If we want laws that protect life on Earth, we first need to nurture a society that treasures life above profit, purpose above endless growth, and connection above division.
For decades, climate activists have worked with a fairly clear logic: if we protest loudly enough, write enough letters, gather enough signatures, and hold enough meetings with decision-makers, then politicians will inevitably begin to take notice and new climate safety laws will follow.
This “pressure-from-below” model has roots in successful movements of the past: civil rights, anti-apartheid, marriage equality. It makes intuitive sense: politicians respond to public noise if only it is loud enough. And if the focus group tests and polling shows the politicians that there is a shift in the general public opinion which could influence the outcome of the next election.
However, in practice, when applied to the climate crisis, this approach has fallen short.
We have seen marches with millions in the streets. Petitions with hundreds of thousands of names. School strikes that captured the imagination of an entire generation. Poll after poll showing that a majority of the population is eager to see politicians legislate for a safe climate. Yet, despite extraordinary efforts from millions of climate activists and supporters, fossil fuel subsidies continue, new coal, oil and gas projects are approved, and the climate-destroying carbon emissions remain stubbornly high.
The uncomfortable truth is that our current political systems are designed to resist rapid transformation when powerful economic interests are at stake. Lobbyists outnumber climate advocates in the corridors of power. Campaign donations drown out protest chants.
Even louder warnings from scientists have not changed this equation.
The limits of waiting for crisis
Some argue that change will come eventually once the climate impacts worsen. “Surely, when disasters intensify, people will “wake up” and demand action from their leaders.”
History tells us otherwise. Crisis often leads to fear, and fear often empowers authoritarian figures who promise order rather than truth. After economic shocks, leaders who deny science and scapegoat outsiders can rise quickly – Trump-like politicians are not the exception, but a predictable consequence of chaos.
Waiting for the global drama to unfold before expecting society to change course on climate-wrecking pollution would not be a wise strategy. By the time the climate emergency is undeniable to all, the political space for action will have vanished.
A different model
If politicians will not lead, then where does leadership come from? From society itself. We must reverse the sequence of change.
Instead of:
Activist demands → Politicians → Laws
…the new model for change looks like this:
Communities → New leaders → Laws
The spark for this shift must come from thought-leaders who inspire and connect at the cultural level:
• Writers, educators, artists, musicians
• Scientists and entrepreneurs
• Elders, faith leaders, local community leaders and organisers
These are the people who can help us rediscover values of service to life on Earth, deep relationship with nature, quality of life, friendships and purpose. A better way of living, and a richer life for more people.
When these values spread widely, they reshape the fabric of everyday conversations – at schools, in businesses, at the dinner table.
Values shape elections. Communities choose leaders who embody their values, rather than those who serve entrenched corporate interests. When new leaders emerge, laws and institutions can finally follow.
Why this looks slower – but isn’t
At first glance, this alternative Theory of Change looks like a longer road. Cultural change and value shifts can seem vague, even naive, when what we long for are laws strong enough to protect us from danger. Yet in reality, this may be the only path with the scale and durability we need.
Think of it this way: laws passed without deep cultural backing in the population are fragile. They can be reversed with the next election cycle. But when laws rest on a solid foundation of societal values, they endure.
Civil rights did not succeed only because of courtroom battles. They succeeded because communities, churches, artists, and citizens prepared the cultural soil. Marriage equality did not happen because a few politicians suddenly changed their minds. The shift happened because society-wide conversations shifted hearts first, and votes followed.
A window of opportunity
Scientists tell us the coming few years are critical. We still have the ability to steer away from the most catastrophic scenarios, but time is brutally short. The danger is not just climate breakdown, but also political breakdown. The longer we delay, the more fertile the ground becomes for the rise of ‘strong men’ who thrive on fear and division.
That is why building community resilience, spreading life-affirming values, nurturing trust and purpose now must be treated as urgent work for climate action. It is not a distraction from emissions reduction targets and renewable energy goals – it is a precondition for achieving them.
What this means in practice
Our vision points toward concrete initiatives:
• Creating spaces where people can gather to talk about meaning, purpose, and connection – whether in neighbourhood “connection cafés” or local transition groups
• Encouraging and supporting thought-leaders – from musicians to teachers – to tell stories that root us in service to life rather than in consumption
• Developing policy blueprints (such as Robert Hinkley’s Code for Corporate Citizenship) so that when new leaders are elected, ready-made frameworks exist for embedding these values into law
• Supporting the Community Independent movement and similar efforts that give communities real voice in elections.
A call to reimagine
The Force of Life project and podcast is built around this conviction: that true change begins not in parliament, but in the hearts of communities. The climate crisis is not only a technical or political problem – it is a cultural and spiritual one.
If we want laws that protect life on Earth, we first need to nurture a society that treasures life above profit, purpose above endless growth, and connection above division.
Only then will political structures shift in ways that last.
It may look like the long way around. But in truth, it is the only path left. And the time to begin is now – before the storms of chaos close the window of possibility for good.
If you ask me whether we can find the courage to walk this path, I would answer with another question: do we have the courage not to?