Ep 49 Unleashing Our Imagination with Hannah Pickard, Dr. Natasha DeJarnett, and Sean Dague

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.” -Albert Einstein.

As climate change advocates, our ability to imagine a better future sometimes requires supernatural skills. Still engaging our imagination is essential to stirring up the kind of hope and excitement that inspires others to action. We need to articulate what it is we are fighting for? What is the world we want to create? Through a mind-expanding thought experiment, three guests join us to help unleash our imagination potential. Imagine a world without fossil fuels. What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it smell like? 

Hannah Pickard at Boston’s New England Aquarium shares proven insider tips about effective communication strategies.  Hannah Pickard is the Program Manager for the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation(NNOCCI) where she leads a national effort to change public discourse on climate change to be positive, civic-minded and solutions-focused. For the last 10 years, she’s grown a network of over 184 institutions who are committed to using their public platforms to invite their communities into climate action and support each other to improve their practice. She is a climate communications specialist and trainer of evidence-based communications methods that empower hope & civic action on climate. She has abackground in informal education, social impact strategy, conservation psychology, community engagement and evaluation.

Dr. Natasha DeJarnett has been a leader in environmental health research for over 10 years. Her positions in national environmental and public health associations as well as academia has advanced research agendas for the environmental health workforce, established successful national climate change and health initiatives, and inspired the next generation of environmental health professionals. In addition, she serves on the Boards of Citizens’ Climate Education and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Sean Dague is software engineer by day, and the group leader for the Mid Hudson South chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby  He came to climate action after seeing the impacts of Hurricane Irene and Sandy in the north east. In addition to his work with Citizens Climate Lobby, he's also an En-ROADS Climate Simulation tool ambassador. He's a huge fan of trains, heat pumps, and electric vehicles.

The Art House

Jennie Carlisle and Laura England are both part of the Climate Stories Collaborative at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

“The Climate Stories Collaborative is our response to the growing call for more trans-disciplinary and creative approaches to climate change communication,” they explain. “Our mission is to grow the capacity of our faculty and students to be more creative and compelling climate storytellers.”

While many of the students finish with completed pieces of art, Jennie stresses that the process required to produce the art is their primary goal. Of course, they also want to reach out to the wider world whenever possible.

At the end of the school year, the Climate Stories Collaborative hosts a showcase for the student artists. This provides them with an opportunity to engage with the wider public in a large gallery space. Laura explains that in the past, students, faculty, and community members would mingle in the gallery to view the art and see performances.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school closed and the showcase had to be canceled. But like so many others, they adapted and took the showcase online. As a curator, Jennie initially worried about creating a virtual showcase but quickly saw multiple benefits, including seeing viewers become deeply engaged with the art and the artists through their comments. The Climate Stories Collaborative now reaches many more people all over the world through this Instagram online showcase.