Waste free supermarket

Biodiversity communication: Not what you say communicates, but what you do! Especially when it appeals to traditional values, like this German initiative.

Communication Aphorism

It is relevance, not importance that communicators should focus on.

Patience as a sustainability value

Patience is a sustainability value that honours the carrying capacity and resilience of the natural systems of the earth. Often we use abstract concepts of short term and long term. But this video shows that in our own human lives it might be better to talk about impatience or patience. Fast results of good results. Especially when it comes to something basic as food. A nice initiative from the Iberian Peninsula towards a new platform the True Food Alliance.  

Body language as message

This picture from the Guardian says it all: commun ication is not only about what you say, but formost how you say it. Tone of voice and body language send their own message. Hand gestures are either supporting your message or can be counterproductive. The New York Times analysed Romney's and Obama's hand gestures during their debate a few days ago. You can click on one of the three hand gestures and see the effect.



Analyzing the debate results in 10 hints for effective communication:

• Be prepared
• Show confidence
• Watch your facial expression
• Control your body language
• Use effective hand gestures
• Be assertive where needed
• Be concrete, not abstract
• Use simple language
• Frappez toujours
• Be positive.

Communicate better with love not loss

Struggling to talk about biodiversity?
Tried everything to attract attention?
Not sure how to approach your audience?
Struggling to get your voice heard?

Can't make an impact with your message?
Having trouble talking about extinction?
Find talking about conservation tricky?
Struggling to get the right message heard?

Find the answers in How to tell a love story.

Want to spread the Love Not Loss message? Use the campaign package.

Funny Talking Tsessebe from IUCN Love Not Loss Campaign

Funny Talking Hippos from IUCN Love Not Loss Campaign

How to Tell a Love Story

Funny Talking Elephants from IUCN Love Not Loss Campaign

Funny Talking Bears from IUCN Love Not Loss Campaign

Dreaming biodiversity

Duke John and duchess Jacoba during a fishing party closeby their castle in The Hague. From my perspective it looks like Jan van Eyck tries to raise our awareness of biodiversity. "We all are part of nature: the air we breath, the water we drink, the fish and fruits we eat. Our diet depends mainly on the plants and animals around us. Same for our buildings and clothes. Trade provides variety, but trade is helped by horses, wind and sea. And against the dangers of the sea, we have the forested dunes around us." Had van Eyck known the concepts of bacteria, chemicals, cells and atoms, he would have alluded to this level in which our body is connected to the wider natural system of the world. I dream that the message of this drawing is: “You may take biodiversity for granted, and it is so obviously all around you, that it is easy to forget it’s there - that you are a part of it and can’t live apart from it.“

Frappez toujours

A message has to be repeated often enough to have the desired effect. "Jan van Eyck back in The Hague", was the small advertizement in the newspaper this morning. A few weeks ago I had read an article about the exposition. My interest was raised, but somehow I forgot all about it. This morning I saw this weekend would be the last opportunity. So I combined a visit to the museum with an appointment I had in The Hague. Grateful to the museum and the principle of `frappez toujours`, I thoroughly enjoyed the famous drawing with the ´Ridderzaal´ in the background. Below is a photo of the present situation.

Chrysler Commercial - It's Halftime in America

What about developing a similar message for biodiversity? In one day this avertizement - broadcasted by Chrysler during the Superbowl on Sunday - already was downloaded 1.5 million times. Time for us to rethink how we raise awareness on how to sustain biodiversity! A message that will resonate with 7 billion people...!

The power of framing

This illustration explains it all.

The question is the message!

Anyone know why people put used tennis balls on the truck/car hitch? I just saw this question posted by the ReUseConnection. They propagate to reduce waste. Regularly they share ideas on reusing things in and around the house. Today they did so by adding this question to a post from a US blogger. With the photo the question becomes the message. It intrigues, it sticks, it is humorous - it must be easy to answer and yet you are not sure. That psychologically transmits the message of reusing things as the cool thing to do.

Pew: Million-Dollar Reef Sharks

A shark has more value on the reef than in a soup. That is the message of the findings of an Australian research project. The implicit component of this message to governments and private sector is: it pays off to take measures to protect certain animals that are vital for an ecosystem. Protected areas is one of the measures one could take: indeed what would Serengetti be without the lions or Yellowstone without the bears"? The message is strong. However the video could have been more effective when tailored to a specific audience and adding a more specific action component: The why bother might be clear, but not what to do about it. And when addressing the general public - I found it on Youtube - it should have focussed more on the awe for this creature in his environment.

The Power of Words

"It is a beautiful day, but I can't see it." A better message than: "I am blind, please help". A nice show of the advertizing skills and services of a British marketing agency.

ABS elevator pitch

How to explain ABS in plain language? Almost no one really knows about ABS. I tried to picture the pitch of an effective ABS champion: what would (s)he say? “I am …… of the Ministry of Environment. I have been tasked to deal with Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources (ABS) in our country. This involves for example managing the demand and supply of plant-based ingredients for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Our country is an important source of genetic resources for these industries. To share the benefits and regulate access our country needs to formulate a legal regime, based on biodiversity conservation, the ethics of commerce and science and the interests of local communities. Would you be interested to …… Who can I phone to make an appointment? For an appointment the champion could bring the Nagoya protocol and the ABS information kit.

The Bill - short film - Germanwatch

Humor can help to convey a message. This is German humor on who pays the climate change bill. Mit Essen spielt man nicht (You do not play with food) is an even shorter other German fun video on CC. The video was made to raise awareness for the CC COP in Copenhagen, in 2009, but its message is still valid.

Climate Photo of the Week

Photographer Garry Braasch documents since years climate change and nature. Currently he is in the pacific for World View of Global Warming. The stories his pictures tell have a human touch. They not merely document, they tell us about life and resilience on the atolls. He is also co-author of the book How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate . A non-scary, action-oriented, and inspiring look at how scientists do their work, what they are discovering about global warming, and how kids are already learning about this through Citizen Science.