“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Another week and another set of heartbreaking weather disasters. Events like hurricanes Fiona and Ian are becoming more severe because of the warming Earth. In each of my posts I try to include some actionable ideas for people who want to do something to slow climate change. Today I’m going a little deeper on that topic. So, what can we do?
A systemic shift
There are lots of changes we can make to reduce our individual carbon use. Things like driving and flying less, insulating our homes, adjusting our thermostats, and eating less meat are all meaningful. But as the scientists point out, to make a real dent in climate change, we need to go beyond these actions and advocate for a systemic shift away from fossil fuels.
Urgency and agency
Michael Mann, climate scientist at UPenn (and the inspiration for Dr. Mindy in the movie Don’t Look Up) wrote a book called The New Climate War. He talks about the need for large-scale change, and emphasizes the point that “there is urgency, but there’s also agency”. Yes, the problem is enormous, but we can solve it.
Where can we start?
If you want to do something but don’t know where to begin, I highly recommend a 10 minute TED talk by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson entitled “How to Find Joy in Climate Action”. She suggests creating a Venn diagram with these three categories:
- What are you good at?
- What needs doing?
- What brings you joy?
The intersection of these three things is where you will find your purpose. We all have different skills, talents, interests, resources, and networks. Find something that is fun for you and makes you happy.
Rest assured, you don’t need to quit your day job to make an impact. Even a few hours of your time, or a few conversations, can have a domino effect.
What can we do?
We all bring different things to the table. Do you have…
- A favorite strategy to cut your own energy use? Tell people about it
- Free time? Volunteer with a climate organization
- A big social media following? Post or forward facts or stories
- Political connections? Advocate for policy change
- Influence at a business? Spearhead a transition to renewable energy
- Friends or family? Start a conversation
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.