Remember:
Everyone can do something. Little drops of water make the mighty ocean.
Individual climate action is important. Collective climate action is essential.
Keep in mind: People are different. Do what you can do and encourage others to find their way to contribute to our shared cause.
Whatever climate action you choose to take, celebrate your climate victories with your people.
Ideas for collective climate action:
Vote. Vote only for politicians who prioritize climate action.
Talk about climate change with your people. Initiate conversations about climate change and climate solutions with your family, friends, colleagues, random strangers. Find it difficult? Watch this witty wise little video first.
Write a letter to the editor. Remember to
1) Use reasonable tone
2) Address what is at stake
3) Explain what climate change is in a short and sweet way: Climate change is mainly caused by our use of fossil fuels. The more carbon, methane included, that we emit into the atmosphere, the denser the heat-trapping blanket around the Earth will get, and the more disrupted systems we will have and leave as our legacy to future generations. We are already experiencing the climate impacts through more intense storms, torrential rains, floods, increasing landslides.
4) Frame climate change as a problem that can be addressed at a collective level through practical steps by an informed, engaged citizenry and present your chosen solutions.
Identify your local, state and federal representatives and find out their position on climate change. Good sources: http://www.lcv.org, http://www.conservationpa.org
Invite and challenge your elected officials to create a future you’d like to see happen.
More information: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Support non-profits that work for collective system change towards a clean and fair economy.
Ideas for individual climate action:
Eat less meat, especially beef, and more locally produced vegetarian food. Eating all locally grown food for one year could save the GHG equivalent of driving 1,000 miles. Eating a vegetarian meal one day a week could save the equivalent of driving 1,160 miles.
Buy less. Stop using plastic bags and single use plastics.
Make your home more energy-efficient. Start by switching your light bulbs to LED.
More information:
Americah Council for Energy-Efficient Economy https://aceee.org/sector/residential
Pittsburghers: Conservation Consultants Inc. http://getenergysmarter.org/sound-home-plan
Vote with your dollars – buy renewable electricity.
More information for Pennsylvanians: PA PowerSwitch http://www.papowerswitch.com
Fly less.
Bike. Carpool. Use train or bus.
Take a child for a walk in the woods.
Take care of yourself.
Need inspiration? Read Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone https://www.activehope.info
Measure your own carbon footprint.
www.epa.gov/energy/measure-impact-your-energy-use-environment
www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator
Still need more ideas? Check out Climate Generation toolkit
www.documents.climategen.org/toolkits/Take-Action-Guide.pdf
NNOCCI Climate Change Solutions Bank – a collection of solutions to climate change broken into audience levels – family or neighborhood solutions, community or institutional solutions, city solutions and federal solutions. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iD0HNwiw93zNX1hRKOZMTqQY57ckE-l-DxQFq6kPHqw/edit#gid=0
LEARN MORE – especially about climate solutions
Project Drawdown – a nonprofit organization and coalition of scholars, scientists, entrepreneurs, and advocates from across the globe that is mapping, measuring, modeling, and communicating about a collective array of substantive solutions to global warming, with the goal of reaching drawdown. www.drawdown.org
Get news about climate change and solutions to your inbox. Sign up to Daily Climate Hot News by Climate Nexus – a strategic communications group dedicated to highlighting the impacts of climate change and clean energy solutions in the United States. www.climatenexus.org
Watch Don’t Just Sit There – Do Something videos with Joylette Portlock www.communitopia.org
Learn about fair and circular economy. What is that? Circular economy is “a framework for economy that is restorative and regenerative by design”. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept
Want to learn how we got into this mess?
New York Times: Losing Earth? The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.html
Want to learn about climate change in the US?
Fourth National Climate Assessment: Climate Science Special Report