How to Demand Action on Climate Change
Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report – actually a klaxon – warning about the catastrophic impact of climate change if global political leaders don’t act now . For people who have sounded the alarm for decades, this report is depressing but not surprising; for those of us who haven’t paid as much attention to science as we should, this report is a wake-up call. However, no matter what group you are in, the way forward is clear: we need to put pressure on our elected leaders, corporations and even our friends and neighbors to change their course of action, otherwise we will witness sea level rise, natural disasters and wars. , famine and refugee crisis the likes of which the world has never seen. As the New York Times writes , “the world must completely transform its energy systems in the next decade, otherwise there will be a threat of environmental and social catastrophe.”
In the face of enormous, apparently insurmountable social problems, individual action can seem insignificant and insignificant. (Indeed, just 100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions , which makes rinsing tuna cans seem like an absurd private theater.) But together we can really slow climate change: “First thing to do. what anyone can do, says Michael Brun, CEO of the Sierra Club , is remember that you have the power. As a citizen, consumer, investor, as a person , you can make really big changes. ” Here’s how to get started.
Know where your elected officials stand
If you think everyone is pretty much in agreement with the fact of climate change, you’re in for a rude awakening: More than half of Congress denies climate change (and mostly, but not exclusively, Republicans). Would you like to know how knowledgeable your representative is in this matter? Check out this handy list of all climate change deniers in Congress . You know how to do it: call, write, email, protest and, above all, vote .
Focus on state and local government
The municipalities collectively could do more than Washington. After President Trump decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, the coalition of mayors pledged to meet the targets anyway. As Michael Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor who coordinated the effort, writes in The Times , “More than 130 American cities have joined the Global Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy , and they are all determined to see us meet our Paris Purpose.” Start attending city council meetings, or at least keep an eye out for reporters or environmentalists who cover these meetings Is there a sustainability office or environmental committee in your city? Does your local university have a sustainability department, with whom you can talk about local efforts? If you really do not have, check with a set of tools to ensure the stability of the climate change, to get step by step instructions on how to tackle climate change in your community.
“It’s very important who you vote for mayor or who sits on your city council,” says Brune. If you want your community to be powered by clean energy, you need to vote and campaign locally.
Brune also notes that governors who believe in climate change and are committed to addressing it have given their voters more economic opportunity: see New Jersey, Illinois, California, Massachusetts. So keep your governor underfoot by the fire and volunteer for the candidates you think are best at the intersection of climate change and economic opportunity. To quickly see how a federal candidate is leaning, head over to the Sierra Club endorsement page . On about the state of races and local races, please contact the local branch of the Sierra Club – some states offer a “legislative scorecards.”
Do it yourself
“The very first thing you need to do is take action on your own,” says David Miller, regional director for the North American C40 Climate Leadership Group . When you talk to your elected officials and they ask, “What are you doing?” you want a ready answer. “Do you use transit? Can you choose your personal transport? If you are driving, can you use public transport at least once a week? If you are using public transport, can you walk more, can you cycle more? … Can you choose an electric car instead of a gas one? ”Miller recognizes that your personal actions will depend on your personal circumstances, but taken together, these decisions can have a huge impact.
You can ask yourself the same questions about dozens of relatively small lifestyle choices:
- Can you eat a more “climate-friendly” diet? Can you cut back on meat and animal products? (This doesn’t necessarily mean being completely vegetarian or vegan – you can just go “ Reducian . ” In fact, if you could just limit or eliminate beef and pork, you would do a lot.)
- Can you waste less food and compost your waste? Food waste makes a huge contribution to greenhouse gas emissions . “Is there a compost program [in your area?” says Miller. “Can you organize with other people to push your municipal representatives to do something?”
- Can you stop with all the disposable items? I love the zippered bag and large coffee cup as much as the next parent, but I try really hard to use reusable lunch containers and bring my coffee cup with me. If you want to get fanatical and never buy anything, make it bottled water – a disaster for the planet .
- Can you just buy fewer things altogether? Especially plastic toys for children, which are usually not recycled and in any case not used for a very long time. Holidays are coming – what if you were giving and asking for impressions instead of things? You would probably be happier .
- Can you make your home more energy efficient ? Can you find out if your workplace is energy efficient?
- If you’re thinking of buying a new car, can you test the Bolt or Prius ? Do you really need a car? Can you lobby for better transit and bike lanes in your city, or organize a fleet of vehicles with other passengers or parents?
- Who do you do business with? “Don’t support banks that don’t invest in solutions,” Brun says, especially urging Bank of America to support fracturing. Go to a socially responsible bank . If you have an investment, consider “ impact investing ”.
- Want more ideas, starting with the very simple “Don’t put things on the roof of your car?” is it even easier to “replace the bulbs”? Check out these proposals from the Natural Resources Defense Council .
These efforts may seem insignificant, such as the tuna can flushing described above, but if you also rely on your friends and neighbors, your employer and your local government, the small actions will snowball. And for those 100 companies that are the big villains in climate change, Miller points out that changing your behavior so as not to support environmentally damaging sectors of the economy, by, for example, choosing public transport through the car, you make change. “You make a choice from your wallet.” A million little options are added up.
Influence your friends and neighbors
“Talking is really important,” says Miller. “Building a political movement requires knowledgeable, motivated people who work together to solve a problem.” If fighting climate change is your new passion, or even an old passion, don’t keep it to yourself. And you don’t have to flap your fingers – start with the positive: “There are so many things going on that are inspiring,” says Miller. “This movement is based on the improvement of life.” You can talk about how good electric cars are now , or how much you enjoy the health benefits of cycling and don’t want to be hit by a car (this is my personal strategy), or how cities around the world are buying fleets. electric buses .
It is, of course, important to influence our elected officials, but, as they say, “the people are coming. I have to follow them because I am their leader. ” A change in the opinion of representatives means a change in the opinion of their constituents. “The most important thing to influence elected officials is a common understanding among people that something needs to be done,” Miller says.
This is also where Facebook is active – even if you’re just posting about what changes people can make, you can get someone to rethink what kind of car they need, or even if they need a car at all. This does not have to mean intimidation or anxiety – it is critical to maintain a positive and helpful tone. The messages from friends that make me listen are usually related to events such as cycling to fundraisers or postcard parties – fun things that make activism social. “We are doomed” will not inspire anyone.
Start with your personal interests and your own community
I confess, although I was always aware of climate change and vaguely hoped that politicians would do something, this was not my number one problem. But lately, I’ve gotten into cycling, and so I’ve been following a lot of alternative modes of transportation on social media, which has changed my mind about cars, transportation and cities … which in turn has changed what I talk about with my friends. … According to Brun, many people approach this topic from their own personal point of view: grandparents who want their children to have a future that does not become impoverished due to climate change, parents and teachers who organize to have a strong scientific -justified curriculum for schools.
Brune says: “Many people may be more politically conservative, but they run a company or work in the private sector and want to make an economic case for taking action on climate change … We have seen people organize through their church. to morally reason why we should take more drastic action in favor of clean energy. We’ve seen how all these things are effective on their own, but when they are coordinated together, you have a cacophony of voices calling for stronger leadership. ”
So are you in education? Visit Climate Parents , subscribe to the National Science Teachers Association, and attend local school board meetings to find out what science program is available in your child’s school. Are you interested in gardening? Learn how to start composting . Catholic? Read what the Pope says about climate change. (Jewish? Covered . Episcopal? Covered .) Are you an engineer or an architect ? Are you an African American looking to camp or a Hispanic looking to connect with nature ? Are you homosexual and interested in hiking ? I’m going to suggest that whatever your personality, hobby, interests, or passions, you can team up with a group that enjoys nature and fights against climate change.
My personal next steps? Start attending my local meetings about transportation alternatives and redefine your banking business. If you’re stumped, search your local Sierra Club or simply find your greenest friend on Facebook and ask what to do. We’ve got ten years to make a difference, so pour yourself some coffee in a reusable mug, make yourself a vegetarian snack, and start planning. The future depends on it.