This document summarizes a meeting of the Kenmore Transition Town group on November 17, 2011. It discusses having a "Conversation for Change" with climate change skeptics and provides tips on how to have a respectful conversation. It also summarizes feedback from the Escaping Silos Conference, focusing on workshops and panels from the Society for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering Conference in October. Speakers at that conference included Annie Leonard and Paul Gilding.

1. Kenmore Transition Town, 17 Nov 2011
"Conversation for Change" conversation with a climate
change skeptic, be they family, friend, neighbour, or
colleague.
Feedback from the Escaping Silos Conference. focus on
the workshops and panel discussions from Octobers
Society for Sustainability and Environmental
Engineering Conference. Speakers included Annie
Leonard, author of The Story of Stuff and Paul Gilding,
author of The Great Disruption.
Blake Barrett

2. Conversations for change
• Established a rapport with your new
friend
• Segway into the conversation
• For & against role play
• Finish on positive next steps
• Keep it short

3. Conversations for change - Introduction

4. Conversations for change - Rapport

5. Conversations for change
• Established a rapport with your new
friend
• Segway ... CONVERSATION STARTERS
• Look for common ground openings or areas
where the friend has a concern ... News,
Economy, Government, Sport, Weather,
Family, Kids, Grandkids, Retirement, Future
career-study, ...

6. Conversations for change – Roll Play
• 61, "It's not us"
Multiple sets of independent observations find a human
fingerprint on climate change.
• 2 "It's the sun"
In the last 35 years of global warming, sun and climate
have been going in opposite directions
• 66 "Clouds provide negative feedback"
Evidence is building that net cloud feedback is likely
positive and unlikely to be strongly negative.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/

7. Conversations for change – Roll Play
• 3 "It's not bad"
Negative impacts of global warming on
agriculture, health & environment far
outweigh any positives.
• 8 "Animals and plants can adapt"
Global warming will cause mass extinctions of
species that cannot adapt on short time scales.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/

8. Conversations for change – Roll Play
• 40 "CO2 limits will harm the economy"
The benefits of a price on carbon outweigh the costs
several times over.
• 65 "CO2 limits will hurt the poor
"Those who contribute the least greenhouse gases will
be most impacted by climate change.
• 111 "It's too hard"
Scientific studies have determined that current
technology is sufficient to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions enough to avoid dangerous climate change.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/

9. Conversations for change
• FINISH on positive next steps
– I believe in climate change and think that we
must change now and change quickly
– People should make up their minds based on
the evidence
– While everyone is entitled to their own
opinion, not everyone is entitled to be taken
seriously
Keep it short (5min)

10. Escaping Silos Conference
workshops and panel discussions
Annie • Goal was to meet other people (not go
viral)
• Key Communication Lessons:
• Get better at talking about the issues
• Connect with your purpose
• Avoid BIG words
• Start at the start
• What do they want … “Heart”
• Data and facts on tap (not on top)
http://www.ssee2011conference.com/

11. Escaping Silos Conference
Annie Ian Bruce Nyanja Richard

12. Escaping Silos Conference

13. Global Green Energy Hub: the lily pad option on building design located over Roma St Station

14. SEED ( Sustainable Energy & Emissions District) located over Roma St Station
SEED will grow
into a hub for:
•Stationary renewable energy
R&D
•EV auto battery R&D
•High capacity storage battery
R&D
•Network efficiency R&D
•Carbon Market, accreditation &
exchange
•Sustainability venture capital
market
Concept Colman Ridge colman@colmanridgepresents.com

15. Escaping Silos Conference
Chris
Kathryn David
Ryan Paul Matthew

16. Escaping Silos Conference – Code Red
Press release by SSEE - Engineers issue a call to action
Engineers at their national sustainability conference in Brisbane
today issued a Code Red warning that the profession is prepared
to take urgent action on climate change.
Delegates unanimously accepted the overwhelming evidence that
the earth is warming and that it is linked to mankind burning fossil
fuels.
According to Incoming chairperson Lara Harland, “If we accept the
science on almost everything from heart surgery to aeroplanes,
why won’t we accept the science of climate from the
professionals who have studied it all of their working lives?”
Deane Belfield the outgoing chair said, “The Chinese use the same
symbol for crisis and opportunity. We have both in front of us
now, and must seize the opportunity. The risk of catastrophe is
far greater than the risks of not acting.”

17. Escaping Silos Conference – Code Red
Press release by SSEE - Engineers issue a call to action
Engineers are eager to work with other professionals to use the
tools at their disposal and bring about deep transformational
change to sustainable living. A multi-state working committee
has been formed with the goals of:
– Supporting the scientists to convey their expertise and the
urgency of the matter
– Working with other bodies who understand the science and can
contribute to solutions
– Providing solutions that will work
– With the knowledge that we have now, the risk of not acting is
far outside the bounds of anything acceptable to a normal
society. We have the tools if we use them now.

18. Kenmore Transition Town, 17 Nov 2011
"Conversation for Change" conversation with a climate
change skeptic be they family, friend, neighbour, or
colleague.
Feedback from the Escaping Silos Conference. focus on
the workshops and panel discussions from Octobers
Society for Sustainability and Environmental
Engineering Conference. Speakers included Annie
Leonard, author of The Story of Stuff and Paul Gilding,
author of The Great Disruption.
Blake Barrett