Three steps we can take to slow climate change
If the recent crazy weather hasn’t got you thinking about climate change, I don’t know what will. What with tornadoes in unusual places like Ottawa and Switzerland, forest fires and flooding in several Canadian provinces, it is clear that extreme weather is here. It can feel overwhelming and leave us with a feeling of despair. What can I as an individual do to tackle this enormous problem that is ultimately for governments to address? Fortunately, I am here to tell you that there are three key things that we do in the face of this very challenging problem.
1) Vote. We are fortunate in North America to have the privilege of being able to vote and with this privilege comes the responsibility to use our power to vote. Each voice matters. In the face of the climate crisis, we need to vote for governments that prioritize the protection of the planet, the environment and ultimately us. This means voting at the local municipal level, provincial or state and national levels. All three levels are extremely important in ensuring that we have a safe and inhabitable planet for future generations. Having become involved in municipal politics to try and save a local forest (http://sauvonslaforetfairview.org/):
I see how frustrating it can be to elicit change when councillors are elected with only a few hundred votes. If people understand the impact of decisions being made at the municipal level have on the environment and climate change, they might make voting at the municipal level a priority. I was not aware myself until I became involved in a local issue.
2) Vote with your money. Do you know if your investments are being used to support the fossil fuel industry? Have a chat with your financial planner and find out. Consider asking them to take your investments out of oil and gas. Banks are large investors in the fossil fuel industry (Banks invest in Fossil Fuel Industry). Express your displeasure by writing them a letter telling them so. Apartheid ultimately fell apart because investments to South Africa were stopped. By taking our money out of the fossil fuel industry, we will help accelerate the transition to renewable energy. In fact, as most sources of renewable energy like solar and wind are free, once we setup the infrastructure, we as a society will actually save money. A study by the University of Oxford showed that cost savings of over 1 trillion dollars are possible with the transition to renewable energy. Did you know that oil and gas companies made a record 200 billion in profit in 2022? Unfortunately, the people running these companies are more interested in short term profit than protecting our future. Finally, consider providing financial support to climate action groups such as the David Suzuki foundation and Greenpeace. These organizations need help to fight against the fossil fuel industry.
3) Talk about climate change. Why is talking about climate change so important? Because education and awareness of this issue is key. And if we take action together, we can turn things around, or at the very least make as best as possible. My favorite climate scientist, Katharine Hayhoe, has a great TED talk that everyone should hear.
Please share this blogpost or the link to Katharine’s website with your family and friends.
Of course, there are other individual actions that we can take (fodder for another blogpost) but if everyone does these three things, we will already be on a better track. Thanks for reading.