The Fundamentals of Planning for Discontinuity.
My next Personal Climate Strategy: the Basics class is next Tuesday. Tomorrow is the last day for the early-bird offer.
Personal Climate Strategy: The Basics
Tuesday, December 16th, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Pacific Time. (On Zoom.)
Class size is limited. $197.00. ($97.00 if your register by tomorrow, December 9th.)
The planetary crisis is here, now, and it’s much fiercer than we’d hoped.
If we were doing everything right, we’d still be struggling to catch up to the demands that climate chaos and ecological collapse are forcing on our society.
We’re not doing everything right.
After decades of slow climate progress, new attacks (on clean energy, electrification, international agreements and sensible policies) are now driving emissions up, when we need them to be plummeting. The planetary crisis is worsening quickly.
Denial of the crisis and its escalating impacts have left us unprepared for big discontinuities in the systems we depend on — a fact now proving out in worsening damages from floods, fires and storms, collapsing insurance markets, dropping home values and unprecedented economic stresses.
Add to all this the intentional destruction of our capacities to model the climate, to forecast trouble and to anticipate new risks, and we quickly find that our communities are flying blind into the storm.
Now people like us are caught in the middle.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you don’t have a strategy for managing the impacts of climate chaos and discontinuity in your own life, you probably haven’t got a solid plan for the future.
Humanity’s failure to act on climate means that each of us now has the responsibility of finding our own path through a vast crisis. No one wants this to be true, but it is. This crisis is the context in which every major life decision you make will play out, for the rest of your life.
The time to prepare for the accelerating discontinuities of the planetary crisis is now. And the main way individuals and families can gear up for what’s coming is personal ruggedization.
Personal ruggedization is not about bugging out or bunkering down. Personal ruggedization is making smart decisions about where we choose to live, the systems we embed ourselves in, and the ways we work with others to improve our odds of a good future.
You can learn how to take sensible steps to reduce the risks you face — to brace against impacts, and to build the future you want in a more secure way. You can learn to build a personal climate strategy.
I can help you.
I have more than three decades of experience researching, reporting and advising on climate foresight and strategy. With courses and consultations, I’ve walked hundreds of clients through their journeys building climate strategies of their own. I believe I have more experience doing this than anyone else in the world.
A few times a year, I teach the core of what I’ve learned in an intensive workshop, The Personal Climate Strategy Workshop. This multi-session course teaches a tested system for making smarter choices in discontinuous times, explores the key uncertainties we face looking forward, and offers critical resources and community.
The Workshop, though, is a serious commitment. In response to requests that I offer an introductory class that delivers a quick overview of the most important considerations in personal climate strategies, but requires less of a commitment, I created this one-session, two-hour class.
Personal Climate Strategy: The Basics walks you through the top-level concerns and decision for choosing a solid place to build a new life, ready for hard futures.
I’ve done eight Basics classes so far, with more than 400 great participants. The feedback has been extraordinary.
I’m offering another class, on Tuesday, December 16th, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Pacific Time.
This two-hour intensive class offers you the fundamental big-systems insights and decision-making frameworks needed to build a personal climate strategy. It quickly covers:.
Making good long-term decisions for an unstable future. Why every personal climate strategy will be unique — there’s no one formula for everyone. Why there are also no sure-fire solutions, but we can make better choices and improve our odds.
How bad might the planetary crisis get? Why is location so critical to good outcomes in the coming decades?
Why is the need for personal climate ruggedization becoming rapidly more urgent?
Brief explanations of key concepts: Discontinuity. Brittleness. Relative safety. Ruggedization. The coming climate-housing crisis.
The three general criteria that best measure the strengths and weaknesses of places you might move. An example of how to use these tools. An overview of U.S. regions’ pros and cons.
A few useful tips for pursuing personal ruggedization on a budget, and planning for a chaotic future with kids.
Class will end with a brief Q&A (as time permits).
Afterwards, all participants receive a follow-up email with the class recording.
If you’re looking for a chance to firmly ground your future plans in climate reality, you won’t find a better introduction.
Here’s what recent participants say about the Basics class:
“I’m a very satisfied graduate of Alex Steffen’s introductory course in personal ruggedization—which helps individuals and families chart a near-term course through the planetary crisis. I don’t work for Alex but I hugely advise you to sign up.
— Virginia Heffernan, Writer, “Magic + Loss” newsletter
“I’ve been looking for a new house for quite a while and I always look at proximity to rivers for properties I like for fear of flooding, but I suddenly thought there’s probably a lot more I should be considering related to climate risk. I’m so glad I took this course. I feel much better prepared to evaluate a potential new location...Alex, the content and your delivery were just perfect. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
— TF, Glen Falls, NY
“The Basics class was concise, crisp, and clear. A polished gem of a class.”
— E.F., Writer, Climate Activist; New York, NY
Personal Climate Strategy: The Basics
Tuesday, December 16th
12:00 am to 2:00 pm, Pacific Time
Class size is limited. $197.00.
The Early-Bird price of $97 is available through tomorrow, December 9th (save $100!)
Click the button below to get all the details and sign up.
Questions about the class?
Please email us at Alison@AlexSteffen.com
You can learn more about my other offerings at my Climate foresight and personal ruggedization courses and workshops page.