HOW CAN I HELP STEM CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is the defining challenge of our time: we all have a role to play in stopping it. Changing our daily habits to consume less gas and plastics and energy-intensive foods like meat is important. But tackling the climate crisis requires change on a way bigger scale than reducing our personal carbon footprints. It requires pushing for government investment in clean energy, holding corporations responsible for the pollution they generate, and creating incentives to adopt greener ways of doing business.

The League of Conservation Voters works to elect climate champions to office. They score members of Congress on their environmental records, helping voters make informed decisions. They also work to hold politicians accountable for their actions. One thing is clear: over the next four years, we’ll need way more climate-conscious leaders in positions of power.

One of the most powerful ways to fight climate change is by joining and supporting advocacy groups lobbying for green laws and policies. Many of these organizations have been working for decades – before most people knew what global warming even was – to advance clean energy, secure stronger regulations to protect the planet, and make corporations cover the cost of their emissions.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice all push for stronger environmental policies through legal action, public campaigns, and lobbying in Washington. In this political climate, it takes an army to make climate change a legislative priority, advocate for clean water and air, invest in renewable energy, and hold the U.S. to its goals on cutting emissions.

The Environmental Defense Fund focuses on market-based solutions and corporate partnerships to promote sustainability. They work with industries from agriculture to transportation to move society towards cleaner, greener technologies. That’s key because we will never stay under even the 2.0-degree Celsius global warming threshold if we don’t change the way America does business on a massive scale.

The Hive Fund gives grants to grassroots groups fighting to transition to renewable energy and phase out fossil fuels in the South, where pollution is high but funding is low. If you support them, you’re helping to elevate women leaders; more than 3/4 of their funding goes to organizations led by Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women – fierce changemakers that have been overlooked for most of history.

350.org organizes campaigns, mobilizing everyday people to make renewable energy a reality across the U.S. Their work has contributed to major victories like getting financial institutions to divest from fossil fuels. Join a 350.org chapter and you’re invited to events, protests, and campaigns tied to specific climate issues in your community.

The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is fighting to place a fee on carbon emissions and return the revenue to households, incentivizing families and businesses to reduce their carbon footprints.

Joining any of these groups give you chances to meet with legislators and build support for climate policies. You’ll also get training to become an effective climate advocate, even if you are new to activism.

Finally, here are a few lifestyle changes that reduce your carbon footprint. Drive less, use public transportation, reduce your energy consumption at home, and eat a plant-based diet. Buying energy-efficient appliances and switching to renewable energy like solar power also seriously cuts the carbon footprint of households. But while individual actions are important, they are not enough. What we really need is systemic change to stop climate change.

Ultimately, fighting climate change requires individual and collective action. By making shifts in your consumption habits, supporting advocacy groups, and getting involved in lobbying, you can be part of the change our world so desperately needs. The time is now.