Principles

Some of the thoughts that inform the OWOV campaign:

Keep it simple.

Those who care about the climate crisis, face a huge range of possible actions to take and campaigns to support. But too much choice can create confusion and inertia. OWOV gives you a simple call-to-action. It only takes a minute to say ‘yes’.

Be positive.

Any threat to survival triggers a dramatic response. It’s natural to feel angry (“fight”) but anger is not always the smartest response and can alienate others who also care. It’s also natural to turn away, shut down, or distract ourselves (“flight” or “freeze”). OWOV helps you acknowledge the severity of this crisis while also staying positive and connected to others.

Be focused.

The climate crisis makes headlines for a few days, e.g., when there is a wildfire, flash flood, or heatwave, but then we get distracted by the next big thing. The goal of OWOV is to keep the climate crisis front of mind. We are committing to focus on this issue. Everything else is a distraction.

Prioritize.

It’s not that the other causes you believe in don’t matter—it’s just that the climate crisis is fundamental. The climate is the one thing that affects everything, and the consequences of not addressing it will severely impact on whatever else matters to you. For this reason, everything else comes second.

Be political, not partisan.

Solving the climate crisis requires political action. But to find solutions fast, we can’t let this be a partisan issue. We must encourage any leader who is taking this seriously and trying, in good faith, to come up with solutions, regardless of our traditional political affiliation, group membership, or social identity.

Solutions are a process.

We cannot let the complexity of this situation cause us to abdicate responsibility. Nor can we get attached to our own “pet” solution. The climate is a complex system and finding solutions will be an evolving process. We may not get everything right, first time, and new problems and solutions will emerge. The important thing is that we keep supporting the process of finding solutions. We can participate in the conversation even though we don’t know the answer.

We need “top down” change.

Although independent (“bottom up”) behavior is important, averting climate catastrophe requires more than each person reusing plastic bags or doing something locally. It requires significant “top down” decisions that will incentivize and regulate new behavior on a large scale, quickly. OWOV is a “bottom up” initiative to show leaders our support for “top down” solutions.

Unite our messages.

While there are many worthwhile groups agitating for progress on the climate, each has its own agenda or angle. To make an impact, we may also need one overarching demand or unifying message.

Help leaders be bold.

Even the most well-meaning leaders will not take bold action if the people are not demanding it. Bottom line: politicians in democracies want to get elected. OWOV is intended to tip the balance—to give leaders the electoral nudge they need to take bold action quickly.

Don't wait for others.

Few people sacrifice for the common good unless they see other people making a similar sacrifice—this is the “tragedy of the commons.” Same goes for countries. To get over this, we can encourage leaders to act unilaterally—i.e., to take bold action regardless of what any leaders in other countries or regions are doing. OWOV makes politicians accountable in their own regional elections.

Own the solutions.

Although it is politicians who make decisions of policy, we are the ones who have to live with their decisions, we who have make changes to our lifestyle, and we who have to support these decisions over time. For that reason, it’s vital that we “own” or have “buy in” to these decisions. Averting climate catastrophe is not a remote, bureaucratic exercise—we need to know that we were the source of the solution—that it was our choice and our victory.

Acknowledge fear.

The climate crisis is causing profound anxiety, especially in children. If not acknowledged and dealt with in a healthy way, this could have severe psychological consequences. Anxiety can lead to unhealthy behaviours (e.g., addiction), an increase in reactivity and aggression, and even deeper denial (“This is too scary to think about.”).

But small, symbolic actions can be psychologically beneficial. Action gives us a sense of empowerment, which ameliorates anxiety. Participating in a collective action gives a sense of community and purpose, which also ameliorates anxiety. In other words, it feels good to know that we can do something about this, and that we are doing something about this.

Turn concern into action.

Although many people are concerned about the climate, our concerns are often amorphous, and the right course of action even less clear. But we can channel concern into consequence. We can hold accountable any politician who fails to address this issue sufficiently.

See opportunity.   

The climate crisis is a threat unlike any other that humanity has faced. But it is also an opportunity, a transformational moment. Smart politicians will seize this moment on behalf of their constituents, and lead us in developing new capabilities, new business opportunities, new technology, and better ways of thinking, relating, and caring.

To fully grasp the opportunity, however, we may need to be willing to face, rather than avoid, our worst fear, and focus on the one thing more important than anything else.

Take one step.   

Success breeds success. By making this one, simple commitment, we might just be more inclined to make further commitments and other changes to the way we live and work. If we feel that we made an impact, we are more likely to do something else that might have an impact.