Once upon a time…

A nation of people faced an

enormous challenge.

Converge Many tried to see a way out,

but they could see only an
unhappy ending to their story.

This is a different story…

a story waiting to be told.
Welcome to Converge …
where the good life
and the green life meet.

Come on in!
 Converge is the story
of the good life Americans want
and the green life we need

Converge
for our prosperity, health and
safety.
An American Future

Created to move Americans to
action on climate pollution
by painting a positive picture of
Introduction our future.

Based on recent research about

what works to reach Americans.

The Converge American future is

about…
 The Converge American Future

l o t s o f j o bs
c o no my a n d
A me r i c a n e
A strong
The Converge American Future

Healthy American
kids and adults
The Converge American Future

A Strong,
Secure
America
 The Converge American Future

America Leads the World

 After years of messaging about the
dangers of climate change and the
investment of huge resources
by NGO’s and people at COP15…
what the &*@# happened?!

We’re not getting the change we seek.

 The
U.S.
holds
the
keys
to
change,

but
something
is
wrong
with
the
way

we’re
communica;ng
to
Americans.

As people who
care, we thought
that data and
visions of danger
would motivate
people to move
and change.
But instead,
we’ve
BLOWN
PEOPLE’S
MINDS!
 Hmmm…
what do
we do now?
 The good news is:
we don’t have to guess…
WE KNOW WHAT WORKS
The Research is In!
Based on this
research, we
KNOW
what messages

DO WORK

And

DON’T
WORK.
From the right
brain…here’s
what we know
based on our
experience and
history.
 Americans respond to
positive visions of the future,
even if they mean sacrifice.
“I have a dream…”

“We choose to go to the

moon in this decade and
do the other things, not
because they are easy, but
because they are hard.”
From the left
brain…here’s
what we
know based
on research.
 Sell Heaven… Not Hell

Research
shows
that
nega.ve

messaging
and
imagery
causes

people
to
shut
down
–
they
never
hear

the
message
of
hope
or
possibility,

and
may
even
deny
that

climate
change
is
real.

“Too
o%en,
climate
solu1ons
advocates
work

the
base
(elites)
while
ignoring
mainstream

Americans.

And
when
we
do
talk
to
swing

voters
or
encourage
our
base
to
reach
out,

typically
we
lack
effec1ve,
emo1onally

compelling
language
on
these
issues.”

‐



Climate
and
Energy
Truths
(EcoAmerica
2009)

“We
can
switch
high
consump1on,
high
stress,
and

high
heart
disease
lifestyles
for
something
more

desirable.
What
will
it
look
like,
feel
like,
and
be
like

if
we
manage
to
pull
it
off
?
That
is
the
picture
we

need
to
create.”


Sell
the
Sizzle
(Futerra
2009)

“The
key
for
clean
energy
supporters
is
to
wrest
the

discussion
away
from
policy
mechanisms
and
IPCC

sta1s1cs
and
toward
the
benefits
of
climate/energy

solu1ons.”


The
Language
of
A
Clean
Energy
Economy

(the
worddoctors,
2009)

 Message More Around Human Values, Less On
Data, Acronyms and Technical Terms
20%
emissions
 This is too much…I’ll
GHG’s?
 reduc1on
in
CO2?
 deal with it later.

See‐O
You,
Too!
 Maybe it’s

not even real!
350
ppm?
Oh
my
god,
I

failed
Chemistry!
 LULUCF
emissions?


Who
is
Lulu?

$
Billions?
No
 26
to
78%
risk
of
overshoo1ng

a
2ºC
goal?

Ummm…what’s

way…
 Celsius
again?

2.5%
annually
to
reach
a
 I’m
a
horrible

goal
of
80%
below
1990
 person
if
I
don’t

levels?

I’m
just
trying
to
 live
in
a
tent
and

lose
weight!

eat
grass?!?!!?


Cap
and
Trade…
has
baseball

season
started
again?

 Messages that WORK
to Influence Americans
“Whether
the
science
is
right
or

not,
I
want
economic
prosperity

and
a
healthy,
safe
and
secure

future
for
me
and
my
family.


And,
I
want
America
to
lead
the

world…these
are
the
things
that

are
important
to
me.”

 PLAIN SPEAKING
We know POSITIVE messages work.

We know to FOCUS on the economy/job, health and safety/security.

How do we USE this information to deliver a message

that will catalyze change in America?
Answer: Through the POWER OF STORY.

CONVERGE is the story of

the good life Americans want
and the green life we need
for our prosperity, health and safety.
Why the Power of Story?
 1.  A Book - each chapter
The Converge illustrates a different facet of
the future. A core story
Story combines these chapters into
one narrative. The book also
includes summaries of
credible plans for making the
Converge story a reality.

2.  A Website – features short

Experience it online at
www.convergestory.com!
videos that further explore the
future. Readers can edit or
expand the core story and
offer their own visions of the
future.
 A small group of American
thought leaders, primarily from
Converge the economic, health and
national security sectors will lay
out visions of the future in easy
Chapter 1 to understand, entertaining
narratives and later, on-line
videos.
The Vision These leaders will offer a vision
of the future for Americans
within a world that has met the
climate change challenge.
 Basic questions about American
life will be answered by thought
leaders AND ordinary people in
Converge compelling essays.

How will we work?

Chapter II Where will we live?
How will we get around?
What will we eat?
What’s Life Like? How will we be safer?

A core narrative will be written that

combines these visions into one
story.
 Credible, expert plans will
be laid out in easy to
Converge understand language and
imagery.

Chapter III

We Can Do It
 Visitors to the Converge
website can explore the
impacts of each of these
plans or experiment with
scenarios of their own with
Converge an interactive climate
simulation model .
Chapter IV

What If?
 An interactive module on the
website and available on
Converge Facebook and other social
media outlets will allow
people to offer their own
Chapter V vision of the future and
thoughts on how to make it
real.

Do Something This section will also provide

links to organizations and
efforts that link people with
every day actions they can do.
Who Will Share and Use Converge?
Anyone who wants to persuade someone
in America that:

the good life and the green life

are the SAME LIFE.

Activists
Teachers
NGO leaders
Communications/PR/Media
City councilmen
Pop culture writers and producers
Funders
Scientists and academics
Policy experts
YOU and ME!
Good News! The First Step Has Been
Taken at www.convergestory.com
Originally conceived as a more global
project, the focus of Converge has
been shifted to an American audience
in the wake of COP15.

It’s clear now that Americans must

buy into a vision of a future they want
so that they will push leaders to make
change.

But the basic thrust of Converge

remains the same: we seek to
motivate people to action using the
power of positive story that is
inspiring, doable and desirable.
Make the We seek investment in

Converge Converge because we believe

it’s an approach that will
WORK to create change
Story Real based on experience and new
research.

Behind the Story Ask $

Chapter I Ask $
Chapter II Ask $
Chapter III Ask $
Chapter IV Ask $
Chapter V Ask $
 these partners and people
who care and believe that
THE END
of this story will be a happy one.


Converge Lisa Renstrom Tracy Russ

An American Future

A Story created so far by…