Climate Change – Taking Action

Most of us already know about the consequences of climate change. Globally, we are experiencing the effects in our daily lives—melting ice caps, frequent fires, intense heat waves, multi-year megadroughts, increasing sea temperatures leading to algae blooms and aquatic die-offs, catastrophic storms and flooding, and rising sea levels. July 2021 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Some even say, “the Earth has a fever.”

When I was a child, I spent as much time as possible outdoors. I explored the fields and canyons of my neighborhood, caught (and released) lizards, frogs, and snakes, and was fascinated by coyotes, birds, rocks, plants, and the landscape that surrounded my suburban home. I spent time at the nearby beach, found seashells, was fascinated by enormous kelp and creatures that populated the shoreline, and swam in the (much cleaner) water. Years later, thousands of people have moved into the area, the neighborhood is overbuilt with little to no open space or wild creatures, and experiencing severe multi-year droughts. The nearby beaches struggle with algae blooms, pollution from leaky infrastructure, rising sea temperatures, lack of sea life diversity, and trash.

Today, most scientists agree that human beings and their activities are the cause of the climate changes we are experiencing. An exploding human population that has doubled in the past 50 years has contributed to the activities associated with human beings to create a now critical situation.

Global warming is defined as an increase in the average temperature of the planet, and it may or may not be something that all of us notice. What most of us do notice is “global weirding”—the increasingly strange weather phenomena we are all experiencing across the globe as well as in our own daily lives.

While many of us think of climate change as something that impacts “the environment” or “animals” outside our experiences (such as polar bears), climate change impacts every aspect of our lives. In fact, more and more people are being impacted by climate change. And these changes don’t affect all people equally. The vulnerable, poor, or marginalized as well as refugees and immigrants are at highest risk for the effects of climate change including a lack of work, homelessness, food scarcity, disease, heat-related illnesses, and mental health struggles. Often, the immensity of all these changes can be overwhelming. And time is running out on our ability to reverse what we are experiencing. Each of us, however, can take small actions every day to support a healthier planet. The time to do something is now.

What Can We Do?

There are literally dozens of actions we each can take to support healthy changes for our planet. These are just a few:

• Become educated and aware of the climate issues in your neighborhood, city, state, or country. Support clean energy projects, restore ecosystems (however small), and vote for individuals who support informed climate change projects. Better yet, run for office yourself! Support climate-conscious actions and legislators like your planet, your life, and the lives of your family depends on it—because it does.
• Support the education of women and girls. Empowered women have a voice in their family size and livelihood and play a key role in addressing climate change. Support mentoring programs and participate in microeconomic initiatives that help women start small, sustainable businesses.
• Plant a tree. Shade produced by a tree can prevent pavements from absorbing heat from the sun and lower air temperature. Low-income neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable to lack of shade. On average, low-income streets have 15% fewer trees and were approximately 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than their wealthier neighbors. Some low-income neighborhoods were 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter! Consider planting a tree indigenous to your area and supporting your community in planting trees. It is one of the best climate-adaptation strategies we have.
• Upgrade the quality of your soil. Here’s one way. As odd as it seems, consider burying a pair of clean cotton underwear at least 3 inches in the ground. Leave them there for at least 60 days and then dig them up. Healthy soil contains billions of microbes and will break down organic material like cotton. When you dig up the underwear, the more holes you find in it, the healthier your soil. Healthy soil reduces erosion, support nutritious plants, helps plants store carbon, and reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides. If your soil needs help, consider adding organic compost to it and reducing your use of pesticides.
• Support the expansion of protected areas to enable migratory animals to adapt to changing climates. Many species, such as humpback whales, Arctic terns, and mountain lions, migrate or wander hundreds or even thousands of miles to find food. With a changing climate, and an ever-increasing loss of habitat for so many species, support habitat protection; set up a wildlife habitat in your yard no matter how small (with bird feeders, plants that provide shade and protection and/or food, etc.); plant a tree; participate in clean-up activities; refuse to use pesticides/herbicides; and embrace sustainable, humanely-raised practices.
• Find ways every day to reduce your carbon footprint. Choose renewable energy sources to power your home or office; choose electric vehicles or bikes for transportation; avoid meat and dairy products (to help reduce habitat loss and methane emissions); cut back on flying; reduce consumption and waste; use less plastic; and invest your money responsibly.
• “Use your voice, use your vote, and use your power of choice.” (Al Gore)

References

Nature.org. (2021). The Nature Conservancy Magazine. Arlington, VA: The Nature Conservancy.

OneTreePlanted. (2021). 20 best ways to stop climate change in 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2021 from https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/20-ways-to-stop-climate-change-2020

Pew Research Center (2014). Chapter 4. Population change in the U.S. and the world from 1950 to 2050. Retrieved December 16, 2021 from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2014/01/30/chapter-4-population-change-in-the-u-s-and-the-world-from-1950-to-2050/

The Grantham Institute. (2021). 9 things you can do about climate change. Retrieved December 16, 2021 from https://www.imperial.ac.uk/stories/climate-action/