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Peter Hanlon is the Outreach Associate for Network for New Energy Choices, a program of GRACE.  This post was originally published at newenergychoices.org.

Back in the waning days of August, Elizabeth Kolbert wrote an article in The New Yorker complaining that Colin Beavan, aka No Impact Man, and other similar-minded writers experimenting with strict eco-friendly lifestyles were nothing more than disingenuous hucksters, pointlessly updating Henry David Thoreau’s own insincere two-year retreat into the woods.

In other words, it was all just a stunt.

Needless to say, the article launched many a blog response. But missing from the fallout was a simple question: What’s wrong with a few stunts? Marketers swear by them and, if well orchestrated, they can hold the public’s attention for a few precious moments. Sometimes they can even help inspire a movement.

And a movement appears more and more necessary based on mounting evidence that the public’s understanding of climate change is headed in the wrong direction. First, a national poll revealed a 20 percent drop between 2007 and 2009 in the number of Americans who think the world’s climate is getting warmer. A subsequent survey reported strong public support for a cap-and-trade proposal, only to be rebutted by another poll released the very next day finding much weaker public support for greenhouse gas emission reduction laws. Even worse, public concern about, and even belief in, climate change clearly showed a downward trend.

Public surveys don’t exist in a vacuum, of course, so an unseasonably cool East Coast summer and the ceaseless hum of climate change science deniers may have affected these readings. Hell, even Jon Stewart seemed confused about climate change solutions last week.

So why not try a few marketing gimmicks to break through the misunderstanding? Perhaps you’re a fan of Greenpeace’s banner-dropping skills. Maybe you prefer the Maldivian government’s underwater cabinet meetings that demonstrated the potential devastation of rapid sea level rise on the low-lying island nation. Or if sinking isn’t your concern, how about melting? The Nepalese Cabinet plans on holding a meeting at the Mt. Everest base camp to highlight the melting glaciers of the Himalayas. The Yes Men’s culture-jamming exploits are hard to ignore, whether they’re pretending to be the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reversing its stance on climate legislation or tumbling down the front steps of the U.S. Capitol dressed in “Survivaballs.”  Perhaps the best strategy is a tad less post-modern, like the International Climate Day of Action’s 5,200 events organized by concerned citizens in 181 countries. Or, maybe all we need are some supermodels stripping for the sake of climate change awareness.

And speaking of nakedness, PETA for one has provided a few examples of how not to produce an effective stunt. Nudity and blood-and-guts imagery might get you a photo op, but does it inspire support or just create a distraction? An event that is clearly connected to, and does not overshadow, the message takes the “stupid” out of “stupid publicity stunt.” So holding cabinet meetings at the bottom of the ocean or on top of mountains to demand that the international community get moving on climate change policies? Perfect! Attempting to glue your hand to the Prime Minister to protest a new airport, and in turn greenhouse gasses emitted by the aviation industry? Not so great.

Whatever the technique, don’t discount the stunt. Sure, Thoreau left his cabin and visited Concord, Mass. almost every day, so he wasn’t exactly living off of the land. But despite Thoreau’s critics, Walden’s celebration of simple living with nature has endured and become many Americans’ first point of reference for environmentalism. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and scientific analyses may supply crucial data and dire warnings, but they alone aren’t very effective at inspiring a movement. That requires some event, some moment, some experiment – some stunt – that will capture our collective imagination.