By Howard Sherman, Delaware County Ready for 100 Team
Problem: We’ve all had this experience: The typical environmental conference, workshop, or teaching event attracts only other committed environmentalists. We’re trying to deal with an all-hands-on-deck environmental crisis in global warming, but we’re stuck in a silo: we have difficulty getting our message out to the general public in such a way that they join us in working actively for the major changes we need. Even most Sierra Club members aren’t active in that large-scale way. We know them only as names on a list.
Coincidentally, our local state representative, Gina Curry (164th District), after learning about the climate crisis, tipping points and all, asked to work with the Sierra Club DelCo Team in helping her constituents learn how to cope with the extreme weather to come. Our goal became to get this critical information out to as many of the 106,000 residents of her district as we could.
What we did: I wound up becoming the event coordinator (no one else wanted the job), but I had never done anything like this. Fortunately, I received strong support from Upper Darby Tree Tenders, which included the leaders of multiple neighborhood associations, environmentally concerned clergy, and environmentally active residents. Lansdowne and East Lansdowne leaders joined us, plus leaders of local environmental groups, all contributing the knowledge and contacts I lacked. Of course, several members of our Sierra Club DelCo Team jumped in to help. What we planned and eventually came up with was different from all other environmental events any of us had ever attended, in the following ways:
1. We centered the event on the needs of residents to protect themselves in extreme weather. I asked everyone on our 15-member planning committee to mentally put themselves in the shoes of the average resident—aware in a general sense that the weather is changing due to global warming, but not knowledgeable about the details. We needed to make them aware of how they and their families could prepare, cope, and recover from weather disasters; we didn’t need to spend our time focusing on more abstract scientific, technological, social, or political issues.
2. We structured the teaching around eight brief (5-7 minute) presentations:
- Coping with severe storms.
- Coping with tornadoes.
- Coping with floods.
- Coping with extreme heat.
- Coping with toxic air pollution.
- Caring for your pets in a weather emergency.
- Sheltering in place vs. evacuating – what you need.
- Greening your property and neighborhood.
(Every one of the extreme weather events has already happened in the greater Philadelphia area and all are predicted to worsen due to global warming.)
3. We requested and got major involvement from Delaware County Emergency Services, our county agency tasked with emergency response during disasters and also with educating the public about coping with disasters. One of their staff members and one of their volunteers gave five of the eight presentations. This was the first time in my experience that our county emergency service had directly participated in an environmental teaching event.
4. We had 13 different presenters providing table exhibits. The unique feature was that several of the exhibits were done by local neighborhood organizations, several by Delaware County Emergency Services, and one by the Evangelical Environmental Network. The strong community emphasis and collaboration with faith-based environmental groups was another first in terms of local environmental events.
5. We did extensive advance publicity through online newsletters, social media, outreach to local political leaders, church congregations, schools, and child care programs, as well as wide distribution of a well-designed flyer. Community leaders and environmental activists distributed the flyer in their neighborhoods. Many flyers were given to store owners to hang in their windows or public spaces. In all, hundreds of flyers were distributed.
6. To make the event more attractive and accessible to residents, we provided refreshments, door prizes, and free child care during the event to those who needed it. We held the event in a local school with handicapped access and ample parking. The overall event was held on a Saturday morning and structured to last only 2 ½ hours.
The Results: Mixed. Approximately 26 residents attended who weren’t environmental activists—more than the usual attendance at local environmental events, but fewer than hoped for. What did succeed: Organizations and activists who had never collaborated or even met were able to connect and network for the first time—informal neighborhood groups, county emergency services, civic groups, religious groups, environmental groups, local government representatives—all mobilized by their concern over the impacts of climate change. Information was shared, prospective volunteers signed up, and the proceedings were recorded for future use. Those who participated asked to make the Environmental Town Hall an annual event. Channels were created through these groups to get the information out to the wider public.
A Lesson Learned: Stand-alone events organized and run by environmental activists may not be the most effective way to get this information out to residents in these particular communities. One possible alternative would be to take a stripped-down, mobile version of the event to where the residents normally gather: block parties, community festivals, local neighborhood organization meetings, and other church/community events.
Your feedback requested: Readers, what do you think? Any suggestions?
This blog was included as part of the September 2023 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!