A few months ago, we issued a “pocket guide” to the climate narrative developed by Breakthrough Strategies & Solutions. The narrative is powerful not only because opinion research shows it resonates, but also because it’s so simple. The storyline involves just 3 memorable (and essential) parts—the threat, the solutions, and the villains.
In the spirit of showing rather than telling, we’re always on the lookout for examples of these kinds of messaging recommendations in action. And as it happens, Jay Inslee, Washington State’s newly elected governor, has modeled this messaging strategy for years—if not decades.
Inslee often drives home the seriousness of the climate THREAT by pointing to extreme weather. He makes it personal by talking about our responsibility to protect our kids and grand-kids.
Inslee consistently stresses our proud history of ingenuity. In fact, a hallmark of his climate messaging is his unflagging confidence in our American (and Washingtonian) ability to tackle climate and energy SOLUTIONS—and he backs it up with plenty of success stories about clean energy technologies and local jobs.
And I’m not sure Inslee would necessarily refer to Big Oil and Coal as VILLAINS outright, but he hasn’t shied away from frank acknowledgement of the fossil fuel industry’s stranglehold on progress.
Here’s the narrative in Jay Inslee’s words.
