By Farah Stack:
It’s the beginning of a new year and two years into the decisive decade for climate change. How we address this problem will determine the future existence of humans and life on our precious planet.
With everything we have read, seen, or first hand experienced with the impacts of climate change, we bet you will most definitely want to add one of these resolutions to your New Years list.
People can make a number of choices to reduce our annual carbon emissions, and ultimately, our contribution to climate change. Our individual actions, coupled with collective action helps, and collective actions come from the people.
We’ve listed some action-oriented re(solutions) below about how you can stand up to climate change.
Contact your member(s) of Congress or the Senate now, today, everyday. Ask them to support climate legislation. Tell them how important it is for them to do so. It is vital that each and everyone of us go big on climate action now. Later is too late! You can find a member of the House here and a member of the Senate here.
When we vote for the environment, we elect climate champions. When we elect champions, we get good climate policy. And if we get good climate policy, we get to have a livable future. So call! Communicate with others! And use the power of the vote to save our futures!
Voice has power, use yours skillfully. Talk to and engage with everyone. Listen to them. Initiate meaningful and constructive conversations. Understand others’ viewpoints and where they are coming from. Communicate to them what worries you about climate change. Use framing as a technique for framing climate change communication to diverse audiences.
Reach out to as many people as you can. Climate change communication is about educating, informing, warning, persuading, mobilizing, and problem solving our world’s greatest problem!
Walk the walk, talk the talk, and engage politically! We must amass so much political power in support of the climate movement that we become impossible to ignore.There is no time to waste.
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Knowledge is power. Understanding the compounding issues of the climate crisis helps us better understand the scope of the issue and how we can help others. Our changing climate gives us the opportunity to embrace problem solving, environmental justice, and strategies and solutions to help others and our environment. Climate change allows us to change our old habits and adapt and transform into something environmentally sound and just.
You can find out more about your emissions and where you can best reduce them by using an online “carbon calculator.” Check out this one here, maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
We are in a unique window of opportunity to prevent irreversible changes to our planet and human existence. But we only have a limited amount of time to actually make the most of the opportunity, and especially for governments and corporations to transition away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy sources.
Climate-related disasters will only get worse, and worse, every year without end until we move completely away from the fossil fuel industry. We are in the midst of a climate emergency and we must all push harder than ever to save our planet. Take breaks, but don’t ever give up.
We are all a part of the solution to help our planet and ourselves. No one can ensure a sustainable and livable future without working together with others. Join climate action communities to supercharge your voice. When we speak together, we cut through the noise. Solidarity!
The future we choose lies in the hands of each of us alive today. Together, we can truly make a difference and achieve a climate conscious future.
Sources:
Carbon Calculator Link: (https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/household-carbon-footprint-calculator).
Contacting a House Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Contacting a Senate Member: https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/general/one_item_and_teasers/file_not_found.htm
