This is the third installment of a three-part series from Generation180’s Executive Director, Stuart Gardner, where he offers a fresh take on where we are and what lies ahead for clean energy in 2025. Generation180 remains steadfast in our commitment to inspire and equip individuals and communities – our clean energy ambassadors, partners and readers like you – as we work forward a better, cleaner future for all.
Facts, statistics, and warnings: These have historically been key tools of the climate movemen. However facts alone are no longer enough. But real, lasting societal change happens when people see themselves in the story and see the role they have to play.
Take Nica in Virginia, a mother who has saved hundreds on her gas bill when she switched to an electric vehicle. Or Michael, a farmer in rural North Carolina who used clean energy tax credits to install solar and make efficiency upgrades, cutting fuel costs in half. These are the stories that shift hearts and minds, that show clean energy isn’t an abstract idea—it’s a real, tangible benefit to everyday people.
At Generation180, storytelling is central to every campaign. Through initiatives like Energy for All Y’all, which shares clean energy stories in the South and I’ll Drive What She’s Driving about why women are making the switch to EV driving we make the energy transition personal. 10,000 EV Rides is our campaign encouraging EV owners to give friends, family, and colleagues a firsthand experience in an EV. Through all of this, we’re tapping into both the rational and emotional reasons why clean energy is better.
People don’t change their behavior because of facts alone. They change because of emotion, because something resonates with their values and lived experience. That’s why our campaigns focus on lifting up real people, from all walks of life, who are embracing clean energy and reaping its rewards. These stories reach across the aisle, breaking down political divides by illustrating how clean energy benefits everyone.
It is a Laughing Matter
If storytelling is how we build connection, comedy is how we break down barriers. The climate crisis is urgent, but it can also feel overwhelming, abstract, or even hopeless. That’s where humor comes in.
Comedy disarms defensiveness, making even the heaviest issues feel accessible. It allows us to confront uncomfortable truths in a way that feels inviting rather than alienating. That’s why initiatives like Generation180’s award-winning Climate Comedy Cohort bring artists into advocacy spaces—to reshape the climate narrative with humor, culture, and joy. Climate Cultura and Amplifiers: Atlanta are two new Gen180 programs designed to connect diverse cultural perspectives with climate action, and build local connections within the clean energy and advocacy community. These efforts recognize that culture moves people more than data does.
The more serious an issue, the greater the need for humor. And while the climate movement has traditionally hesitated to use comedy—fearing it might trivialize the crisis—the truth is, laughter helps people process, engage, and most importantly, feel like they’re not alone in their concerns. Comedy is especially powerful because it allows us to confront uncomfortable truths without becoming overwhelmed. Comedy disarms defensiveness, makes complex problems accessible, and provides relief in a time of climate anxiety. When done well, it doesn’t dismiss the urgency—it makes it stick.
Lifting Up Local Leaders
National narratives matter, but real momentum happens at the community level. The best messengers for clean energy aren’t always politicians or scientists—they’re the people seeing the benefits firsthand. The School Leadership in Clean Energy (SLICE) Network of K-12 school leaders are individuals advancing clean energy adoption in their schools and communities – with support from Generation180’s solar for all schools program. This community regularly learns from their peers across the country as they seek to tap into federal and state incentives to electrify school transportation and pioneer sustainable infrastructure.
Through each of these Generation180-led networks, we highlight how clean energy is lowering bills, creating jobs, and making neighborhoods healthier. When people hear from their neighbors, church members, or small business owners about how clean energy has improved their lives, they listen. And when they listen, they take action—whether it’s calling their lawmakers to protect EV incentives or pushing for clean energy investments in their own communities.
This is how we win the climate conversation: by making it human. By making it personal. By making people laugh, care, and most importantly—see themselves in the story.
