The best formula for social change when it comes to climate change is a combination of both having strong and weak relationships and changing the ethic and culture of society while prioritizing political activism. In his article Duhigg states, “Strong ties, or close relationships, combined with weak ties, or distant connections, have the power to mobilize large groups toward a singular goal” (85). This is an important part to mobilize the climate change movement because without mutual acquaintances that extend throughout various societal groups there are no ties in society and people won’t be moved to do anything. This strategy won’t work alone though. In the article “If Your House is on Fire” Moore states, “If the culture forces us to live in ways we don’t believe in, then we have to change the culture.” Changing the culture is important to change what society sees as norms. Having both weak and strong ties and changing the culture is the best formula for societal change regarding climate change.

Naysayer:

Yet some readers may challenge my view by insisting that this approach is too simple or that these strategies have been being used and nothing about climate change has shifted. While it is true that climate change has been a battle that society has been taking stabs at for a while, society hasn’t been doing this aggressively enough. Moore states,

“We haven’t tried massive protests and civil disobedience. We haven’t tried boycotts. We haven’t harnessed the power of global religions. Somewhere near half of us don’t even vote. Here and there, sure, we’ve tried nonviolence, but not on the scale we need. Let’s give it a go.”

Although I grant that we have tried fighting against climate change I still maintain that we haven’t tried hard enough.