We know that angry voices (those opposing new national parks and environmental protection and the development of renewables and action on climate change) are often the most vocal, especially on social media. Angry voices often shut down other views because people don’t want to be personally attacked or be involved in a shouting match, so they avoid the debate entirely. This dominance of angry and anti voices can give the impression that they are the majority.
But being noisy doesn’t mean they are the majority.
Polling consistently shows that people want to see better protection for the environment and creation of new national parks (for instance, polling conducted in 2024 showed that 80% of Victorians support the creation of new national parks, while just 8% oppose them). And the vast majority of people understand that human induced climate change poses a dramatic threat to ecosystems, people and the economy. For instance, according to the State of Sustainability Report 2024, most Victorians (67%) are concerned about climate change, with 35% indicating that their concern had increased in the past twelve months. Surveys conducted by Griffith University in 2022 show that only about 2% of the survey population were climate change deniers, 5% sceptics, 16% as unconvinced about climate change, while the vast majority (77%) were firm believers in the reality of climate change.
Our plan
We want to do our bit to help amplify community voices who want to see climate action and environmental protection. This means standing up and being vocal when angry voices are trying to dominate and drown out the debate. By being vocal we help create a space where others can confidently voice their own views.
Our rapid response network is a simple way to add your voice to public debates in mainstream and social media at key moments.
Our aim is to increase pro environment/ pro renewables/ energy transition messaging in local and regional media and social media platforms, primarily in Victoria. Increasing the presence of pro green voices can change the dynamic of regional conversations and create space for others to speak up and share their views.
We share updates and encourage people to act via a Whatsapp community. Simply send your name, postcode and phone number to Cam via [email protected] to be added to the community. You can respond to posts as often or as little as you like and opt out at any moment.