Soup & Solutions: Community Events on the Energy/Climate Challenge
What is Soup & Solutions?
Soup & Solutions are beginner events addressing the energy/climate challenge, featuring solutions-oriented film, speakers, homemade soup & bite-size actions to better educate and mobilize ourselves and our communities for the turnaround.
Soup & Solutions is useful for concerned book groups, reenergizing or starting a MMOBlet, meetups, classrooms, or handfuls of friends who want to dedicate at least one session to learning and action on the Energy/Climate Challenge together.
Soup & Solutions was first cooked up and successfully piloted by the Point Reyes MMOBlet as part of MMOB's climate pledge to get as versed in the turnaround as we are in the calamity. Soup & Solutions has been exceedingly well-received in town after town. It has also been a wonderful way to get new "MMOBlets" going, with a handful of MMOBsters meeting to work on soup, postering, and planning next steps together. Read more about our successes here.
What can I do?
Put on a Soup & Solutions (or Appetizers & Action • Desserts & Decisions • Coffee & Climate Action...) event, any size. You can do it for your very own new MMOBlet, your town, family, book group, dinner party, meetup, colleagues or classroom. You can of course study up and take action on your own, but it's a generous thing to put on for others.
9 Steps to Soup & Solutions
- Pick your venue. Public spaces such as community centers, churches, theatres or school spaces are nice because new people often feel more comfortable dropping into something public than attending a private house party. That said, your living room works too!
- Pick your date and time. It's nice to have at least a month to prep and get the word out, as time does fly. Weeknights on the early side have been popular for us, particularly Mondays. No one wants to be too good on Friday nights, apparently! Also, it's good to be clear about when you will finish.
- Pick your program. This part is key. You can get the smartest speakers and films in the world, but many still use Guilt, Scare & Despair as an organizing tactic. Paralysis never changed the world, so look for the right mix of truth, energetic content, and action. Remember to set the tone and expectations for the event: we are learning together. Some in the audience may be experts with decades of experience, happy the issue is finally getting attention. For others, it's the first time they have tuned into CO2. See Starter List for suggestions.
- Recruit a little MMOBlet of help. We've had events put on by one formidable woman and her sister, and others done by 30 MMOBsters and their spouses. Start with a couple of people you know well, then come up with a list of other likely suspects to rope in. Chances are they'll be grateful!
- Solve equipment early. Sound is profoundly important and often overlooked until the last moment. Make sure you or someone you draft can test whatever speakers, mikes, computers or projectors you're planning to use to make sure people will be able to hear and see your event comfortably.
- Poster, email, phone, press & partner. Spread the word early & often with your posters, repeated email announcements, phone calls to likely attendees, press, and finally, harassing little nudges to any other groups you've partnered with to make sure they're getting the word out too.
- Solve keeping soup warm; Find the right cups & spoons. Many community spaces have a kitchen, which helps. If not, consider rounding up crock pots or Igloo containers to insulate soup. We found biodegradable recycled cups and spoons through Whole Foods, or you can use mugs and wash.
- Local groups & bookstores. Having a local group and/or independent bookstore table your event with related information can be wonderful. They add depth, expertise and community to your event, and will help promote it as well.
- Consider a series. If you know you're going to like doing this, consider planning a series of 2-4 events right off the bat so you can promote everything simultaneously. If the soup is tasty and the program decent, you can build up a repeat audience.
