Taking Action
Are you feeling lost and uncertain about what to do about the climate emergency? It may feel like too big a problem to solve on your own and you may not know where to start. There are a lot of options out there, and here are just a few:
Join a Group
Taking action with others is both fruitful and rewarding! You’ll accomplish far more than if you work alone, and you’ll connect with others who feel the same way as you.
Here are the some of the biggest climate emergency groups and movements in the US:
Additionally, many cities and towns have their own grassroots climate groups. This Vice article has excellent tips on finding a group.
Talk with Others
This may seem like a small thing, but it’s not. The climate emergency is enabled by the spiral of silence around it. Individuals – consciously or not – tend to think that if no one is panicking about this issue then it must not be a big deal.
- Start off small and join Climate Emotions Conversation.
- You’ll connect with others who feel the same about the climate emergency. Even if you intellectually know you’re not the only person who cares about it, it can be greatly relieving to actually talk about it with others who feel the same as you!
- If you’re keen, start a Book Club! You can start off with Margaret’s radical self-help book, Facing the Climate Emergency. (You can even use our guide.)
- Then we’d recommend books like All We Can Save, The Future Earth, and The Parable of the Sower.
I'm already part of a group
Are you a member of a synagogue, temple, or church? Are you on the PTA at your child’s school, or a member of a neighbourhood group?
Leveraging existing groups and connections will go a long way in fighting the climate emergency. We don’t need to turn everyone into climate activists, but we want everyone to take some sort of action on the crisis.
So work within your existing group. We suggest:
- Hosting a Climate Emotions Conversation for your group,
- Forming a Climate Action working group and attend climate strikes and take actions – letter writing, direct action – together.
Finally, if you’re involved with a school or place of worship, you could advocate for your organization to declare a Climate Emergency. See Margaret’s book Facing the Climate Emergency for more on how to do this.
And more!
Climate Reporter and Founder of HEATED, Emily Atkin, published an excellent article about taking action, and how anything you can do will make a difference. Click image below to read it:
