“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
Oprah Winfrey
This is my 50th article of 2023 (phew!), and my last until January. I’m taking a few weeks away from writing to enjoy my college kids while they’re home, and to spend some time planning for 2024. There was an abundance of good news on climate change this year, so I’m tying a bow on 2023 with some reasons to celebrate and also a challenge for you.
While there is nothing to celebrate about 2023 being the hottest year ever recorded, this seems to have captured our collective attention. A new poll found 73% of Americans want the government to do more to cut greenhouse emissions. Also, the United Nations annual COP meeting is just wrapping up, and, for the first time, there is an international agreement to transition away from fossil fuels in order to fix the climate crisis. These are big turning points.
Reasons to celebrate
- The Inflation Reduction Act is spurring massive private investment in clean energy – over $76 billion this year alone, along with an estimated 75,000 new jobs
- The international community has committed to transition away from fossil fuels
- Electric vehicle sales have reached a tipping point (over 5%) in the US and 22 other countries
- Solar installations are expected to be 56% higher this year than they were in 2022
- The US and China (the top 2 CO2 emitters) are collaborating to reduce emissions
- Technological advancements in clean energy like wind, green hydrogen, hydroelectric, and biofuel are accelerating
A challenge for you
Progress toward net zero has been invigorating, but we need to take advantage of the momentum and step on the accelerator. The more we talk about the warming planet, the faster things will change. When you talk about your concerns, I suspect you will find that most people care and want to find solutions too.
So, my challenge for you is this: find ways to raise the noise level on this important message about climate change: it is real, it is us, and it can be solved.
Tips for raising the noise level:
- Share a link from an article about climate change that hits home for you
- Start a conversation in your social circle
- Ask at work what your company is doing to be more sustainable
- Debunk myths when you hear them
- Make a change in your own life and watch the ripple effect
Wishing you a happy and peaceful holiday season. Thank you for reading this year!
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.