Reflecting on the lessons from my South Africa trip has left me in awe of how much personal growth can come from embracing the unknown. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be sitting here, recounting stories of encounters with elephants, learning universal languages with local kids, or bonding deeply with a group of strangers. Yet, here we are.

The trip began with nerves. What if they didn’t like me? What if I didn’t belong? It’s a question we all face in new situations, and I was no different. But something clicked on that dusty shuttle ride to Indlovu bush camp. I decided to be present, let go of self-doubt, and simply dive in. That choice made all the difference.

The days were filled with awe-inspiring moments - from elephants wandering near camp to late-night fireside chats that delved into our thorns and roses, sharing our highs and lows. These conversations were raw, authentic, and grounding. They reminded me of the power of connection and the strength we draw from community.

One moment that stuck with me was working with the Bush Babies, an environmental education program for local kids. The language barrier was daunting at first, but I learned that art, humour, and even soccer are universal languages. By drawing a goofy cartoon of a “patient” in a first-aid lesson, I broke through the awkwardness and created a connection. That simple shift taught me that there’s always a way to connect - you just have to find it.

The highlight of the trip, however, was meeting the Black Mambas, an all-female, unarmed anti-poaching unit. Their results are remarkable: no rhino has been lost to poachers in over a decade in their region. Their courage and dedication are proof that change doesn’t always require force, just unwavering conviction.

This trip wasn’t just about the breath-taking sights or unique encounters - it was a masterclass in vulnerability, adaptability, and growth. It reminded me why projects like Ecodia exist. We need spaces that foster these connections, that challenge our perspectives, and that make us better.

I carry these lessons with me as I work to bring Ecodia to life. If these ideas resonate with you, join us on this journey. Together, we can create something extraordinary - for people, for the planet, and for ourselves. Follow along or get involved at www.thepoppyfields.love.

As always, gracias, and I love you

Tate

Link on the website doesn’t seem to work, i want to help out with the activism or anyway that i can.

Heyy!

Here is an open letter to the presidency of COP29 to commit to drastic emission cuts: https://forms.gle/a5GYwew659DyVXoh8

This letter aims to target the credibility of COP to act on its central mandate of tackling the climate crisis before 2025 (AR6).

You can sign until November 20th 12:00GMT

Sorry for the Wall of text and the word klimakleber. It s a ChatGPT query to find out how the narrative could become so much less influential:

Fridays for Future (FFF) has played a significant role in the global climate movement but has recently been overshadowed by more radical groups like Extinction Rebellion (XR) and the so-called "Klimakleber" (climate glue activists). Several factors contribute to this shift in public perception:

1. Media Dynamics:

• Radical Actions Draw More Attention: XR and the Klimakleber use confrontational, often radical protest methods, such as blocking roads and gluing themselves to public spaces. These highly visual and disruptive actions are more attractive to media, often leading to greater coverage. Radical protest forms frequently result in more reporting because they are controversial and elicit direct reactions from the police, politicians, or the public.
• Saturation Effect for FFF: Initially, FFF received extensive media coverage, especially due to its large global climate strikes. However, over time, a saturation effect may have occurred. Repeated reporting on similar actions could have led to FFF receiving less media attention, as they are no longer perceived as "new" or "extraordinary" news.

2. Changes in Protest Strategy:

• Continuation of Regular Protests: FFF has primarily focused on regular, peaceful demonstrations and climate strikes. While this strategy initially garnered massive mobilization and media coverage, such regular protests may have become less spectacular in the eyes of the media and the public, especially compared to XR or Klimakleber's more drastic methods.
• Weaker Perception Due to the Pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic also significantly impacted how FFF could operate. While XR and other groups continued their actions even under pandemic conditions, FFF's mass protests were more challenging to implement, leading to a temporary decline in visibility.

3. Comparative Radicality and Perception:

• Positioning and Radicality: XR and the Klimakleber often position themselves as the more radical wings of the climate movement, willing to take on more far-reaching consequences for their actions. These groups emphasize that they must underline the seriousness of the climate crisis through their radical protest forms, giving them stronger perception as "determined" activists.
• Splitting the Climate Movement: Within the broader climate movement, there are different approaches and strategies. The media focus on more radical actions may also lead to FFF being perceived as "moderate" and therefore receiving less attention.

4. Social and Political Saturation:

• Saturation in the Public: It is possible that parts of the public have developed a certain "fatigue" towards climate protests, especially if they feel that little has changed due to the protests or if they are overwhelmed by a flood of climate information. This could lead to moderate protest forms like FFF's receiving less attention.
• Political Developments: With the increasing integration of climate protection measures into political programs and the entry of the Greens into the government, some of FFF's demands may be perceived as "adopted," making the movement seem less urgent.

5. Internal Challenges:

• Focus and Mobilization: FFF may have difficulty maintaining the same intensity and mobilization power as in its early years. The movement's focus may have diversified, and it has become more challenging to mobilize as many people as before.
• Young People in New Life Phases: Many of the young activists who founded FFF have since grown older and may be in different life stages (e.g., studying, entering the workforce), making it harder to maintain the same level of activity.

Conclusion:

Fridays for Future remains active and committed but has lost visibility compared to more radical groups like Extinction Rebellion and the Klimakleber. This is due to a combination of the radical and disruptive nature of these other groups' actions, some media saturation, and changes in protest dynamics since the pandemic. The challenge for FFF now is to evolve its strategy and find new ways to regain public focus without compromising its core principles.

Klimakleber is due to this being a research in german and it was a term which became popular with the media.

I would be really interested in your point of view. I hope that this post is ok with the guidelines of the sub.

The towers have now been blown up.

German carbon intensity is 400g /kWh over the past 365 days.

At this moment coal and gas are the largest sources of electricity on the German grid.

The largest “green” source of electricity is combustion of biomass.

Hello everyone,

we are a research group from the University of Augsburg in the field of communication studies and are looking for participants for an exciting scientific study on climate memes.

Our target group: We are looking for german-speaking individuals who actively create or share climate memes. Your experiences and perspectives are of great interest to our research. First and foremost: Participation is anonymous, and the data will be treated confidentially.

Study procedure:

• Participation involves an interview conducted via Zoom, so you can participate conveniently from anywhere. You do not need to turn on your camera during the interview.
• The interview lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.
• All collected data will be fully anonymized, so there will be no way to trace it back to you.

Your benefits:

• You will contribute to important scientific findings.
• You will have the opportunity to share your views and experiences on the topic of climate memes.
• Interested participants will receive exclusive access to the study results.
• Feel free to suggest two or three possible dates for the interview. We look forward to your participation and thank you very much for your support!

Best regards

Institute for Media, Knowledge, and Communication (imwk)
University of Augsburg

Hi everyone! I’m currently writing my university dissertation on online political advocacy and am hoping to do some qualitative research. My thesis aims to look at the rise of online petitions and the motivations/ experiences of those who sign them.

If you have signed a petition in the last 2 months, and have a spare 25-30 minuets to chat about that experience, I’d love to hear from you! I am more than happy to pay £20 or so (sorry I’m a broke student) to anyone who can spare the time. Preferably, you’d be a frequent signee of petitions and post them to your social media pages, although that is not a dealbreaker.

If this interests you, please message me and include some brief details about what the petition was about and where you signed. Hope this is okay to post, thank you!

Ever considered frequently suing drivers for traffic rule regulations? As a driver I would find this much more annoying compared with blocking a road in protest. In Germany this could generate a tremendous impact, e.g. Anzeigenhauptmeister.

Hello! I'm an Italian researcher who is working on the design and development of an application for the management of smart homes with a "greener" approach. As a part of my project, I need to understand how people use smart devices and how much they care about environment.

For this purpose, I kindly ask you 5 minutes of your time to fill the following form:https://forms.gle/Xb8thbuyvwmW9X6B7.

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As stated in the introductory page, all the data are anonymous and managed in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

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Thank you so much!

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