Jothsna Harris: The Power of Climate Storytelling

When we think about climate change, and what we and others can do to make a difference, most people don’t think of storytelling. For a long time, the way that we have communicated about climate change has mostly been through a scientific perspective and led by “experts” and those credentialed to talk about it—sending the implicit message that we are not all equipped to be part of the climate conversation. Yet, we are in a time when climate change is all around us, so we are experts in our experiences. Our personal stories are an important way to balance the science, bring the data into context, and create the combination of head and heart, which is essential for sparking and sustaining action. Change Narrative is an organization working to shift this narrative by building capacity in the climate justice movement through the power of our stories. Through a coaching practice, founder Jothsna Harris supports people in crafting their personal stories of climate change and finding the power of their voice to advocate for solutions.

One of the most important things you can do regarding climate change is talk about it.

• Changing the narrative means that to shift dominant and damaging narratives, we must include the voices of everyday people and center stories that are typically excluded from critical discussions and decision-making on climate change, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, lower-income, LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual), youth, people with disabilities, and others that experience a disproportionate burden of the impacts. Stories from people who are on the frontlines of climate change are the essential testimonies that we don’t often hear, and their voices must be part of shaping the transformative solutions that will help to build a more just world. When you think about climate news or stories in mainstream media, who are the types of people who you see being predominantly featured? Does it feel inclusive to the people in your community and neighborhood?
• Before we can build a better world, we first have to imagine it. Telling new stories to realize the bold, transformative, and vibrant future possible for all of us is essential in creating that future. What is the future that you imagine is possible? What would it look like? Who would be there? What would be the sights and sounds? 
• Climate change is now part of the human experience, meaning we can experience a range of emotions about it. Many people in our world are currently experiencing “climate grief” anxiety or are overwhelmed by the scale and intensity of the rapidly unfolding ecological change. Yet, we don’t have many spaces to acknowledge or process our emotions and how it really makes us feel. Naming our feelings and acknowledging them is essential in the process of healing. Can you name three emotions you have personally felt in your understanding of climate change and climate grief? How might the simple act of naming your feelings and acknowledging them help prompt a path to healing?
• Jothsna talks about the role of environmental racism through events like catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, and devastating environmental events across the Gulf Coast of the United States (coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico; Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida). Including the BP oil spill and Hurricane Katrina. Environmental racism is “discrimination in the application of environmental laws,” according to environmental activist and sociologist Robert Bullard, known as the “father of environmental justice.” Environmental racism can involve the placement of toxic and polluting industries in communities of color and the extraction of natural resources in those same communities in ways that put them at risk, such as mining precious earth minerals, oil drilling, or the siting of industrial agriculture. Looking at the community where you live, what are some tangible examples of environmental racism? If interested, you can look up environmental justice sites in the Twin Cities through the Center for Earth Energy & democracy’s mapping tool: http://ceed.org/environmental-justice-mapping-tool/
• Jothsna talks about joining the Kitty Anderson Youth Science Center at the Science Museum of Minnesota when she was a teenager, which was a formative experience, giving her exposure to opportunities that just seemed like having fun at the time. Still, looking back, she realizes she was also learning. The program was predominantly youth of color and a place where Jothsna, a first-generation American, felt a true sense of belonging in a community. This experience helped shape her identity as a person, giving her exposure to environmental science, various career paths, opportunities to find what she was passionate about, and the power of her voice. Have you ever experienced a community where you felt supported and had a sense of belonging? If so, what was that experience, and what about that community that made it special? Has the support of that community helped you form your identity as a person?
• Jothsna talks about the role of imposter syndrome in making people feel inadequate when talking about climate change. Imposter syndrome is when a person doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments. Jothsna says that imposter syndrome is not necessarily about the lack of your capability to do something but more about your mindset and the confidence that you can perform a given task or role. The way we have traditionally talked about climate change in mainstream communications has elevated the idea that you have to be an expert or credentialed to talk about climate change. But Jothsna disagrees, saying, “you have everything inside of you to be able to talk about climate change…there is a truth that only you can tell, through your own experience, that others cannot easily dispute.” What is your experience of climate change? Have you personally experienced impacts like; flooding, wildfires, poor air quality, extreme storms, heat waves, or drought? If not, what are some stories about climate change in the news that have stuck with you and why?
• Jothsna feels grounded in the practice of farming and specifically planting her garden in the moonlight. She talks about realizing the connection and significance of her name, “Jothsna Nalini,” which means “lotus flower in the moonlight.” Sometimes our names hold a lot of meaning for who we are. What is the importance of a name? Does your name hold a specific meaning

Learn about the solutions in this story.

• For more on all of the Drawdown climate solutions, visit drawdown.org/solutions.
• Learn more about Jothsna’s work: Change Narrative

Explore Climate Solutions 101, the world's first major educational effort focused solely on climate solutions. This video series combines Project Drawdown’s trusted resources with the expertise of inspiring, scientifically knowledgeable voices from around the world: drawdown.org/climate-solutions-101.

• Drawdown Ecochallenge, presented by Ecochallenge.org, is a fun and social way to take measurable action on the top solutions to global warming. Take the challenge, and see how a few weeks of action add up to a lifetime of change for you and the planet. If you want to take action on climate solutions like Jothsna, visit drawdown.ecochallenge.org/challenges/.
• The Drawdown Labs Job Function Action Guides are practical and shareable resources that highlight specific, high-impact climate actions employees in common corporate professions can take at work. 
• ChangeX connects people with proven ideas for strengthening communities with the resources needed to implement those changes. Explore countless ways to improve your community and help the world reach drawdown.
• Climate Generation's Green Careers for a Changing Climate Instructional Supplement (for Grades 6-8) contains resources to help young people learn about Green STEM Careers — careers that can help solve the impacts of climate change using STEM skills. Throughout this instructional supplement, students will be using the resource Drawdown to make important connections to solutions that these careers will implement.
• Solutions Journalism Network highlights the importance of reporting stories of climate solutions in the media to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Visit their Teaching Climate Solutions resource to find curated collections and the latest examples of climate solutions journalism.
• SubjectToClimate (StC) is a nonprofit online connector for K-12 leaders of all subjects to find materials on climate change at no cost. Explore StC’s educator-generated database to connect to Project Drawdown-based climate education resources.
• Center for Earth Energy & Democracy (CEED) - Twin Cities Environmental Justice Mapping Tool