Once upon a time...
It seems that the Centaurs of mythology are based on a real historical event. Centuries B.C., the ancient Greeks were invaded by a horse-riding wine-stealing, womenfolk-molesting and generally badly-misbehaving war-like people. The event was so traumatic that Greek culture transformed its terrors through storytelling. Like an oyster turns an irritating grain of sand into a pearl.
Storytelling is the human way since forever. Every culture everywhere has used/uses storytelling. To simplify essential knowledge. To reaffirm values. To give a sense of belonging and direction in an unpredictable world. Indeed, some concepts must be encased in storytelling. Lest they induce paralysis and/or avoidance reflexes. Think ‘death’ for example. We have storytelling around that for a reason.
I think climate drift is a mega anxiety-inducing concept. It awakens dark fears. And questions our collective grow-or-disappear narratives. As children of humanity’s forward-conquer-it-all spirit, don’t we normally accept the demands of everyday in exchange for a shinier tomorrow? Isn’t higher-faster-stronger how we generally organize wealth and power in our societies? So, what happens when we discover that our existential drive to grow is effectively challenged by physical reality? What happens to sunny tomorrows then? How do we deal with a realisation that feels like burning lava wrapped in spikes soaked in lemon juice - and has the potential to burn everything along its path?
You guessed it – empowering storytelling. Both doomsday prophecies and all-will-be-fine lullabies rob us of our capacity to imagine a better tomorrow. We need sustainability storytelling that befits our diverse cultures and value systems, empowers us to fight for something valuable, and harnesses millennia-old human instincts. Of course, good storytelling doesn’t change the fundamentals of the challenge. Just like living a meaningful life does not erase the reality of physical death. That’s why Greek mythology did not try to pull wool over the eye. Instead, it harnessed our love for good stories. And so encapsulated all the drama, hopes, dreams, delusions and cannot-be-explained of life into a powerful narrative. And in turn, that Greek Mythology provided the shared fertile ground for their civilization to flower into philosophy, the arts, science, ingenuity, innovation and inventiveness.
So, to get massively more of us to address climate drift, maybe we need to craft a fantastic and touching full of rebounds, wonders and surprises Sustainability Mythology.
... Now, where did I park my horse again?
Marketing Director (Developments)
3 年A great point and well told and I’m hearing similar echoes from others who are focused in this space to. One that comes to mind is Christina Figueres talk at the RSA a couple of years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YQe0OdAVC0&ab_channel=RSA where she advocates a positive outlook on climate change, that under great pressure and demand we, the human race, do turn things around but we have 10 years (now 8) to do so. Let’s also remember that the Greek’s were known for their tragedies - usually a noblemen falls to disaster due to poor choices in circumstances which he cannot deal with. The principle being so the audience learns from the protagonists mistakes and what not to do should they find themselves in the grip of temptation, envy or other negative emotion. Indeed the three act narrative structure that we see in most films, particularly Hollywood, follow this but replace the tragedy - and therefore the lesson - with a happy, uplifting conclusion so the we all feel better on leaving the cinema and want to go back for more. Commerce trumping lessons of our parents. However - and building on the point you’re making Cyril - I think neither the tragedy or the happy ending is the right narrative structure for the drama that is unfolding in front of us. Climate drift - as you call it - feels too big for us to comprehend and there is no single protagonist at the centre of the story. It is at once us and everyone else. Nearly all of the climate content I’ve seen, Before the Flood, Inconvenient Truth (1 & 2), Greta’s BBC documentary, even more recently Seaspiracy follow the same narrative structure: complete despair at what we’re doing that causes climate drift and then modest hint of hope at?the end usually along the lines “…but now we have the means to change” “… it’s up to us to make the right choices” And every time the credits start to roll I’m left asking “so what do you want ME to do about this?” You’re creating an urge to do something… but you’re not giving me the how (‘So How?’ As you say Cyril) and for many it just creates paralysis or feels like someone is already handling it. I think the narratives need to change: we know about the despair and calamity but now we need inspiration and instruction on what to do and most importantly imagine the future when everyone is making the right choices. Depict that, regardless however small the individual efforts feel, it’s the collective scale of these changes, choices and adjusted behaviours that will bring the change needed. Extrapolate the choices of not buying fruit and veg flown into the country will mean for that supermarket and the supply chain behind it. Extrapolate what it means by taking one less flight a year means on Carbon emissions nationally and globally. Extrapolate what it means if I eat meat only three times week does on the demand for cattle farming and the reduction in methane as result. Explain what happens when we don’t bother to recycle properly, go to where it ends up and the leachate that is created. This way, we the viewer, becomes the protagonist in their own tragedy but at the same time the narrative shows the right choices to make: literally if you do this then we all benefit. A switch of the perspective from the macro - the planet - to the micro - the individual - should effect change we desperately need.