Climate Shifted

Culture Hacking with Elijah Zarlin from Yellow Dot Studios

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Episode Show Notes: S01E08 Culture Hacking with Elijah Zarlin from Yellow Dot Studios

 


Episode Description

 

In this season one finale of Climate Shifted, host Eva Frye speaks with Elijah Zarlin, Head of Digital and Engagement at Yellow Dot Studios—the climate film studio started by Adam McKay after his movie Don't Look Up with Leonardo DiCaprio, about a comet crashing down on Earth as a metaphor for the climate crisis. Elijah's journey from writing emails for Obama's 2008 campaign to getting arrested in front of the Obama White House protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline taught him a hard truth: even the most gifted communicators won't prioritize climate when fossil fuel narratives still dominate our culture.

 

Yellow Dot is proving that before we can change policy, we need to change the story people tell themselves about energy and who the real villains are. From viral Chevron spoof ads to the Gigaton Salon comedy shows featuring bumbling fossil fuel "executives," they're using the tools of creativity, celebrity, and comedy to expose, deconstruct, and deprogram decades of fossil fuel propaganda.

 

Discover why culture always comes before policy in social change movements, how to counter-program fossil fuel narratives with content that's more entertaining than the propaganda, and why making fossil fuels culturally embarrassing isn't just creative—it's strategic. Because when democracy and policy are this deeply broken, pulling the climate culture lever isn't optional, it's essential.

 

FULL TRANSCRIPT LIVES HERE.

 


Episode Details

 

 


Key Topics Covered

 

Culture as the Last Lever for Change

 

Yellow Dot's Counter-Programming Strategy

 

The Power of Entertainment in Climate Communication

 

Small Creator Playbook

 

Fossil Fuel Propaganda We've Internalized

 

From Policy to Culture: Elijah's Journey

 


Standout Quotes

 

"In this moment when policy and democracy are so deeply broken, culture is the one lever that we as individuals and we as creatives and storytellers, still really have."

 

"The goal of Yellow Dot is to expose and deconstruct and deprogram [Fossil Fuel propaganda] using the tools of creativity and celebrity and comedy or entertainment."

 

"The stuff that travels on social is not necessarily the stuff that's expensive. Use strong language and evoke strong emotions—it doesn't have to cost a lot of money."

 

"People say, oh, the science is complicated. It's really not that complicated…They just need to understand that there are fossil fuel executives who are intentionally murdering them and that it doesn't need to be that way. Stories need villains. And this story has villains."

 

"The fossil fuel industry has so much disinformation for so long that I see people buying into the frames of the fossil fuel industry all the time—like climate communicators, people on our side. Energy scarcity? That is a fossil fuel myth. The sun produces virtually unlimited energy."

 

"I was in front of the White House getting arrested, telling Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline... It was a real wake up call about how far we need to come, how hard this is, and how hard we need to go."

 

"It's a battle... working with creative people who care and are just trying to make fun and funny and interesting things that speak to this moment... try like hell to break something loose. 'Cause that's all we can do."

 


Featured Resources & Organizations

 

Elijah's Work:

 

Yellow Dot Content Referenced:

 

Key People Referenced:

 

Research & Reports Referenced:

 

Historical Social Change Parallels:

 


Key Themes Explored

 

Culture Always Precedes Policy in Social Movements

 

 

Systematic Counter-Programming vs. Counter-Messaging

 

 

Entertainment as Strategic Weapon

 

 

The Journey from Inside to Outside the System

 

 

Fossil Fuel Frames We Need to Reject

 

 


Juicy Bits: Key Takeaways for Climate Communicators

 

  1. There's no right way to do it - As long as you're being creative and entertaining, just try lots of things. Do what moves you and what seems to move other people.

 

  1. Don't overcomplicate the message - People don't need complex science. They need to understand there are fossil fuel executives who are intentionally blocking solutions, and it doesn't need to be that way. Stories need villains. This story has villains.

 

  1. Don't buy fossil fuel frames - Energy scarcity is a myth. "Sacrifice" is backwards—fossil fuels are blocking unlimited solar energy. Dying is expensive. Question the narratives you've internalized.

 

  1. Message matters more than production value - The content that goes viral isn't necessarily expensive. Use strong language, evoke strong emotions. Your idea matters more than your equipment.

 

  1. Leverage existing communities - Don't build an audience from scratch. Tap into comedy fans, gaming communities, show fandoms. They have built-in amplification mechanisms.

 

  1. Make it embarrassing to defend fossil fuels - Don't just debate propaganda—expose how cynical it is. When greenwashing becomes a punchline, defending it becomes socially costly.

 

  1. Stop waiting for leaders to save us - Culture change comes before policy change. Find your lever and pull it.

 


Call to Action

 

Frustrated with how slowly climate policy is moving? Good. That frustration is fuel. The question isn't whether leaders will finally prioritize climate—it's what cultural lever YOU can pull while we're waiting.

 

Support Yellow Dot's Work:

 

Take Action:

 

Get Involved with Climate Shifted:

 


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