How to break the news

No one wants to break the bad news. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one or the end of the era of cheap oil, it’s mind-boggling to even think about how you tell someone something so vastly unpleasant.

How does one talk about such a tough topic?

Over the past few months, I’ve thought very deeply about this. I’ve also had plenty of experience trying to spread the word, leading to insights gained by trial and error. But there are a few things that make the task of spreading the word much, much easier.

Who’s listening?

The first step is to recognize your audience.

Simply put, peak oil isn’t a topic that everyone will gravitate to. That’s all right, you don’t have to tell everyone.

If you take a moment to really consider who you’re talking to, you’ll glean a sense of who would be the most receptive to hearing about peak oil.

Transition Trainers tell us to examine where people are on a spectrum, from wholly resistant to the message or denying its truth, to mildly interested but a bit skeptical, to the opposite end of the spectrum, and ready to change their whole lifestyle to accommodate the reality of peak oil. By sensing where people are you can adapt your style for the best chance of success.

Your peeps

There’s definitely a happy fit with other green groups. They’re very receptive to the energy and climate issues and may even want to work together on building a Transition movement in your community.

Hosting an event like a casual talk, or a presentation or film screening about peak oil or Transition, can draw folks in. Those arrangements seem to work much better than simply cornering someone at a party and telling them all about the Mad Max glory days to come with declining energy.

Be prepared to host a discussion after the film or presentation to answer questions. You might even bring in a skilled guest speaker. This can help tremendously. Also use the event as an opportunity to gather more contacts and form connections with people. A group has much more weight behind it than a single individual. And your event just might be the start of a new Transition group.

Your pitch

Although it may be an off putting phrase, you are effectively “pitching” the story of peak oil. You’re saying that we’re going to change our communities in order to make them work without cheap oil. Or you’re saying something harsher: That peak oil is going to change life for us, whether we participate or not. That message is going to take some work, not to mention a well-presented case.

It’s worth emphasizing right now that spelling doom for people will not win you many, if any, converts. Although your intention might be to have them think they have nothing to lose, in reality such a message only tends to alienate. It can feel like a personal attack for your listener to hear that everything about the lifestyle they live in is contributing to the problem. Hammering away at that story line has the tendency to further steep people in denial.

Instead, talk about some of the things that people are doing in other towns or countries around the world, other Transition Towns, and so forth. Put the emphasis on community building, an appreciation for local scale living, the joys of bike riding. Don’t emphasize what someone will lose, but what they will gain.

Your long term goal

Continue networking with other groups. Take time to host further discussions, as well as to do public projects, outdoor events, and similar activities. Also get involved in other groups and their projects. Form a coalition with other leaders. You want to maximize visibility and that in turn will help get your message out.

How much time?

The best is approach is to take it in baby steps. It’s going to be a slow process to share with others the difficulties and challenges implicit in cheap energy decline. As your skills develop in sharing this story, you’ll better sense how much you can say to someone, and how deep your discussion can become. Use your intuition.

Often we want everything to be changed overnight. But that’s not how life works. If you’re patient, you’ll have some real success stories to work from, things that you can look back on with pride, knowing you helped share a critical message at a critical time.

If that’s what you’re doing, be encouraged. It’s well-worth the time and effort you’re making during this time of great human and cultural transformation.

–Dylan Greene, Transition Voice