Rebecca Huntley believes we have a fighting chance to create a liveable world for everyone
Ep45 of the Better World Leaders podcast with Australian social researcher and author of ‘How to talk about Climate Change in a way that makes a difference’, Rebecca Huntley.
Working as a social researcher for decades, you spend endless hours interviewing people and facilitating workshops to understand a broad-spectrum of perspectives of what people want, what they don’t want – and most especially what they hope for the future. This has been Rebecca Huntley’s journey into addressing one of greatest challenges for better world leaders – Climate Change. As one of Australia’s preeminent social researchers, it’s an absolute honour to bring this co-created conversation to you.
This episode is about climate change. It’s about where we in Australia are a nation on this issue, where the majority actually lies on what should be done to address the climate crisis, and where our attention, action and influence should be applied to activate the changes we collectively want.
We discuss both of our transitions into taking a participative ‘newbie’ role in the climate movement, Rebecca’s shift to focus her energy, experience and capability towards climate, with a spotlight on her outstanding book ‘How to talk about climate change in a way that makes a difference’.
This conversation is fun, deep, funny, confronting, hopeful and compelling. We hope there will be something here for everyone, not only Australians, wherever you current sit on the broad spectrum of views and positions of the climate crisis.
We look forward to hearing from you via our socials is there’s anything you would like to share in response to this conversation. Both Rebecca and Tim are active on LinkedIn so drop us a comment or a message there, and Rebecca is very active in Twitter.
Key out-takes from this episode;
Meaningful work
- When we find the work that’s really significant, we reflect back and find markers & signifiers of that work through the whole of our lives
- Is it a trail of breadcrumbs you’ve always been following, or are you looking back through a different lens seeing moments you haven’t before recognised?
- The movement itself is renewable energy
- I get genuine moments of joy when I see genuine moments of progress
- Know that there is abundant opportunity to do the most meaningful work and that is building everyday
Futures
- Will my daughter visit the reef like we visit the Coliseum, to see a place that once was thriving and is now a wreck?
- For the last 20 years I’ve been listening to Australian’s talk about the kind of futures they want, and helping organisations understand that so they can act
- We have a fighting chance to create a liveable world for everyone
Change & Influence
- Take a small first step into an area where you have the greatest level of confidence
- Think about the area of knowledge, expertise, power, connections that you feel most confident with, start the conversation there.
- Quite small things can start a conversation which normalises climate and sends people on a meaningful personal and impactful path to doing things
- Do an audit of where you’ve got influence and confidence and start there
- The journey starts with the first small effective step that works for you, and it can lead anywhere
Action, Threat & Diversity
- The research consistently shows that the majority of Australians want action on climate and that’s accelerating
- Why me? What do I do? Why does it matter?
- Action will overcome anxiety
- That is a bell that needs to be rung, and then put down so you can get on with the constructive work that needs to be done
Follow Rebecca via the links below, and also grab a copy of her book (if you haven’t done so already!):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-huntley-81b9013/
Twitter @rebeccahuntley2
Check out Rebecca’s podcast alongside Chris Gambian – COP That!! Click here to listen on Apple or Spotify via the Nature Convervation Council of NSW website – www.nature.org.au/cop_that
How to talk about Climate Change in a way that makes a difference – available here via the publisher’s website – www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/other-books/How-to-Talk-About-Climate-Change-in-a-Way-That-Makes-a-Difference-Rebecca-Huntley
Follow Tim and join the Better World Leaders community via the links below:
linkedin.com/company/better-world-leaders
instagram.com/timcollingslifedownsouth
timcollings-betterworldleaders.medium.com
youtube @timcollings – click here for channel
Episode Pages for this episode and all previous Better World Leaders conversations available here;
4ileadership.com/category/better-world-leaders
As always, great thanks and appreciation to the team who contributed to bringing Better World Leaders to you;
To Brendan Ward for mastering, final production, composition and performance of original music throughout each episode.
To Cooper, Pat and the team at RadioHub studios for audio editing, technical support and creative guidance during the episodes that are recorded face-to-face. You can find out about Radio Hub’s services here – https://www.radiohub.com.au/
To NokNok Studios for website design, hosting and advice. Find out about NokNok’s awesome services here – https://www.facebook.com/NOKNOKstudios/
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