Tipping Points of the Heart

Can we make fossil fuels socially unacceptable?  Could we drive fossil fuels to extinction?We don’t have to live like this.  We can change our societies.There have been plenty of positive tipping points in recent history: the remarkably swift reduction in smoking; the dramatic acceptance of same sex marriage; the unexpected legalization of marijuana; the spread of solar power and wind power; the #MeToo movement, which, in a matter of weeks, greatly reduced the social tolerance of everyday sexism.There has been a sharp change of attitudes, as people begin to prioritize the environmental crisis. Small interventions by government, right now could trigger positive, cascading social change. How?Proven research reveals that, time and time again, a small number of dedicated people can increase in number, until they reach a critical point. At this point, their moral message and influence can explode, having a remarkable influence on the broader population.Social scientists have long observed that a sufficiently large and committed minority within a group, can trigger tipping points in the larger group’s social beliefs, causing rapid transformations in popular beliefs and opinions. How do you achieve this comprehensive critical mass?  Strong social ties. The committed few can influence the many and sweep away social conventions and customs through social contagion, AKA the snowball effect.Of course, we can never underestimate the power, influence, and wealth of the formidable forces united against us to keep that power. The polarized American electoral system has come to the point at which a return to traditional democratic norms will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.We are positioned on the precipice. Our own moment of truth.In this episode we explore tipping points:  local - global - personal - social - political, and of the human heart.