collapse with the way our energy systems are designed, the corruption in governance, and the financial motives which skew the present system towards profit over everything else. It’s true that if nothing changes, the global system will collapse. But it’s also true that people are capable of amazing feats of imagination and adaptation—especially social imagination.
This week I’m joined by Erin Remblance, degrowth advocate and co-founder of ReBiz, an “un/school” designed toequip all people with the worldview and skills to create regenerative and pluriversal post-growth futures. ReBiz offers a core course on social tipping points and Erin joined me to discuss exactly that: What are social tipping points? And, importantly, how do we create them? This is a conversation about technology, economy, imagination, politics and a just transition—because most people are good people.
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