I don’t make new year’s resolutions, but this year (and decade) is different. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate (the IPCC) reported in 2018 that we had 12 years to get greenhouse gas emissions and global warming under control. That was two years ago, so we have the 2020s to make this monumental turn.
I invite everyone to join me in my three-part resolution:
First: Continue individual actions, from recycling to voting for the most climate-conscious candidates. BUT here’s the key: Celebrate and honor those actions; don’t feel guilty about the thousand things we’re not doing. When I feel good about myself and my life, it empowers me to do more.
Second: Talk about climate change. Boast about — or just mention — our efforts. Share concerns. Comments about the weather can include gratitude for the rain that quenches California fires, made worse by the heating planet. Climate scientist and educator Katharine Hayhoe tells us that the most important thing we can do is talk about it. How can people believe there is a crisis if no one around them seems to care?
The third and most important thing any of us can do is join with others. Collective effort amplifies our voice and creates a force for change.
I found a group that fits me. Citizens’ Climate Lobby attracted me with a positive, nonpartisan call for a price on carbon. Working with others makes me hopeful.
I challenge others to find the organization that fits them. There is an excellent array of choices, each with its own approach to halting climate destruction: 350.org, Mothers Out Front, Sierra Club, The Climate Reality Project, GreenPeace, Acterra, and more.
Or maybe working on a political campaign is for you. Find a candidate who has a platform with climate action up front.
So join me in any or all parts of my resolution:
One: Feel good about individual actions.
Two: Talk about global warming, climate chaos, and efforts to stop it.
Three: Join with others; find a group that works for each of us.
That’s my resolution — and prescription — for creating change and maintaining hope.
Join me in these three steps for a happy new year and a restorative decade! Let’s save our planet!
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Alas, the writing above was rejected by KQED's Perspectives editor, so I am "publishing" it here.
Photo below is a recent (December 2019) of my favorite local hiking spot: Alum Rock Park.
I invite everyone to join me in my three-part resolution:
First: Continue individual actions, from recycling to voting for the most climate-conscious candidates. BUT here’s the key: Celebrate and honor those actions; don’t feel guilty about the thousand things we’re not doing. When I feel good about myself and my life, it empowers me to do more.
Second: Talk about climate change. Boast about — or just mention — our efforts. Share concerns. Comments about the weather can include gratitude for the rain that quenches California fires, made worse by the heating planet. Climate scientist and educator Katharine Hayhoe tells us that the most important thing we can do is talk about it. How can people believe there is a crisis if no one around them seems to care?
The third and most important thing any of us can do is join with others. Collective effort amplifies our voice and creates a force for change.
I found a group that fits me. Citizens’ Climate Lobby attracted me with a positive, nonpartisan call for a price on carbon. Working with others makes me hopeful.
I challenge others to find the organization that fits them. There is an excellent array of choices, each with its own approach to halting climate destruction: 350.org, Mothers Out Front, Sierra Club, The Climate Reality Project, GreenPeace, Acterra, and more.
Or maybe working on a political campaign is for you. Find a candidate who has a platform with climate action up front.
So join me in any or all parts of my resolution:
One: Feel good about individual actions.
Two: Talk about global warming, climate chaos, and efforts to stop it.
Three: Join with others; find a group that works for each of us.
That’s my resolution — and prescription — for creating change and maintaining hope.
Join me in these three steps for a happy new year and a restorative decade! Let’s save our planet!
###
Alas, the writing above was rejected by KQED's Perspectives editor, so I am "publishing" it here.
Photo below is a recent (December 2019) of my favorite local hiking spot: Alum Rock Park.
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