Preparing and Executing Successful Peak Oil Presentations

1. Preparing and ExecutingSuccessful Peak OilPresentations Presented by Megan E. Quinn Outreach Director Community Service, Inc. Peak Oil Workshop for Community Leaders December 2, 2005

2. Presentation Overview • Preparing and organizing local presentations • Host / venue • Media and publicity • Guidelines for giving a successful presentation • Presentation formats • Public speaking training and tools • Strategies • Q & A

3. Finding an Audience • Friends / Family • General public • Environmental groups • Sierra Club, land trusts, advocacy groups, grassroots groups • Civic groups • Rotary, Kiwanis • Local government • Public and private meetings • Professional organizations • Planning associations

4. Finding an Audience • Social Justice organizations • Peace groups, Civil liberties, racial justice, etc. • Renewable energy advocates • Green Energy Ohio, Midwest Renewable Energy Assoc. • Local food / Organic food • Foodshed Projects, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, Organic Consumers Assoc. • Schools (Primary, Universities) • Classes • Organizations • Administration

5. Setting Up a Location • Centrally located, accessible, equipped, facilitates a presentation and discussion • Public • Libraries, churches, community centers, classrooms • Private • Homes, office buildings

6. Presentations at Events • Fairs • Conferences • Workshops • Public meetings • Organizational meetings

7. Publicity • Community announcements in newspapers & radio/TV • Letter-to-the-editor in local paper • Contact local media for an article • Post flyers locally • Use of bulletin boards, websites/listservs that reach a local audience • Friends and family

8. Inviting Key People • Use targeted mailings and direct phone calls to invite: • Local organizations • Business leaders • Elected and appointed government officials • Reporters from alternative and mainstream media

9. Presentation Formats • Dependent upon: • Equipment availability, level of experience, time constraints, degree of depth • Possible Formats: • Powerpoint • Flipchart (personal)/ Overhead / Chalkboard / Whiteboard • Handouts (to follow during presentation) • No visual aids

10. Evaluating Formats • Powerpoint • Pros: Well-organized, prepared ahead of time, uses scientific charts and data, written words/pictures supplement speaking, professional appearance, legibility • Cons: Less emotional affect, can create dependence, expensive equipment necessary, learning curve, can distract • Flipchart / Overhead / Chalkboard / Whiteboard • Pros: Cheap and available, live writing and drawing, simple to use, can be prepared ahead of time • Cons: Unprofessional, illegibility, more attention to structure needed, can distract

11. Evaluating Formats • Handouts (to follow during presentation) • Pros: Prepared ahead of time, professional, can be reviewed/duplicated by audience, • Cons: Can distract, unprofessional • No visual aids • Pros: Audience focuses on words, more emotional affect, no equipment needed, can be professional, more structure/ practice needed • Cons: More structure/practice needed, data/graphs cannot supplement message or appeal to different learning styles • Conclusion: Treat visual aids as a tool of the presentation, not the presentation itself.

12. Time Constraints • 3- to 5-minute rap • Informal discussions • Telephone conversations • 15-minute briefing • Government / Organizational meetings • Forums / Panels • Impromptu speeches • 30-minute short presentation • Forums / Panels • Presentations for organizations • 45- to 60-minute in-depth presentation

13. Five Presentation Tips • Practice, practice, practice • Use tools effectively • Speak to your audience • Provide handouts with contact information • Engage audience in Q&A or discussion

14. Presentation Stategies • Incorporating personal stories / anecdotes • Helps to connect with audience on an emotional level • Long human history of learning from stories • Can lead them through the discovery process • Use of meaningful Peak Oil statistics • Our dependence upon oil is shocking • Key is to make it meaningful to their lives

15. Presentation Strategies • The Peak Oil Story • Hubbert and the U.S. peak, Campbell and ASPO • Chronological approach is easy to follow • Creates connection with characters • Provides evidence and credibility • Gives a sense of the movement • Painting the Big Picture • Shows the role of oil and fossil fuels and the industrial era • Important to see context of our actions on future generations • Consequences of the end of oil, geopolitics, inequity issues become clear • Pre-empts “token” responses

16. Presentation Strategies • Address the alternatives • Shows the unique role of oil and the seriousness of the crisis • Pre-empts audience questions • Balance crisis with opportunity • Discuss the stark consequences as well as the possibilities for action • Explain the opportunity for a better world • Important not to sugar coat or answer all their questions • Important not to scare them away • Keep it positive

17. Presentation Strategies • Encourage them to do more research • Personal discovery process is important • Empowers them • Taking ownership of the problem

18. Q&A • Always end a presentation with questions • 5-10 minutes ideal for Q&A, longer (30 minutes minimum) for discussion • Practice responses to common questions ahead of time • Do not debate or argue • Valuable phrases: “Great question,” and “I’ll look into that.”

19. Conclusion • Important to move from End of Suburbia screenings to formal presentations • Choose the appropriate presentation strategy and format for the audience and circumstances • Use tools effectively • Always provide handouts with more information and pass around a sign up sheet • Practice and entertain questions at the end