ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE GLOBAL #CALL4CLIMATE ACTION

In a critical year for our future, we're kicking off
The world's biggest-yet climate change writing movement

Join us and hundreds of other bloggers, journalists, and campaigners
As we flood the media in late July and early August With blogs, articles, op-eds, interviews and more

Shaping the global conversation around climate issues, one article at a time.

Join the mobilisation

This is a critical year in our story as a global movement facing climate change

For our July Global #Call4Climate Action we want your help in bringing climate issues to life - in particular, by writing about one of two topics.

TOPIC 1: This year marks the end of the fossil fuel era There are almost daily announcements about dropping renewable energy prices, massive clean energy projects breaking ground, and new government goals to increase shares of renewables in the power supply. We want your help in telling the world and convincing our governments that this year marks the end of the age of fossil fuels, and the age of renewables has arrived.

TOPIC 2: Climate Issues aren’t just global, they’re personal With climate change solutions increasingly accessible and affordable, a constant stream of news also reminds us that climate change is already upon us. Extreme weather in recent months has proven deadly for those most vulnerable. At the same time we have a better understanding of how the drivers of climate change - like emissions from coal power plants - are having significant impacts on our personal health. We want your help in making climate change personal by helping publics around the world better understand the climate-health nexus. Climate issues aren't just global, they're personal.

We’re asking you to bring one of the the above topics to live in ways that resonate with your community or country.

Join us in flooding the media with your voices. Lets help people understand how climate issues are relevant to them. In doing so, we’ll help build massive public pressure on leaders as they prepare a new global climate agreement for Paris this December.

The target publishing dates for this July Global #Call4Climate Action go from July 27th to August 10th.

Here is just a glimpse of the impact you're making

mosaic2
 

Join us and hundreds of others as we write the movement and flood the media with blogs, articles and op-eds all about what climate change means to us. All it takes is four steps:

Step 1: PLAN

Pick a Topic and Angle more »

Step 2: WRITE

Find a Unique Way to Tell Your Story more »

Step 3: PITCH

Flood the Media more »

Step 4: SHARE

Publish and Share! more »

Step 1 - Step 1 – PLAN: Pick a Topic and Angle

PICK A TOPIC – For our the July #Call4Climate Action, we laid out two potential topics above. Below are a few resources to help you dig in:

This year marks the end of the fossil fuel era
  • Check out our Climate Tracker webinar with authors of the REN21 report, as well as a number of Trackers who work in the renewable space. You can watch the webinar and read a blog about what was discussed here.
  • Our GCCA colleagues pulled together a communications brief with key points from the REN21 report. You can also find related communications briefs here.
Climate Issues aren’t just global, they’re personal
  • We hosted a Climate Tracker webinar with authors of a groundbreaking new study on climate change in health that was published in leading medical journal The Lancet. You can watch an archived version of that webinar here.
  • Our GCCA colleagues also pulled together a communications brief with key points from The Lancet report. They published a podcast on communicating climate and health issues. You can also find related communications briefs here.
PICK AN ANGLE – Whether it's pushing back against a planned coal power plant, supporting policies that can capture the benefits of the clean energy revolution, or standing up for the health of people in your community or country, find a way to make your topic relevant to the people you hope to engage.

 

Step 2 - WRITE: Find a Unique Way to Tell Your Story

You’ve thought about the topic, who you hope to reach and how you’ll reach them. Now it’s time to start writing. You don’t have to be a professional writer. Anyone can make an impact. You just need to let your own voice shine through.

Write about what is important to you. Most importantly, write from your heart. If we’re going to change the global narrative on climate change, we need to inject some emotion into the debate. We need to show the world the human side of climate change. We need to tell the real life stories that the media isn’t. This is the perfect time to start.

Additional resources:
 

Step 3 - PITCH: Flood the Media

Pitch your Piece - write a clear, concise email you can send to editors telling them exactly who you are, what you plan to write, why it’s important and when it will be written. Expect to be rejected a few times, and make back-up lists of editors to email. In some cases, you may need to email and call more than 10 editors before 1 says yes.

Now it’s time to pitch! Remember, it doesn’t have to be a big national newspaper, sometimes a story in a small local newspaper or niche website can have the biggest impact. And if this is your first time trying to get published, it can help to start small.

When you do pitch your story to someone, try to summarize your story in 3 sentences, and don’t forget to highlight why this is news-worthy. It might be wise to have a few different options in mind. If you’re first choice editor doesn’t like it, you can always send it to someone else (and someone else, and someone else,... ).

We organized a Skill-up on pitching earlier this year, and it’s packed with great suggestions for print, radio and video pitches.

Additional resources:
  • There's a great quick 'How to Pitch' guide over at the Oped Project.

  • You might also check out our Climate Tracker Skill-up on Pitching an Op-ed from last summer.
 

Step 4 - Publish and Share!

Aim to publish your work between July 27th to August 10th. We want negotiators to arrive in Bonn feeling the pressure from all of your articles. Now’s our time to turn it up!

We’ll use the form linked to the button above to track your work. Once you have published your article, submit it here so we can track it.

1. Tell us about your contribution

Then, share your work! Make sure to share your success with your fellow Climate Trackers (and the world!) by tweeting your #Call4Climate with the link:

2. Tweet your #Call4Climate Action!

Between July 27th to August 10th, we’ll be hosting a twitter storm to raise the profile of your efforts.

Even if you try and fail, use the form to let us know you tried so we can keep supporting you in the coming months.

Just think what an impact you could make with a story in your local or national news. The impacts of climate change are being felt by people all around the world, but the media isn’t paying attention. It’s time we let the world know that we’re not going to just watch our future go to waste.

Lets get writing!