June 2017
Guy Dauncey
COMMUNICATING
CLIMATE
Guy Dauncey is a futurist who works to develop a
positive vision of a sustainable future, and to
translate that vision into action. He lives on
Vancouver Island, in Canada.
He is founder of the BC Sustainable Energy
Association, co-founder of the Victoria Car Share
Cooperative, and the author or co-author of ten
books, including The Climate Challenge: 101
Solutions to Global Warming and
Journey to the Future: A Better World Is Possible.
He is an Honorary Member of the Planning
Institute of BC, a Fellow of the Findhorn
Foundation in Scotland, and a Fellow of the Royal
Society for the Arts, founded in Britain in 1754.
(Old photo. Add ten years.)
www.earthfuture.com
www.journeytothefuture.ca
www.thepracticalutopian.ca
2009
Five Questions
First Question
When you think about
the future of our world,
what do you feel?
HOPE?
WORRY?
Second Question
Yes or No, do you agree?
“Greenhouse gases are the main
cause of current global warming.”
In 2014, Bart Verheggen of the Netherlands
Environmental Assessment Agency surveyed
1,868 climate scientists.
90% of those with more than 10 peer-reviewed
papers related to climate explicitly agreed that
greenhouse gases
were the main cause of global warming
Third Question
On a scale of 1 to 10
“What do you think will be the likely
effects of global climate change
in the next 50 to 100 years?”
1-3 Trivial or Mild
4-7 Moderate
8-10 Severe/Catastrophic
On a scale of 1 to 10
“What do you think will be the likely
effects of global climate change
in the next 50 to 100 years?”
1-3 Trivial or Mild 13%
4-7 Moderate 44%
8-10 Severe/Catastrophic 41%
Farnsworth & Lichter, 2011
Fourth Question
On a scale of 0-10
How confident are you that you know the
basic solutions to the climate crisis?
0-3 No to low confidence
4-7 Medium confidence
8-10 High confidence
Fifth Question
On a scale of 0-10
How confident do you feel that you
can make a positive impact of some
kind on the climate crisis,
however small?
0-3 Low confidence
4-7 Medium confidence
8-10 High confidence
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
1. Need to grasp the true
urgency of the crisis
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
1. Need to grasp the true
urgency of the crisis
2. The path to engagement
is through positive
examples of success:
showing how we can
tackle the crisis
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
1. Need to grasp the true
urgency of the crisis
2. The path to engagement
is through positive
examples of success:
showing how we can
tackle the crisis
3. Show positive solutions
for each sector
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
1. Need to grasp the true
urgency of the crisis
2. The path to engagement
is through positive
examples of success:
showing how we can
tackle the crisis
3. Show positive solutions
for each sector
1. Play up the theme of
technological transition to
the Solar Age
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
1. Need to grasp the true
urgency of the crisis
2. The path to engagement
is through positive
examples of success:
showing how we can
tackle the crisis
3. Show positive solutions
for each sector
1. Play up the theme of
technological transition to
the Solar Age
2. Compare transition from
horses to cars with
transition from fossil fuels
to solar age
CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
ACCEPTERS DENIERS
1. Need to grasp the true
urgency of the crisis
2. The path to engagement
is through positive
examples of success:
showing how we can
tackle the crisis
3. Show positive solutions
for each sector
1. Play up the theme of
technological transition to
the Solar Age
2. Compare transition from
horses to cars with
transition from fossil fuels
to solar age
3. Show examples of
renewable technologies
Why do people really deny
the climate science?
1. CORPORATE: If people believe it’s true, and take action,
it will threaten our corporate profits from fossil fuels.
2. LIBERTARIAN: I don’t like big government, and if it was
true governments would have to act, and they’d need
more powers, so it can’t be true.
3. IGNORANT/OPINIONATED: I am confident and well-
educated and I think I know how the world works. I don’t
like being wrong, and I really don’t like tree-huggers
telling me I’m wrong.
4. WORRY-WART: I’m comfortable and I don’t like change,
and this climate thing has got change written all over it,
Thought #1
Crisis
December 2016
This is a gif –
Give it a
moment to
kick in
This is a gif –
Give it a
moment to
kick in
Simulated global Temperature Change 1850-2100
Fort McMurray, Summer 2016
Where the heat is going
The Guardian, March 22, 2016
The last time the world was 3C warmer,
the sea level was 25 metres higher.
Vancouver 2 Metres Sea-Level Rise
Vancouver 20 Metres Sea-Level Rise
If global warming
exceeds 1.6°C
up to
31%
of Earth’s species
will be committed to
extinction,
having nowhere to go
to escape the rising
heat
Thought #2
Causes
The four human causes
of the climate crisis
The four human causes
of the climate crisis
1. Burning fossil fuels
The four human causes
of the climate crisis
1. Burning fossil fuels
2. Eating meat, dairy
The four human causes
of the climate crisis
1. Burning fossil fuels
2. Eating meat, dairy
3. Destroying forests
The four human causes
of the climate crisis
1. Burning fossil fuels 70%
2. Eating meat, dairy 15%
3. Destroying forests 15%
4. Destructive economy
Global Anthropogenic
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2004. (Source IPCC)
Guy Dauncey 2013
www.earthfuture.com
The livestock industry – meat & dairy –
is causing 15% of global warming
Who,
- me?
Who,
- me?
Me?Me?
Me?Me?
Guy Dauncey 2013
www.earthfuture.com
GDP =
Gross
Depletion
of the
Planet
Guy Dauncey 2013
www.earthfuture.com
Gross
Depletion
of the
Planet
Why?
To raise cattle,
to make hamburgers
Some great
climate websites
www.theguardian.com
thinkprogress.org/climate
www.climatechangenews.com
insideclimatenews.org
www.climatecentral.org
cleantechnica.com
www.bcsea.org/
green-economy
www.skepticalscience.com
Thought #3
Transition
300,000 years The Age of Firewood
300 years The Age of Fossil Fuels
Science
Engineering
It was fossil fuels
that launched the Industrial Age,
and the modern world.
It is fossil fuels
that made advanced engineering,
solar PV and electric vehicles possible.
We shouldn’t vilify fossil fuels.
We should praise them,
but then say
“Enough!”
Farewell and Thank You, Fossil Fuels
Welcome, Solar Age!
Welcome, Solar Age!
Two billion years:
Age of Fossil Fuels is the
LAUNCH RAMP
for the Solar Age
Thought #4
The Solar Age
All energy is solar energy
More solar energy reaches
Earth in an hour
than humans use in a year.
Solar energy travels at the speed of light
1,000 million kilometres an hour
Sun to Earth in 8 minutes 19 seconds
A billion years
The Sun will not begin to turn
into a Red Giant for more than a billion years.
That’s 100,000 periods of 10,000 years
And every year,
solar technologies will improve,
and fall in price.
ELECTRICITY
A Federal Clean Energy Plan
Help the provinces to close down all coal-fired power plants
by 2025, all gas-fired power plants by 2040
Price of
Solar Module
per Watt
1977: $77
1997: $7
2013: $0.7
Mass production = falling prices
30 cents kwh
5 cents kwh
Guy Dauncey 2013
www.earthfuture.com
Area needed – theoretically – for all of
Earth’s power to be met by solar PV
Solar Stadium, Taiwan
The New Tesla Solar Roof
The New Tesla Solar Roof
Floating Solar in England.
They clip together, like Lego
The world’s largest floating solar
Queen Elizabeth II reservoir, Walton-on-Thames, England
23,046 solar panels, 6.3 MW
Thought #5
Solutions
So how are
we going to
do this?
So how are
we going to
do this?
The five fundamental solutions
to the climate crisis
tithe climate crisis
The five fundamental solutions
to the climate crisis
tithe climate crisis
1. 100% renewable energy
The five fundamental solutions
to the climate crisis
tithe climate crisis
1. 100% renewable energy
2. Phase out industrial meat
The five fundamental solutions
to the climate crisis
tithe climate crisis
1. 100% renewable energy
2. Phase out industrial meat
3. Restore Earth’s forests
The five fundamental solutions
to the climate crisis
tithe climate crisis
1. 100% renewable energy
2. Phase out industrial meat
3. Restore Earth’s forests
4. Eco-sequestrate carbon
The five fundamental solutions
to the climate crisis
tithe climate crisis
1. 100% renewable energy
2. Phase out industrial meat
3. Restore Earth’s forests
4. Eco-sequestrate carbon
5. A restorative economy
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
1. Promote climate leadership, engagement,
education and adaptation
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
2. Create targets, policies and regulations to achieve
100% renewable energy for electricity by 2030
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
3. Create targets, policies and regulations to achieve
a transition to sustainable transportation
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
4. Create targets, policies and regulations to achieve
a transition to sustainable buildings
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
5. Put an annually increasing effective
price on carbon
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
6. Build a green, cooperative, caring,
entrepreneurial economy for the 21st century
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
7. Create targets, policies and regulations
to reduce fossil fuel industry emissions
and leave most fossil fuels in the ground
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
8. Create targets, policies and regulations to help
Canada’s emissions-intensive industries reduce their
emissions and shift to 100% renewable energy
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
9. Create targets, policies and regulations to help
Canada’s farmers, ranchers and foresters to reduce
their emissions and sequestrate carbon
The Ten Most Important
Climate Action Clusters
10. Work with other nations
to accelerate global progress
The Race to ZeroThe Race to Zero
= The Race to a Clean
Green Economy
= The Race to a Clean
Green Economy
2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Every year
5-10% CO2 reduction
2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Every year
renewable energy
increase
Denmark
Not everyone wants this – it’s a struggle
L
N
G
=
Leave it
N the
Ground
Why? The climate crisis, the salmon,
the eelgrass, the Tsimshian, the Haida…
Lelu Island
Skeena Estuary
75%
of British Columbians think protecting the
climate is more important than building
pipelines and further developing the tar sands.
Oracle Poll, November 2015
92%of British Columbians
want to see a plan
to develop jobs in
the renewable energy
sector.
Oracle Poll, November 2015
It will take everyone – you, me,
non-profits, schools, colleges,
governments, businesses, banks,
- and global cooperation
Thought #6
Vision
Another Question
Do You Have
a Positive Vision
of our Future World?
Another Question
Do You Want
a Positive Vision
of our Future World?
A New Green World
The visions we offer our children shape the future.
It matters what those visions are.
– Carl Sagan, 1934-1996
The Motivating
Power of Vision
CITY OF VICTORIA
just voted to go
100% RENEWABLE
Oslo voted to slash emissions 95% by 2030
Mark Carney,
Governor, Bank of England
“Climate change initiatives offer a
$5-7 trillion funding opportunity
for capital markets.”
HOW MANY
FOSSIL FUEL
JOBS
WILL END?
HOW MANY
NEW JOBS
WILL BE
CREATED?
Guy Dauncey 2015
www.earthfuture.com
Canada has 555,000 direct and
indirect jobs in fossil fuels
Almost Twice as Many
Green Jobs in Canada
By Guy Dauncey
800,000 fossil fuel jobs lost
1,000,000 green energy jobs gained
www.ironandearth.org
Transportation without Oil
Make walking fun and joyful
Istanbul,
Turkey
In Holland, cycling is the main mode of
transport for 31% of the people
The Bicycle - a Romance in 10 Acts
Act 1: Love
Act 2: Marriage
Act 3: Sperm Donation
Act 4: Kids!
Act 5: More Kids!
In Odense, Denmark,
5-Year-Olds Bike to School on their Own
Act 6: To School!
Act 7: All the Neighbours’ Kids
Kids with special needs
Act 8: The Safe Commute to Work
The fast commute to work
Solar electric bike, top speed 48 km/hr
The circular commute to work
Bicycle Bridge, Holland
The electric bike commute to work
The Vancouver commute to work
Granville St Bridge Imagined Future
The Safe Commute Home
Act 9: Shopping
Act 10: Retirement
Act 11: Old Age
Act 12: The End
Act 12: The End
Australian/Chinese Brighsun Electric Bus
500 km on one charge, full of passengers
Barcelona is moving all its buses to
100% electric by 2020
New Chinese urban tram has sensors that
follow the painted lines.
Real-time electronic bus stops
Elevated transit bus, under development in China
Car sharing - Car2Go
Car sharing - Car2Go
120,000 members in
400,000 advance orders placed for the
$35,000 Tesla Model 3
320 kilometres range
Honda solar electric car charging
The falling price of EV
The falling price of EV batteries
20 metres sea-level rise
By 2025, Holland is preparing
to ban the purchase of gas and
Swiss E-Force 18 tonne electric truck
300 km range
80–110 kWh per 100 km at highway speed
Future Scania electric truck,
recharging by an inductive roadway.
Air pollution - gone
• Global Carbon Cap
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Tax on meat and dairy
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Tax on meat and dairy
• Solar electrification of railways
• Rapid transition to 100% Renewable Energy
• All coal-fired power plants shut down by 2018
• All gas-fired power plants shut down by 2025
• All fossil fuel exports ended… and a whole lot more
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Tax on meat and dairy
• Solar electrification of railways
• Rapid transition to 100% Renewable Energy
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Tax on meat and dairy
• Solar electrification of railways
• Rapid transition to 100% Renewable Energy
• All coal-fired power plants shut down by 2018
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Tax on meat and dairy
• Solar electrification of railways
• Rapid transition to 100% Renewable Energy
• All coal-fired power plants shut down by 2018
• All gas-fired power plants shut down by 2025
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
• Climate Bonds
• Carbon Tax/Price
• Carbon Rationing
• All new cars EV by 2025
• All new buildings Passive
House standard by 2020
• Widespread local mobilization
• Huge local food initiative
• Tax on industrial meat & dairy
• Solar electrification of railways
• Rapid transition to 100% Renewable Energy
• All coal-fired power plants shut down by 2018
• All gas-fired power plants shut down by 2025
• All fossil fuel exports ended… and a whole lot more
• Global Carbon Cap
• National Carbon Caps
Guy Dauncey
2017
Political Leadership
“Normal” Political Choices
Raise Taxes Cut Spending
Real Political Choices
Business as Usual Harmony with Nature
Business as Usual Harmony with Nature
Real Political Choices
Business as Usual Harmony with Nature
Real Political Choices
Progress towards goals
•20% decrease in greenhouse gases from buildings
•27% decrease in vehicle km driven per person
•50% of trips made by bike, walking or transit
•10% of commuter trips made by bike
•15% decrease in community-wide GHGs
•23% decrease in solid waste to landfill/incinerator
•38% increase in neighbourhood food assets
•Nearly 49,000 new trees planted
•Biodiversity Strategy approved
•48,000 new trees planted
Throughout existence,
having a positive intention of a future
outcome
Dream it
Plan it
Do it
Collapse is Possible
A Great Transition is
Mark Henson
When you think about
the future of our world,
what do you feel?
HOPE?
WORRY?
If it’s not fun,
it’s not
sustainable.
If it’s not fun,
it’s not
sustainable.
Journey to the Future on YouTube,
Search “Guy Dauncey”
Guy Dauncey 2013
www.earthfuture.com
Guy Dauncey
www.earthfuture.com
Communicating Climate

Communicating Climate