Mary Robinson and Maeve Higgins host the Mothers of Invention podcast. Mothers of Invention
Most days, the news on climate can be tough. Carbon dioxide levels reaching new heights. Glaciers melting even faster than we thought. White House officials celebrating the prospect of an ice-free Arctic. Not a whole lot of good ways to spin these.
But here's the good news. There are a lot of smart and committed people working to solve this. And if you need a bit of hope, a bit of inspiration, we've got five podcasts with conversations and stories that'll light a fire inside, change how you think about the crisis, and get you ready to fight again.
Because the truth is, sometimes we all need it. Enjoy.
<h3>1. Mothers of Invention:<em> A Second Chance at Life</em></h3><p>If you've ever looked at the climate crisis and got lost heading down that "IT'S. SO. BIG. WHAT. CAN. WE. DO?" rabbit hole, listen to Mothers of Invention. If you appreciate flat-out inspiring stories of women thinking big, thinking boldly, thinking smart, and just generally applying feet to rear ends on climate, listen to Mothers of Invention.</p><p>Actually, just skip the qualifiers: Listen to Mothers of Invention.</p><p>Now two seasons along, <em>M</em>others of Invention takes on the climate crisis from a feminist perspective, all with more wit, humor and warmth than should be legal. Hosted by former Irish President (and long-time social justice activist) Mary Robinson and comedian Maeve Higgins, the show's manifesto is simple: "Climate change is a man-made problem – with a feminist solution!"</p><p>And they've got the stories to prove it. Picking just one episode is like trying to pick one flavor of ice cream from a menu with 100 delicious choices, but we say start by jumping in with the fourth episode in season two, <em>A Second Chance at Life. </em>(And then going back to the start.)</p><p>Now go listen.</p>
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<h3>2. Displaced: <em>Mary Robinson</em><em></em></h3><p>Double-dipping with Mary Robinson here, but worth it.</p><p>Today, there are more people displaced from their homes and on the move than at any point since World War II. It seems like you can't watch the news for more than five minutes without hearing about migration and some part of this <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-refugee">displacement crisis</a>. But what you won't often hear is how the climate crisis is one of the greatest factors behind it, with rising temperatures and longer droughts crippling farms and communities across the planet (to name only a couple reasons).</p><p>In the April 9 episode of Vox Media's Displaced, host Ravi Gurumurthy of the International Rescue Committee talks to Mary Robinson about how the climate crisis is already forcing millions from their homes in search of a better life and how this trend will shape the twenty-first century.</p><p>For listeners in developed nations, the conversation is a call to rediscover the clarity of conscience and act. After all, Mary Robinson has spent much of her life and career fighting to make this world fairer for the most vulnerable. Listen to the quiet righteous indignation bubbling through every syllable as she talks about the inequities of a planet where those least responsible for our changing climate suffer its cruelest impacts and you'll want to do the same.</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/climate-change-former-president-ireland-mary-robinson/id1368638855?i=1000434497605" target="_blank">Listen here.</a></p>
<h3>3. With Friends Like These: <em>You Can't Build Things With Pitchforks and Torches</em></h3><p>Back in 2010, then-Republican Congressman Bob Inglis of South Carolina committed the cardinal sin of telling a radio host the climate crisis already fueling stronger hurricanes and wicked wildfires was, you know, <em>real</em>, and humans might have something to do with that.</p><p>After a pair of oil billionaires whose name rhymes with "smoke" helped make sure he was free to pursue other career opportunities outside of Congress, Inglis became a leading voice for a conservative approach to solving the crisis.</p><p>In this 2017 episode of Crooked Media's podcast With Friends Like These, he talks to host Ana Maria Cox about why conservatives should be all about climate action and what progressives can do to bring them into the movement. You don't have to agree with everything he says or every position he's taken to appreciate his perspective and see how we can build a truly diverse coalition to win. After all, that's the only way we will.</p>
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<h3>4. Longform:<em> David Wallace-Wells</em></h3><p>"It is worse, much worse than you think."</p><p>David Wallace-Wells begins his moving meditation on the climate crisis, <em>The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming</em>, with a haymaker and doesn't let up for 230 pages, charting how the crisis is already transforming every aspect of life on earth and the unconscionable catastrophe waiting for us if we don't act.</p><p>It's probably the most terrifying book published in English in 2019 (so far). And – judging by the extraordinary response it's getting, with people everywhere grappling with the truly existential threat we face – it might be the most important.</p><p>For years, the Longform podcast team – Aaron Lammer, Max Linskey and Evan Ratliff – have talked to some of the most interesting writers, critics, media voices and more.</p><p>For the May 1 episode of the Longform podcast (which if you're not familiar, hosts some of the most intriguing conversations with the writers, media voices, and more shaping culture today), he sits down with Max Linskey to talk about the book, the incredible reception and the stark, historic choice we have today.</p><p><a href="https://longform.org/posts/longform-podcast-341-david-wallace-wells" target="_blank">Listen here.</a></p>
<h3>5. The Ezra Klein Show: <em>Meet the Policy Architect Behind the Green New Deal</em></h3><p>Even before it was introduced, the Green New Deal was being attacked. Mostly – rather cynically – by people who haven't bothered to actually read – much less understand – it. Sadly, it's meant there's a whole lot of confusion about what the Green New Deal actually is and is trying to do.</p><p>So if you've ever wondered, "What's the deal with the Green New Deal?" you owe it to yourself to listen to Rhiana Gunn-Wright. She's the whip-smart policy expert charged with the small matter of turning the big-picture goals of the Green New Deal into a practical set of policies that can drive a just transition to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">clean energy</a>, helping the U.S. slash emissions while creating millions of green jobs and revitalizing communities from coast to coast. In Marvel movies, they give capes to people for this kind of stuff.</p><p>Gunn-Wright is also a powerful and compelling voice for connecting climate action and social justice. It's a subject that's only just starting to get the attention it deserves, and if you've read about the Green New Deal and wondered why it's so committed to justice, listen to her conversation with David Roberts filling in on The Ezra Klein Show. She might make you a believer too.</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-the-policy-architect-behind-the-green-new-deal/id1081584611?i=1000433641735" target="_blank">Listen here.</a></p>
<p>If listening to these conversations on the climate crisis has you thinking, "What can I do?", we've got an answer. <a href="http://climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">Join us in Minneapolis from August 2-4 and train with former Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader</a>.</p><p>You'll learn just how the crisis is transforming our world and how together we can solve it. You'll also learn what you can do and develop the skills and know-how to mobilize your friends, family, neighbors, and more to act while we still have time.</p><p>As we say, give us three days. We'll give you the tools to change the world.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">6-Year-Old Science Prodigy Hosts Trending Podcast <a href="https://t.co/wMOROs69Tv">https://t.co/wMOROs69Tv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/natepodcasts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@natepodcasts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheEllenShow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BillNye?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillNye</a> @ScienceMarchDC <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@neiltyson</a></p>— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/854367109161390082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/5-podcasts-inspire-you-climate" target="_blank">The Climate Reality Project</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shares his country's mission to put happiness before economic growth and set a world standard for environmental preservation. TED / YouTube screenshot
Let's be real: Renewable energy is super cool. Harnessing virtually limitless energy from the natural world? Check. Without releasing dangerous carbon pollution into our atmosphere? Double check.
Around the world, cities, states, countries, and companies are making the switch to clean, renewable energy to help stop climate change. Better yet? It just makes good economic sense.
Here are five eye-opening TED Talks that show how renewables are taking over every corner of the world — from Bhutan to Costa Rica, back to Germany, and more.
This Country Isn't Just Carbon Neutral — It's Carbon Negative | Tshering Tobgay
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f558db00ab456038392eb846a6d0e473"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7Lc_dlVrg5M?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Quotable Moment: </strong>"The point is this: my country and my people have done nothing to contribute to global warming, but we are already bearing the brunt of its consequences. And for a small, poor country, one that is landlocked and mountainous, it is very difficult. But we are not going to sit on our hands doing nothing. We will fight climate change. That's why we have promised to remain carbon neutral." </p>A Printable, Flexible, Organic Solar Cell | Hannah Bürckstümmer
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="05548a3af734b0bf93580b1409703efd"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Erm4vP1vTn8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Quotable Moment:</strong> "This is pointing towards a future where buildings are no longer energy consumers, but energy providers. I want to see <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> cells seamlessly integrated into our building shells to be both resource-efficient and a pleasure to look at."</p>The Thrilling Potential for Off-Grid Solar Energy | Amar Inamdar
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fcbc814765db86a53e629075e943dffd"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/20adDr7Felw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Quotable Moment:</strong> "There's a revolution happening in the villages and towns all around us here in East Africa. And the revolution is an echo of the cell phone revolution. It's wireless, and that revolution is about solar and it's about distributed solar. Photons are wireless, they fall on every rooftop, and they generate enough power to be sufficient for every household need."</p>A Small Country With Big Ideas to Get Rid of Fossil Fuels | Monica Araya
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8954f37833eb7da6090264301629511e"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JI-HzvXk5bk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Quotable Moment:</strong> "How do we build a society without <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a>? This is a very complex challenge, and I believe developing countries could take the lead in this transition. And I'm aware that this is a contentious statement, but the reality is that so much is at stake in our countries if we let fossil fuels stay at the center of our development. We can do it differently. And it's time, it really is time, to debunk the myth that a country has to choose between development on the one hand and environmental protection, renewables, quality of life, on the other."</p>How China Is (and Isn't) Fighting Pollution and Climate Change | Angel Hsu
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0ebdc8a1ed6eeb0bb9792e944bc216c6"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VlHiEN1zTKI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Quotable Moment: </strong>"China is very much in the driver's seat determining our global environmental future. What they do on carbon trading, on clean energy, on air pollution, we can learn many lessons. One of those lessons is that clean energy is not just good for the environment, it can save lives by reducing air pollution. It's also good for the economy. We can see that last year, China was responsible for 30 percent of the global growth in green jobs."</p><h3>Get Familiar With the Facts</h3><p>Wow, that was kind of like drinking from a water hose, right? Don't worry – we have <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/learn/solarfacts" target="_blank">a brand-new e-book all about the sunniest type of clean energy: solar</a>. In it, we make the facts about photovoltaics simple and easy to understand.</p><p>There's a lot of misinformation out there about this powerful source of energy, but in our free e-book, we promise to deliver the facts, the whole facts and nothing but the facts.</p><p>One of the most important things you can do to help fight climate change is to learn and spread the facts about solutions like solar. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/learn/solarfacts" target="_blank">Download the free e-book, <em>Things Are Looking Bright: The Facts about Solar Energy</em>, now</a>.</p>
<div id="b96c4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="DZFT4C1576663636"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1101088419487322114" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The So-Called Political Divide on #Coal vs. #Renewables Is Fake News @NRDC @LakotaLaw @ienearth
https://t.co/a0eEl15UVs</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1101088419487322114">1551354911.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/5-best-ted-talks-about-renewable-energy" target="_blank">The Climate Reality Project</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Climate Reality Project
In many places, the leaves have fallen and the first frosts have turned the air crisp. The days are getting shorter. Most birds are well on their way south, and the holidays are just around the corner. And in just a few weeks, on Dec. 3-4, we'll present our eighth annual global broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality.
<p>Hosted by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, <em>24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves</em> will sound the alarm on the clear and present danger that fossil fuels and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_blank">climate change</a> pose to the health of families and communities across the planet.</p><p>The broadcast will stream live at <a href="https://www.24hoursofreality.org/" target="_blank">24hoursofreality.org</a>, beginning at 6 p.m. PT on Dec. 3 and continuing for 24 straight hours, and will be presented locally by television partners around the world.</p><p> <strong>Below, check out the teaser trailer for this year's incredible broadcast event:</strong></p>
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Just Announced! 24 Hours of Reality 2018: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves</small>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/vdivXE-uTgY" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
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<p>Get ready for 24 hours of eye-opening discussions with policymakers, doctors and other health care experts, community leaders, scientists, business innovators and more. All joining forces to highlight what might be the greatest threat to public health worldwide.<br></p><p>Twenty-four hours of hope with stories of individuals, communities and businesses in key countries working to break free of fossil fuels and shape a healthier and more prosperous future for us all.</p><p>Twenty-four hours of electrifying musical performances from some of pop's biggest names, and thoughtful conversations with famous faces who share our concern for the future of our shared planet.</p><p>Twenty-four hours that will show how we can solve this crisis and create the prosperous, sustainable and thriving tomorrow that future generations deserve.</p><p>If you're ready to make a difference and join the millions calling for urgent climate action, join us on Dec. 3-4. Visit <a href="https://www.24hoursofreality.org/" target="_blank">24hoursofreality.org</a> for the full lineup and program details.</p>
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Campaign poster designed by Shepard Fairey. The Climate Reality Project
Sunday's dire report from the United Nations is not just a wake-up call for governments around the world to fight catastrophic climate change, it urges individual action as well.
On Tuesday, former Vice President Al Gore helped launch a new get-out-the-vote initiative to get youngsters to register and to back green policies and candidates at the polls.
<p>
The <a href="https://earthforamerica.com/" target="_blank">Earth for America</a> project features an animated emperor penguin named "Earth" who is running for Congress. The mascot's Gore-approved <a href="https://earthforamerica.com/#the-earth-platform" target="_blank">platform</a> includes <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy">renewable energy</a>, clean energy jobs, electric vehicles, land conservation, health, and clean air and water.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="1d7c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="O221Y41576662679"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1049677672354390017" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">She’s a penguin of the people and she’s got my vote. Consider this my official endorsement of Congressional candida… https://t.co/7T2VCBwDHu</div> — Al Gore (@Al Gore)<a href="https://twitter.com/algore/statuses/1049677672354390017">1539097633.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>"Earth knows that young people have the power to change the world," Gore, who chairs <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/" target="_blank">The Climate Reality Project</a>, said in a press release sent to EcoWatch. "I'm so inspired by the passionate and dedicated young leaders who are getting involved and making their voices heard. It's crucial that this energy is translated into votes this November."<br></p><p>
<span></span>Iconic graphic artist Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One created the official campaign portrait in his signature style.
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODcwMjI0Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTM0OTQ5OH0.79pPd30CCywH42tpl6yvvTkl0MHPhA0WpxCwglEq_g8/img.png?width=980" id="8453e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5acc03e2119dfc0ff37470090ce7ec41" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">The Climate Reality Project</small>
</p><p>
The Earth For America campaign—a partnership between The Climate Reality Project, <a href="https://www.malforgood.com/" target="_blank">MAL\FOR GOOD</a>, <a href="http://tbwachiatday.com/" target="_blank">TBWA\Chiat\Day</a> and <a href="http://www.themill.com/" target="_blank">The Mill</a>—also released an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7f6yfxGFmo" target="_blank">official announcement video</a> featuring Earth (voiced by actress, host and digital content creator Liza Koshy).
</p><p>
<span></span>"As a young, registered voter, Earth's perspective, message and relatable tone resonates with me," Koshy said in the press release. "She stands for issues that hit home (literally) for us all. I encourage everyone to use their platform, as Earth does, to ensure their voice is heard. You don't have to be a cute penguin running for Congress, but you DO have to VOTE."
</p><p>
Follow Earth's campaign train on <a href="https://insta-stalker.com/profile/earthforamerica/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EarthforAmerica/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/EarthForAmerica" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
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Al Gore Calls on Trump to Resign as Samoan PM Calls Out Climate Change Deniers
31 August 2018
Politics
Government inaction on climate change and climate deniers were called out by former vice president Al Gore and Samoan prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele separately this week.
Gore voiced his sentiment during an interview released Wednesday with Fox 11's Good Day L.A. co-host Elex Michaelson. Sailele made the remarks at his speech Thursday in Australia. They each spoke about the harmful effects of global warming and called for immediate action.
<p>
While Gore's words were for
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump">President Trump</a> and his administration, Sailele took aim at the leaders of Australia, India, China and the U.S. as the "countries that are responsible for all this disaster," as quoted by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/31/world-leaders-who-deny-climate-change-should-go-to-mental-hospital-samoan-pm" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.
</p><p>
"Any leader of those countries who believes that there is no climate change I think he ought to be taken to mental confinement, he is utter[ly] stupid and I say the same thing for any leader here who says there is no climate change," he continued.
</p><p>
<span></span>Sailele spoke about how Pacific Island nations are especially vulnerable to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise">rising sea levels</a>.
</p><p>
<span></span>"While climate change may be considered a slow onset threat by some in our region, its adverse impacts are already felt by our Pacific islands peoples and communities," he said.
</p><p>
Sailele gave his speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney a week after Australia swore in a new <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/australia-prime-minister-climate-policy-2598685521.html">prime minister, Scott Morrison</a>. The conservative lawmaker is being pressured by members of his coalition government to drop the country's plans to cut carbon emissions under the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier">Paris agreement</a>, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-31/samoan-prime-minister-hits-out-at-climate-change-sceptics/10185142" target="_blank">ABC News</a> reported. His predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, was ejected after proposing, but ultimately abandoning, modest emissions targets for the country's energy sector after pressure from his own conservative party.
</p><p>
"Greater ambition is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade and Pacific island countries continue to urge faster action by all countries," Sailele said.
</p><p>
<span></span>In his interview, Gore dismissed those who are skeptical about the dangerous effects of a changing climate. Asked what he'd say to such people, the former VP responded to Michaelson, "Take it from mother nature. Every night on the TV news it's like a nature hike through the book of Revelations."
</p><p>
The founder and chairman of
<a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/" target="_blank">The Climate Reality Project</a> also had one simple word for Trump.
</p><p>
"Oh, my only message would be: Resign," Gore said.
</p><p>
<span></span>Trump intends to pull the U.S. out of the Paris agreement and has rolled back numerous environmental regulations in favor of polluting industries and has pushed for more use of fossil fuels.
</p><p>
"I don't mean to be flippant about it," Gore continued. "I don't think he's prepared to listen to advice about the importance of clean air and clean water."
</p><p>
He said the Trump administration's policies have "made the EPA the CPA—the coal production agency."
</p><p>
Gore is currently in Los Angeles for convention with the Climate Reality Project to teach people how to speak persuasively about climate change.
</p><p>
<span></span>When Michaelson asked for his thoughts about California's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-climate-change-2599783083.html" target="_blank">recent government report</a> that found wildfires, heatwaves and temperatures will be increasingly destructive in the state, Gore said, "When they tell us it's going to be worse if we don't change, we've got to listen."
</p><p>
He suggested a price on carbon, conserving energy and switching to renewable sources of electricity to combat the effects of climate change.
</p><p>
Voting in the midterms is another way for people to help make a difference, he added.</p>
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</p><div id="2cc43" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="V4KTOS1576662707"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="974398609952247808" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Majority of Americans Wants Climate Action, Survey Finds https://t.co/tP12y0eDZZ @OneWorld_News @UCSUSA @OccupySandy</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/974398609952247808">1521149706.0</a></blockquote></div>
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By Jaime Nack
"Where do I start?"
Whatever the forum, whatever the audience, it's always the first question I hear when I talk to people about sustainability and personal impact.
<p>We all want to make a difference on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate change</a>, but many of us don't know how we can or where to begin. It can seem overwhelming.</p><p>The good news is that even on a challenge as huge as global climate change, everyday people can make a real difference in their everyday lives. We'll be talking a lot about this at the upcoming <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">Climate Reality Leadership Corps training</a> in Los Angeles from Aug. 28—30 and you should be there.</p><p>Join Climate Reality for the training in LA and learn more about all the ways you can have a real impact on your local and global community with the decisions you make daily. As a preview, here are four ways to start.</p><p><strong>Individual Impact: Start the Conversation</strong></p><p>Do you ever think about how many decisions you make on a daily basis? Research shows that the average person makes around 35,000 decisions every single day.</p><p>For all of us, these decisions are opportunities to have a powerful impact on our climate. Some may be inconsequential (like which shoe to put on first or what to listen to on your way to work). However, the majority can have a tremendous positive impact if we're intentional about them. Decisions like:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>What should I eat for lunch?</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>How should I commute to work today?</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Should I work for an organization aligned with my values?</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Should I work for a large company where I can help drive change from the inside out?</li></ul><p>Your individual decisions as a consumer not only signal demand for certain products to companies, they show your friends, family members and colleagues what kind of world you support. And your example goes a long way.</p><p><strong>Community Impact: Your Neighborhood </strong></p><p>What communities do to fight climate change comes down to the people who live there. So whether you're living in a town already committed to renewable electricity or a city yet to start recycling, you can help push your hometown forward.</p><p>If your community is already moving in the right direction, show your support. Use social media and write a letter to the editor of the local paper to show that people in the neighborhood are behind climate action.</p><p>Plus, many communities have advisory groups where residents can give feedback and advice on initiatives from electric vehicle charging stations to restaurant composting programs to green home educational programs for residents. It's your chance to help shape local policies that directly affect you and the planet.</p><p>If your community is still just getting started, you can push for sustainability programs that encourage broad participation and buy-in across sectors. One example would be the creation of an environmental task force or advisory committee to help develop local environmental policies and programs. </p><p>The business community can be a powerful ally. In some cases, including the chamber of commerce or leaders in the local business community may be an easier lift than working directly with city departments. Chambers across the globe have seen the benefits of creating "Green Business Programs," which educate businesses about how to go green and promote those that have sustainable practices.</p>
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<p><strong>Industry Impact: Your Workplace<br></strong></p><p>No matter where you work, from corporations to nonprofits to government agencies to universities, there are lots of ways to help create change within your workplace. </p><p>As a first step, research whether there are environmental standards, certifications or industry organizations for your field. If you found some, great! Start talking to decision-makers at your organization to find out how you can engage them. If not, find others in your field who are passionate about sustainability and develop your own.</p><p>For instance, the events industry has developed green event standards (ISO 20121 and APEX/ASTM), green event certifications, and industry organizations (Green Meeting Industry Council, Sustainable Event Alliance, Green Sports Alliance). </p><p>These standards have pushed all industry stakeholders, like venues, event producers, caterers and suppliers of event products, to up their sustainability game—with huge results. </p><p>Why are industry standards such a big deal? Consider that the Olympics is essentially one large $5 billion event. The importance of the International Olympic Committee embracing the ISO 20121 standard as a requirement for all Olympic Games from 2012 onward is massive in terms of the carbon emissions, pollutants and waste it prevents. </p><p><strong>Global Impact: Your World</strong></p><p>Yes, the climate crisis is a global challenge. Yes, it's big. Too big for any one person to solve on their own. But together with thousands and thousands of other committed activists spread across every time zone? Now that's a different story.</p><p>That story is the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, nearly 14,500 (and growing) everyday people of all ages who all decided that our climate and our planet are too important to leave in the hands of others.</p><p>They all believed they had to do something themselves. So they came to train with former Vice President Al Gore and others. They learned how to organize their communities and create pressure for action that policymakers couldn't ignore.</p><p>Together, they've become a powerful force for change, helping push cities and universities to go 100 percent renewable and making business more sustainable all around the world.</p><p>You can train as a Climate Reality Leader and join them. You can be part of this global movement that is reshaping the world we live in. After all, these Leaders are working for solutions in ways that ripple across the planet, but they all started off as someone just like you. Someone asking, "What can I do?"</p><p><strong>Ready for Action? </strong></p><p>If you're ready to learn how you can make a difference in your community and for the planet, join a host of incredible speakers like former Vice President Al Gore at the <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">Climate Reality Leadership Corps training</a> in LA Aug. 28—30.</p><p>It's three days of inspiring sessions on climate science and solutions. Three days of conversations with other world-changers just like you. Three days that point the way forward to a sustainable future. Three days that will change your life.</p><p>Applications are open and the training is free to attend, so <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">apply today</a>.</p>
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What have you done for me lately?
<p>The one-and-only Janet Jackson once asked that question of a bad boyfriend. But lately, we've been wondering the very same thing about a far less obvious offender—our front lawn. We water it and then water it some more. We give it a trim to keep it looking super fresh, and we do it all over again a week later. When the dog digs up a spot, we patch it right up.</p><p>According to a <a href="http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXVI/8-W27/milesi.pdf" target="_blank">collaborative 2015 study</a> by scientists from NASA, NOAA, Colorado State University and the universities of Colorado and Montana, about 163,812 square kilometers of the American landscape is "cultivated with some form of lawn … an area three times larger than that of any irrigated crop.</p><p>Now, imagine the possibilities if we put even some of that wide open space—an area roughly the size of the state of Wisconsin—to better use for the planet. That's right, by simply rethinking your own outdoor space and incorporating a few new landscaping techniques, you can do your part to fight for a healthier future for our fragile planet.</p><p><strong>What is an Edible Landscape?</strong></p><p>Edible landscapes are just like traditional ornamental landscapes—with one important twist. While they follow many of the same design principles, edible landscapes favor plants like herbs, vegetables and fruit bushes and trees over comparatively "unproductive" decorative plants.</p><p>They allow homeowners to enjoy food crops while keeping their space aesthetically pleasing. And much like ornamental landscaping, you can scale up or down to meet your needs.</p><p><strong>What are the Benefits of Edible Landscapes?</strong></p><p>Environmentally, grass is great–like really great–and of course, the kiddos and the pups need a nice, open place to play. But it's not the only thing you can do with yard space–and here's where edible landscapes come in.</p><p>As any gent in <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/coolest-sneakers-right-now-dad-ugly-trend" target="_blank">crisp white New Balance sneakers</a> will tell you, a large lawn requires frequent tending to remain attractive. Which takes energy.</p><p>By converting grassy yard space into an edible landscape, you can dial down the amount of energy (and all that comes with it ... vroom vroom goes the gassed-up mower) needed to keep it looking great.</p><p>Edible landscapes don't just prevent carbon going into the atmosphere—they also help take it out. Replacing turf with larger, often perennial plants like trees, bushes, and vines removes more carbon dioxide (CO2)—the primary heat-trapping greenhouse gas driving the climate crisis—from the atmosphere than grass alone, sequestering it in both above- and below-ground biomass. </p><p>Even with the addition of vibrantly-colored annuals like red or purple lettuces, Swiss chard, mustard greens and edible flowers, your new edible landscape is still likely to require a lot less fossil fuel-powered maintenance than a traditional lawn.</p><p>You'll also be doing your part to save water—<a href="https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-techniques/edible-landscape-zmaz10onzraw" target="_blank">most home gardeners use far less water than commercial agricultural production of the same crop</a>. All at a time when the climate crisis is driving major changes to precipitation patterns all over the world, resulting in some cases of drought and crop loss.</p><p>Ultimately, if done correctly using sustainable practices, edible landscaping can go a long way toward conserving valuable resources while creating a very effective carbon sink—and just think of all the money you'll save growing even a few of your favorite fruits and veggies right in your own yard.<br></p><p><strong>Getting Started</strong></p><p>"Any landscape design begins with choosing the location of the paths, patios, fences, hedges, arbors and garden beds—establishing the 'bones' of your garden," <a href="https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-techniques/edible-landscape-zmaz10onzraw" target="_blank">according to Mother Earth News</a>.</p><p>So, before you plant a single seed or transplant, you need to ask yourself a few simple questions: How much of my yard do I want to convert into an edible landscape? What exactly do I want this to look like? Are vivid, popping colors my thing, or am I after cooler shades of blue and lavender? Would a path made of wood chips be preferable to one made of gravel? Do I want to go all-in on semi-permanent raised beds?</p><p>What you want is, of course, up to you, but be mindful of the upkeep your garden plan will require – and keep in mind that you're unlikely to be the only one who loves your new, climate-friendly edible landscape. Deer, squirrels, birds, groundhogs, and rabbits, as well as a plethora of creepy crawlies, all have a taste for many of the same delicious fruits and veggies we love to gobble down, so consider incorporating fencing and other barriers as part of your design.</p><p>And remember to not get overwhelmed. Gardening should be relaxing and fun, and you don't need to completely overhaul your lawn all at once, if you don't want to. Reimagining a landscape can be time-consuming and depending on how you do it, even a little expensive. So if you'd rather approach your project a little bit at a time, replacing a few square feet of lawn here or there with some berry bushes or culinary herbs and salad greens, go that route.</p><p>Much like swapping out your old incandescents in favor of energy-efficient lightbulbs, every little bit helps. One or two berry bushes or dwarf fruit trees will sequester far more carbon than a patch of grass. The planet will thank you.</p>
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<p><strong>What to Plant?</strong><br></p><p>Selecting plants for your edible landscape is double the fun of a traditional flower bed because you've added a dimension to your decision-making—your plants need to be beautiful <em>and</em> yummy.</p><p>Of course, what you can grow depends on the conditions of your yard. And, with our warming world and <a href="https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/future-climate-change" target="_blank">possible changes to your region's climate</a> in mind, consideration should be given to types of plants that may require less watering and/or are more drought or heat tolerant, as well as those more tolerant to increasing salinization, if you live in a coastal area.</p><p>With the design and color scheme you've sketched out, you also want to be sure to plant fruits and veggies that you, as well as your family and friends, actually enjoy eating. Good thing there's plenty to choose from.</p><p>"I'd challenge anyone to find a shrub with more visual impact than a blueberry that covers itself with white flowers in spring, dusky purple berries in summer, and radiant red leaves in the fall," <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/best-vegetables-and-fruits-for-edible-landscape-1403436" target="_blank">the Spruce's Marie Iannotti writes</a>.</p><p>Blueberries live their best life in full sun, so if you're after berries, but your yard or garden space is a bit shady, consider raspberry bushes, which do well in medium shade, instead.</p><p>A little shade won't stop you from planting veggies either. Luckily, there are plenty of attractive, shade-tolerant varieties you can tuck into the sometimes-shadowy corners of your edible landscape, including beets, cauliflower, and cabbages and leaf lettuces that come in a variety of colors.</p><p>If arbors, fencing, or trellises are part of your design, pole beans make for an attractive climber. They feature soft, heart-shaped leaves and speckle themselves with tiny flowers in the springtime. These posies tend to skew white or very pale purple, so if you're looking for a flash of color, pick up scarlet runner beans, which light up with their namesake red instead.</p><p>For a more perennial arbor cover, grape vines are hardy plants with a lot of character, offering up tasty fruit in the summertime and vivid red leaves in the fall.</p><p>But what should you put in your garden beds? Well, like we said, that depends a lot on you, your climate, and what you find tasty and easy on the eyes, <a href="https://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/edible-landscaping/" target="_blank">but here are a few things to keep in mind</a>:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Tomatoes do particularly well when planted with flowers because isolating them to some extent helps prevent common diseases from spreading easily from one plant to the next.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Because they are strong, well-defined, and can be planted in clean lines, lettuces make great edging plants, and can be found in more colors than you think, including deep purples.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Speaking of color, it's your friend—and numerous traditional "greens," including Swiss chard and some cabbages, come in a rainbow of colors, while others like kale, <a href="https://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/edible-landscaping/" target="_blank">according to <em>Better Homes & Gardens</em></a>, "have gorgeous fall color and are ideal for tucking into containers and borders for color late in the year."</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>On the herb front, rosemary is a particularly pretty and fragrant plant.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li>It's also important to remember that plenty of flowers are themselves edible. Nasturtiums and violas are among the best known and easiest to grow, but borage blossoms, calendula, chives and hibiscus <a href="https://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/edible-flowers" target="_blank">also make for attractive offerings</a> ... in both the garden and the right salad.</li></ul><p>If you're looking for a fern-like perennial to add a bit of drama to a corner of your evolving new yard, think about asparagus, which comes back again and again for decades and serves up one of the season's first harvestable vegetables. It may take some time to get the desired effect, but left to its own devices, asparagus plants will develop big feathery fronds that catch the breeze.</p><p>Other less-common perennials to think about to give your edible landscape a little added character include artichokes, rhubarb, and French sorrel. </p><p>As for groundcover, consider strawberries. In the spring, they pop with white flowers that give way in early summer to sweet red fruit. By fall, their leaves take on a rich reddish-orange.</p><p> <strong>Now, Take the Extra Step to Help Us Protect What Matters</strong></p><p>In addition to helping you lessen your carbon footprint, transforming your outdoor space with some edible landscaping could also help protect the health of your soil, which is threatened by climate impacts like erosion, pollution, and losses in organic matter.</p><p>Take an in-depth look at climate change's impact on soil health as well as what's at stake and what you can do to support a world where we can provide our booming population with fresh, healthy food grown in a sustainable soil ecosystem in <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/right-under-your-feet-soil-health-and-climate-crisis" target="_blank"><em>Right Under Your Feet: Soil Health and the Climate Crisis</em></a>.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/right-under-your-feet-soil-health-and-climate-crisis" target="_blank">Download this free resource now</a>—and make sure you share it with your friends and family.</em></p>
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Truly great films about the climate crisis are tough to come by. Allusions to environmental destruction are very familiar in the futuristic dystopias Hollywood churns out like clockwork, but they rarely get the science right—or they abandon it entirely in favor of skipping straight to some post-apocalyptic CGI extravaganza.
<p>Those of us with a little knowledge of the climate crisis bristle at this kind of doom-and-gloom bombast—<a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/choosehope" target="_blank">because we know better</a>. But that doesn't mean a few thoughtful films haven't been able to cut through the noise.</p><p>Below are six of our favorites. We decided to spice it up by mixing narrative films with documentaries—and while our changing climate understandably casts a long, dark shadow over any future that wrestles with its impacts, we did our best to stay on the right side of the fine line between raucous, factually dubious calamity and thought-provoking "what if" explorations or science-centered spectacle. </p><h3>1. <em>Interstellar</em></h3><p>Director Christopher Nolan's <em>Interstellar</em> is that rarest of Hollywood anomalies—a wildly complicated, lavishly expensive, wholly original mainstream blockbuster. It doesn't exist in the Marvel or DC cinematic universes; instead, it occupies a not-so-distant-future version of our very own—and things aren't exactly going great. </p><p>While the words "climate change" are never explicitly said in the film, the impacts of the crisis are writ large, driving a plot about an attempt to flee a near-future Earth reeling from drastically changing weather patterns and global food shortages for the safety of a new habitable planet.</p><p>Featuring one of the most stacked casts in recent memory, including Oscar winners Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Ellen Burstyn and nominees Jessica Chastain, Timothée Chalamet and John Lithgow, <em>Interstellar</em> takes on <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/food-and-water-security-and-climate-crisis-what-you-need-know" target="_blank">a very real consequence of climate inaction</a>, though it offers up an untenable solution.</p><p>After all, there's still no Planet B.</p><h3>2. <em>Beasts of the Southern Wild</em></h3><p>Living in a Louisiana bayou community called "the Bathtub," six-year-old Hush Puppy (youngest-ever Best Actress Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis) can't get the prehistoric aurochs her teacher tells her will be released from melting ice caps off her mind—even as the world in front of her crumbles and cowers, the victim of powerful storms, failing levees and familial health problems.</p><p>While the film's setting is technically fictional, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/movies/the-making-of-beasts-of-the-southern-wild.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">it was inspired by</a> several very real fishing villages in Southern Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish. These small, isolated wetland communities are threatened by climate-driven erosion, extreme weather and rising sea levels. Most notable among them is the rapidly disappearing Isle de Jean Charles, former home of "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/03/us/resettling-the-first-american-climate-refugees.html" target="_blank">the first American climate refugees</a>."</p><h3>3. <em>Chasing Coral</em></h3><p>The 2017 documentary <em>Chasing Coral</em> <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chasing_coral/" target="_blank">enjoys a rare accolade</a>: It is one of a pretty short list of films to hold a 100 percent "fresh" rating on popular review aggregator <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/" target="_blank">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.</p><p>That coral reefs are existentially threatened by the climate crisis is a truth near-universally acknowledged. But filmmaker Jeff Orlowski doesn't simply telegraph a report on this impending ecological catastrophe.</p><p>Instead, Orlowski infuses his film with such empathy and ardor for our world's oceans and their vibrant ecosystems—as well as those working hard to save what's left—that it's impossible to not walk away pumped up and ready to join the fight.</p>
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<p><br></p><h3>4. <em>Snowpiercer</em></h3><p>Like we already mentioned, we try to avoid cynical, despondent hot takes on the climate crisis. But we're fans of director Bong Joon Ho's <em>Snowpiercer</em> for two big reasons: First, it's a <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/snowpiercer/" target="_blank">very, very good</a>, <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=snowpiercer.htm" target="_blank">wildly underseen</a> film, and second, because it confronts head-on the dangers of a "we'll deal with this later" approach to climate action.</p><p>The film is set in a future where a failed geoengineering experiment to counteract climate change plunges the planet into a new ice age, killing all life except for those lucky enough (a phrase we're using loosely here) to have boarded the titular train. This train now circles the globe on a constant loop and a tyrannical class system has taken hold onboard.</p><p>It's an important cautionary tale: While we should investigate any and all scientific developments to stop the climate crisis, dangerous gambles like geoengineering—or for that matter, fleeing our planet for an imagined oasis somewhere deep in the universe—could come with unintended consequences. So, why risk it when we know for sure that quickly transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables <em>can</em> and will<em> </em>work?</p><p>There's even an important philosophical principle – one at work in another great, underappreciated sci-fi film, 1997's <em>Contact—</em>to back this one up. Attributed to fourteenth century logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Occams-razor" target="_blank">Ockham's Razor states</a> … well, Jodie Foster's Dr. Ellie Arroway put it best: "All things being equal, the simplest answer is usually the right one."</p><p>(<a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/climate-101" target="_blank">We agree, Dr. Arroway</a>.)</p><p><em>Note: For all its incredible imagination, Snowpiercer definitely has some moments of real violence and isn't one for younger audiences.</em></p><h3><em>5. An Inconvenient Truth / An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power</em></h3><p>Now, of course, the film that started a movement—and the follow-up that propelled it to new heights.</p><p>After seeing former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's <em>An Inconvenient Truth</em>, people worldwide finally understood the reality of the climate crisis devastating our planet. For many, it was the moment they knew they personally had to do something about it. The film's impact continues to be felt more than a decade after it won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary and took its place among the highest-grossing documentaries ever.</p><p>Last year's follow-up, <em>An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power</em>, took that story further, showcasing both the amazing progress that's been made as well as how much further we still have to go to solve the climate crisis.</p><p>Both documentaries present the science and stakes of the crisis and ask viewers if they're ready to fight like our world depends on it (because it does).</p><h3>Are You Ready to Fight?</h3><p>Just like you saw others do in <em>An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power</em>, you too can work with Vice President Gore himself along with a host of field-leading experts and activists to learn the facts of the climate crisis and how we can solve it together. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">Apply today to attend our Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Los Angeles, California</a>, from August 28-30, and join an incredible network of dedicated activists devoted to solving the greatest challenge of our time. </p><p>You know our climate is changing. You know renewable energy is the answer. And you want to make a difference. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">We'll show you how</a>.</p>
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The world is watching as Cape Town residents count the days (and drops) to Day Zero—when the city's tap run dry. The South African city is in the midst of its worst drought in history, and unless a substantial amount of rain falls in the coming months, it could become the first major city to run dry. Poorer citizens are already bearing the brunt of the water crisis, and all residents have been advised to limit their water consumption to only 50 liters, or 13.2 gallons a day. Think two-minute showers and reusing your bathing water to flush the toilet.
<p style="">It sounds like a Mad Max movie, but <a href="http://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/poor-more-likely-suffer-during-south-africa-dire-drought" target="_blank">the Cape Town water shortage is quite real</a> and could be closer to reality for the rest of us than we would like. The <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund estimates</a> that by 2025, two-thirds of the world population could be struggling with water shortage. And right here in the U.S., cities across the country are watching their water reserves dwindle.</p><p style="">Although factors such as poor planning and population growth are driving droughts in some regions, there is one common culprit that is exacerbating water crises around the globe: <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>. Experts point to high temperatures, drying rivers and melting snowpack as some of the factors behind the dry spells. They're also a wake-up call that the climate crisis is no distant threat. In fact, it's already affecting three big American cities and the daily lives of millions.</p><p>Here are three big American cities that could be the next Cape Town:</p><h4 style="">1. Los Angeles</h4>
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<p style="">California has a long history of water shortage, and Los Angeles is often at the center of the dust storm. In the early twentieth century, the dispute for water between the city and rural farmers was so bitter that it became known as the California Water Wars (and was turned into the Academy Award-winning movie <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11544196/Chinatown-review-hardbitten.html" target="_blank"><em>Chinatown</em></a> (1974) starring none other than Jack Nicholson).<br></p><p style="">Decades have passed since, but the city's water woes are seemingly getting worse. In 2014, the City of Angels was listed as one of the most <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378014000880" target="_blank">water-stressed large city</a> in the world by The Nature Conservancy. One of the proofs was that LA was hit with the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-05/california-s-drought-ranks-worst-in-at-least-1-200-years?hootPostID=64cd6d7cb176a1cec9201e602161afc4" target="_blank">worst drought in at least 1,200 years</a> in 2014, triggered by high temperatures and reduced rainfall linked to the change of climate and weather patterns.</p><p style="">As a result, for the first time in history, Angelenos were instructed to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/4/1/8326555/california-water-restrictions" target="_blank">limit their water usage by 25 percent in 2015.</a> The directive has since been lifted, but if the world doesn't tackle the climate crisis, new dry spells will always be on the horizon. This year, for instance, snowpacks in the northern part of the state <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01022018/california-snowpack-near-2015-drought-low-water-supply-forest-concerns" target="_blank">are frighteningly low</a>—and they're one of the main suppliers of water for California.</p><h4 style="">2. Salt Lake City</h4>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzQxMzY1OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDUzNjM0Mn0.PM_ZsCirhoaLO0SE3ed_y4Uz8IIidoG-FHgFIRpRjuM/img.jpg?width=980" id="fd396" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01de579ea0e225c49e7c6193681c2c64" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Thomas Hawk / Flickr CC by NC 2.0</small></p>
<p style="">For every degree Fahrenheit of warming in the Salt Lake City region, the flow of nearby streams <a href="http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=57068626&itype=CMSID" target="_blank">could decrease by an average of 3.8 percent</a> annually, according to a recent report by the Western Water Assessment. The number is worrisome, considering that global temperatures have been steadily rising, and the city depends on healthy streams for its fresh water supply.<br></p><p style="">Making matters even worse, rivers that flow into the Great Salt Lake—and that <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-booming-utah-searches-for-water-solutions-1505304001" target="_blank">could be an alternative source of water</a> to the city—are headed in the same direction. The lake itself has shrunk to nearly half of its former size in the last 170 years. It's no wonder that in 2014, the University of Florida's Environmental Hydrology Laboratory found that Salt Lake City was at a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/what-city-will-run-out-of-water-first-1881952398.html" target="_self">high level of fresh water</a> vulnerability.</p><p>Residents have already started feeling the effects of water scarcity. In 2015, the mayor's office asked for cautious with water waste. Instructions included adjusting sprinklers and checking for leaks to protect the city's fragile water supply. If you ask us, it's time for the city to take climate action, especially since its population <a href="http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=57833427&itype=CMSID" target="_blank">is expected to nearly double</a> by 2050.</p><h4 style="">3. Miami</h4>
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<p style="">Why is Miami on this list? After all, the city is surrounded by water in all forms—it literally sits on the sea and has access to plenty of rain, lakes and groundwater. However, the megacity is facing climate-related water concerns no less daunting than any other city on this list.<br></p><p style="">We all know that climate change has been fueling <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/12/world/sea-level-rise-accelerating/index.html" target="_blank">rising sea levels</a>, and it's not just in the Pacific Islands. In America's Magic City, the rising seawater is leaking into, and contaminating, fresh water supplies above and underground. And although the problem has been around since the 1930s, rising sea levels mean these leaks are increasing at <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170403-miamis-fight-against-sea-level-rise" target="_blank">unprecedented rates </a>. The water is even breaching underground defense barriers that were installed in recent decades and reaching freshwater wells.</p><p style="">As a result, neighboring cities are already struggling to find drinkable water. Hallandale Beach, which is just a few miles north of Miami, <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article41416653.html" target="_blank">had to close six of its eight wells</a> due to saltwater intrusion. And residents of the nearby Everglades National Park (including alligators) <a href="https://www.npr.org/2016/05/25/477014085/rising-seas-push-too-much-salt-into-the-florida-everglades" target="_blank">are getting salty</a> with the ocean sweeping into the swamps. Miami-Dade residents all well aware of the risks, as <a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/floridians-believe-in-global-warming-but-only-miami-and-the-keys-are-worried-9222218" target="_blank">more than 50 percent</a> believe that the climate crisis will impact them personally.</p>
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<p style="">As mean temperatures creep up, there's a risk that the crisis will worsen water stress across the U.S. and the rest of the world. But it's not a lost cause. We can work together with government officials, businesses, schools and faith communities to take climate action to the next level. Together we can reduce carbon emissions by adopt viable climate solutions—such as ditching dirty fossil fuels and embracing <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a>.<br></p><p style="">Want to dive deeper into how the climate crisis is affecting rainfall, droughts and even hurricanes? Download our <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/watercycle" target="_blank"><em>Climate Change and the Water Cycle</em></a> e-book and check out answers to four of the most confusing questions about how the crisis impacts this vital resource. And learn why citizens everywhere support policies that accelerate the global transition to a clean energy economy.</p>
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After a long—and in some places very cold—winter, spring is almost here. And with its arrival comes one of our favorite things to do as the days get longer and sunnier.
What if we told you that you can make a major difference without leaving your own backyard? That's right, by simply rethinking how you garden, you can do your part to fight the climate crisis.
<p style="">With just a little bit of gumption and some know-how, you can lessen your carbon footprint and conserve important resources like water, all while showing your family, friends and neighbors how much you care about common sense solutions. Solutions they can then take back to their own gardens.</p><p style="">Up your sustainability game with these six simple tips for climate-smart <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/gardening">gardening</a>—and do your part to fight for a healthier future for our fragile planet.</p><h4 style="">1. Lay Off the Synthetic Fertilizers</h4><p style="">There are plenty of reasons to be weary of synthetic fertilizers. Chemical runoff from haphazardly applied fertilizer can drain into streams and lakes, making its way to our water supplies. They can disrupt naturally occurring soil ecosystems, and are a temporary solution to a long-term solvable problem.</p><p>But when it comes to climate, it's their manufacturing that really gets our goat.</p><p style="">"Four to six tons of carbon are typically emitted into the atmosphere per ton of nitrogen manufactured," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzom1kysGYo" target="_blank">according to Dr. David Wolfe</a>, professor of plant and soil ecology in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. "Anything you can do to be more efficient and conservative about nitrogen use is one of the biggest things you can do in the garden."</p><p style="">Instead, look to compost, worm castings and manures to perk up your plants.</p><p style="">And for next year's garden, consider sheet composting (<a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/lasagna-gardening-grow-healthy-veggies-while-taking-climate-action" target="_blank">though we prefer its fun nickname, "lasagna gardening"</a>), a cold composting method where alternating layers of carbon and nitrogen materials are placed directly on the soil and break down over time, turning into a fantastic growing medium.</p><h4 style="">2. Plant Trees and Other Perennials</h4><p style="">Environmentally, trees and shrubs are all kinds of awesome. Their size and long lives mean they remove more carbon dioxide (CO2)—the heat-trapping greenhouse gas driving the climate crisis—from the atmosphere than other plants, sequestering it in both above- and below-ground biomass. Their one-and-done planting means they require less energy (and all that comes with it) than many other plants too, particularly compared to the constant tending annuals often require. And their roots secure soil in place, making them important to fighting things like erosion and even holding back dangerous mudslides.</p><p style="">They also offer cool shade in the summer and protection from blistering winter winds, so a well-placed tree can even reduce emissions (and energy bills!) associated with heating and cooling your home.</p><h4 style="">3. Stop Wasting Water</h4><p style="">We know that the warmer temperatures associated with the climate crisis increase the rate of evaporation of water into the atmosphere, <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/extremeweather" target="_blank">drying out some areas and then falling as excess precipitation in others</a>. This can lead to a cycle of water misuse in ever-drier areas, and plant diseases in regions where average annual precipitation is on the rise.</p><p style="">Watering of lawns and gardens is estimated to account for 30 percent of all residential water use in the U.S., <a href="https://www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water" target="_blank">according to the EPA</a>, and that number "can be much higher in drier parts of the country and in more water-intensive landscapes." And as much as 50 percent of it lost to evaporation, wind or runoff.</p><p>Fifty percent! That's never okay, but it's particularly uncool at a time when climate change-exacerbated drought is pushing <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/cape-town-may-become-first-major-city-run-dry-it-might-not-be-last" target="_blank">cities with millions of residents</a> <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/poor-more-likely-suffer-during-south-africa-dire-drought" target="_blank">ever-closer to running out of water entirely</a>. </p><p>So, what can you do?</p><p>If you have a small or medium-sized garden, you can easily hand-water your veggies rather than use an overhead sprinkler system, applying the water near the base of the plant slowly to allow time for it to absorb into the soil near the roots. Also, consider drip irrigation, a type of micro-irrigation that helps maintain ideal moisture levels by allowing water to drip slowly and directly to the roots of plants.</p><p style="">"Less frequent, deep watering also encourages deeper root growth to areas where the soil stays moist longer," <a href="http://climatechange.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Gardening-in-a-Warming-World-Course-Book-Fall-2017-edition.pdf" target="_blank">according to the Cornell Cooperative Extension</a>. "If supplemental water is determined to be necessary at a specific time and location, be sure to use no more than is needed and minimize your use of potable water."</p><p style="">You can also capture and save rainwater for later use in a rain barrel or cistern. (Just make sure you keep it covered to save your rain harvest from becoming a breeding ground for mosquitos.) But before you head to your local garden supply shop to pick up a big ole bucket, make sure you check out your state's laws around rainwater collection. Some U.S. states and municipalities, largely (but not exclusively) in the American West, have laws restricting the collection of rainwater.</p><h4 style=""><span></span>4. Really Focus on Soil Health, In General</h4><p style="">The story of climate change's impact on soil health is really a tale of changing precipitation patterns. Extreme downpours can lead to runoff and erosion, stripping healthy soil of key nutrients needed to sustain agriculture. On the other end of the spectrum, frequent droughts can kill off the vital living soil ecosystems necessary to grow healthy crops—and of course, plants can't grow without water either.</p><p>But you can fortify your soil against climate change-related weather challenges, increase its fertility and productivity, and even improve your plants' resistance to pests and disease by training your eye on something called "soil organic matter." </p><p style="">Healthy soil rich in organic matter sequesters carbon and stores water kind of like a sponge, helping it mitigate climate impacts like heavy rainfall and short-term drought by keeping the right amount of water where your plants need it—in the ground around its roots, an area called the "rhizosphere."</p><p style="">It also adds nutrients to your foods as all that organic matter breaks down. (A very big bonus you can feel!) So remember to keep your plants happy by feeding their <a href="https://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/soils/soil-properties/soil-management-series/organic-matter-management/" target="_blank">soil organic matter</a> regularly with compost and by growing cover crops.</p><h4 style="">5. So Just Dial Down the Tillage, Ok? </h4><p>A low- or no-till approach to gardening plays a very big role in building the soil organic matter talked about above. The reason why is pretty simple: When you tear up the ground, you wreck the soil ecosystem. </p><p>At its most basic, no-till gardening is the practice of growing produce without disturbing the soil through tillage or plowing. In addition to locking up more carbon in the soil, this approach dramatically cuts back on fossil-fuel use in gardening. After all, gasoline-powered garden tools are emitters of CO2.</p><p style="">No- or low-till gardening plays a role in making some of the other tips on this list even easier. As soil organic carbon levels increase through reduced tillage, so does the amount of nutrients that the soil can hold, meaning gardeners have less need for synthetic fertilizers.</p><h4 style="">6. And Opt for Hand Tools</h4><p style="">So, if you can't use your trusted weed eater or rototiller in the garden, how are you supposed to get anything done? We hear you, and believe us, we understand. So we'll break it to you gentle—you're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way.</p><p style="">There are numerous easy-to-use hand tools that can help make gardening a clean, exhaust-free breeze. From push-mowers and rakes to the real nuts-and-bolts stuff like hand trowels, shears and weeders, no matter what you're trying to do, there's a gizmo for that.</p><p style="">If you're looking to scale up your garden game and smaller implements simply won't cut it, consider adding a broadfork to your shed. These big guys consist of five or six metal tines, each around eight inches long and spaced a few inches apart, on a horizontal crossbar with two handles that extend upwards to around chest or shoulder level, depending on your height. To operate, you step on the crossbar, driving the tines into the ground, and pull backward to loosen the soil.</p><p style="">A broadfork will lightly aerate the soil and improve drainage while leaving the soil layers intact, preserving the soil structure and the living ecosystems necessary for your plants to thrive.</p><h4 style="">Now, take the extra step to help us protect what matters.</h4><p style="">While it's unlikely to inspire a telethon, over time the toll of erosion, pollution, losses in organic matter and other soil impacts of the climate crisis imperil a very basic human need—to eat.</p><p>Take an in-depth look at climate change's impact on soil health as well as what's at stake and what you can do to support a world where we can provide our booming population with fresh, healthy food grown in a sustainable soil ecosystem in <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/right-under-your-feet-soil-health-and-climate-crisis" target="_blank"><em>Right Under Your Feet: Soil Health and the Climate Crisis</em></a>.</p><p style=""><a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/right-under-your-feet-soil-health-and-climate-crisis" target="_blank">Download this free resource</a> now and make sure you share it with your friends and family.</p>
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Most people know Germany for things like its popular car manufactures Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, its annual Oktoberfest—fun fact: Germany has 1,300 breweries and 5,000 different brew brands—and all those brilliant composers (Bach, Beethoven and Schumann, anyone?). But did you know the country is also a clean-energy superpower?
<p style="">Indeed, Germany was one of the first major economies to take significant steps to transition from nuclear and fossil fuels to clean energy, beginning in the 1990s. This transition was known as "Energiewende" (or "energy transition"), and its success is a major reason why Germans have come to embrace the many benefits of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">clean energy</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><p style="">Over the past three decades, Germany has cemented its role as a climate solutions trendsetter. <br></p><p style="">Below, check out seven reasons why it has become so dominant in the clean energy space:</p><p style=""><strong>1.</strong> Between 1990 and 2016, total greenhouse gas emissions in the nation <a href="https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/renewables-cover-about-100-german-power-use-first-time-ever" target="_blank">dropped 27.4 percent, even as its GDP grew 50.5 percent.</a></p><p style=""><strong>2. </strong>Germany generated <a href="https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/renewables-cover-about-100-german-power-use-first-time-ever" target="_blank">36 percent</a> of its electricity with clean energy in 2017, an increase of nearly <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy-germany-2520322211.html" target="_self">4 percent from just the year prior</a>. It was the third year in a row that over one-third of electricity in Germany was <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/climate-action-and-the-economy" target="_blank">sourced from renewables</a>.</p><p style=""><strong>3. </strong>The country is one of the top three countries in solar PV capacity, and on certain sunny and windy days, clean energy has provided almost <a href="https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/renewables-cover-about-100-german-power-use-first-time-ever" target="_blank">100 percent</a> of the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-green-technology-record-power-generation-35-per-cent-renewables-solar-wind-turbines-a7820156.html" target="_blank">nation's daily electricity need.</a></p><p style=""><strong>4. </strong>Wind power is Germany's second largest electricity source, accounting for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy-germany-2520322211.html" target="_self">18.8 percent of Germany's energy combination</a>. In late December 2017, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/25/business/energy-environment/germany-electricity-negative-prices.html" target="_blank">the nation's power prices went negative</a>, which meant that consumers were paid to use it thanks to low demand, unusually warm weather, and strong winds.</p><p style=""><strong>5.</strong> Germany has strong greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction goals. The country plans to reduce its GHG emissions by <a href="https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-climate-targets" target="_blank">40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 and by up to 95 percent by 2050.</a></p><p style=""><strong>6.</strong> And it doesn't stop there. Germany plans to reduce its primary energy consumption <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/climate-action-and-the-economy" target="_blank">by 20 percent below 2008</a> levels by 2020, and by 50 percent by 2050.</p><p style=""><strong>7.</strong> Almost all Germans support clean energy! A 2017 survey found that a whopping <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/08/08/germans-renewable-energy-energiewende-subsidies/" target="_blank">95 percent of surveyed citizens</a> rate the expansion of renewable energy as important or extremely important.</p><p style="">At Climate Reality, we're working to accelerate the global shift from the dirty fossil fuels driving climate change to renewable energies like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a>, so we can power our lives and economies without destroying our planet.</p><p style="">If you're ready to join us, <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">learn more about becoming a Climate Reality Leader</a>. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training" target="_blank">Sign up now</a> and we'll keep you updated about our upcoming trainings and ways you can get involved with the movement for climate solutions.</p>
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Take Heart! Here’s How You Can Show the Love for the Earth This Valentine’s Day
12 February 2018
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For the third year running, Climate Reality is teaming up with The Climate Coalition for the annual Show the Love celebration! Every year around Valentine's Day, we get together to really put our hearts into fighting climate change.
<p style=""><a href="http://fortheloveof.org.uk/" target="_blank">Show the Love</a> is all about protecting the things we love but could lose to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>. It's part of the ongoing effort to stand up for the people and places we love by demanding that our leaders make the switch to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">clean energy</a> and by honoring everyday activists who are making that switch a reality.</p><p style=""><strong>Here are five ways you can join us and show the love this February:</strong></p><p style="">1. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/showthelove" target="_blank">Download a free #ShowTheLove Valentine's Day postcard</a>. Print one out and send it to your representatives and elected officials to show the love for our planet, and call for climate action.</p><p style="">2. <a href="https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/resource" target="_blank">Make a green heart!</a>! Get crafty with your kids or over wine with your friends. Green hearts will be popping up all over on Valentine's Day—make your own special heart and post it on social media using <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ShowTheLove&src=typd&lang=en" target="_blank">#ShowTheLove</a>.</p><p style="">3. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/take-heart-how-you-can-show-love-earth-valentine-day" target="_blank">Take the quiz and find out</a>: What kind of climate activist are you? Every one of us brings something different and important to the climate movement. So what kind of activist are you? <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/take-heart-how-you-can-show-love-earth-valentine-day" target="_blank">Click here</a> to take the quiz and we'll tell you!</p><p style="">4. <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/climate-change-basics" target="_blank">Learn the basics of climate change</a>. In this <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/climate-change-basics" target="_blank">free-e-book</a>, we outline the fundamentals of climate change in plain language, provide tips on how to take action, and list additional helpful resources. Whether you're learning about the climate crisis for the first time or simply need a refresher, <em>Climate Crisis 101 </em>is a great way to get started.</p><p style="">5. Share a green heart graphic. Help us build awareness about climate change on social media by sharing the graphic below on Facebook or Twitter (make sure to include <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ShowTheLove&src=typd&lang=en" target="_blank">#ShowTheLove</a>).</p>
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<p style="">Have more ideas or unique ways to join in? Let us know! Tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/climatereality" target="_blank">@ClimateReality</a> and tell us how you're going to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ShowTheLove&src=typd&lang=en" target="_blank">#ShowTheLove</a>. No matter how you choose to take part, we hope you can join in and speak out for climate action this Valentine's Day. <br></p>
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Changing the behavior of one person is hard enough—let alone millions of citizens around the world. Find out what lessons psychology can teach us about inspiring climate action.
<p>There's the old line that the first step to solving a problem is understanding it. But when it comes to <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/difference-between-global-warming-and-climate-change" target="_blank">climate change</a>, what happens when understanding alone isn't enough?</p><p style="">We know it's important to educate the public so people understand why climate change is happening, what regions are most at risk, and how impacts like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise">sea level rise</a>, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather">extreme weather</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean-acidification">ocean acidification</a> continue to harm our health and economy.</p><p style="">But education is the easy part. It's getting people to take action that can be a challenge—and that's because changing people's attitudes and behaviors is a daunting task.</p><p style="">Have you ever made a New Year's resolution, say, to eat healthier—and you find yourself saying "yes" to that second piece of chocolate cake on Jan. 15? You may know eating too many sugary treats isn't good for your health (attitude), but you may find it difficult to stick to eating healthier (behavior).</p><p style="">Social scientists of all kinds have studied the question of how to change human behavior in many different contexts from public health to public policy to environmental psychology and more. In the climate context, environmental psychologists have begun exploring this larger question by trying to understand why, for example, <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/why-people-ignore-science-behind-climate-crisis-and-what-you-can-do" target="_blank">more Americans aren't taking action with their votes and voices</a>. Especially when the majority agree that humans are causing climate change.</p><p style="">There's no simple answer here. The reality is that changing the behavior of one person is hard enough—let alone millions of citizens around the world. But psychology can give us some insight into better ways to motivate people to change their behavior and stand up for the planet we share.</p><p style="">That's why we've compiled four lessons from the field that any activist can take and use to help inspire their friends, colleagues, family members and more to act.</p><p style=""><strong>1. Connect the climate crisis to what's happening in real communities to reduce psychological distance.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>Climate change is a unique issue because although millions of people in the U.S. and around the world feel the drastic effects of it in their daily lives, many people don't (yet).</p><p style="">Why does this matter? Because of a construct known as <a href="http://www.psych.nyu.edu/tropelab/publications/LibermanTropeStephan2007.pdf" target="_blank">psychological distance</a>. Psychological distance refers to things that are not in our immediate reality or felt in the present moment. For example, you might think about your first year of marriage if you're still single (temporal distance), what neighborhood or city you might buy a home in one day (spatial distance), how your best friend or family member perceives you (social distance) or how your career would be different if you had studied a different major in college (hypothetical distance).</p><p style="">Why is psychological distance relevant to the climate crisis? <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901116306475" target="_blank">Studies</a> have found that people who believe the effects of climate change are unlikely to happen to them or are more likely to affect other people and regions of the world are less likely to be concerned about solving it. In other words, if climate change feels psychologically distant, you worry less about it in your daily life and feel less urgency to take action.</p><p style="">To bridge this gap, research suggests that we should discuss how climate change affects communities and families on the local level. That means calling attention to real-life examples of how the climate crisis is affecting real people, especially in regions experiencing extreme weather. From wildfires destroying homes in the western U.S. to hurricanes damaging homes and businesses along the Gulf Coast and southern U.S. to droughts affecting farms in dozens of countries, <a href="http://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/dr-michael-mann-extreme-weather-we-predicted-long-ago" target="_blank">it's clear that extreme weather is devastating the livelihoods of many communities around the world</a>.</p><div style=""> <strong>2. Make climate action a group experience to promote social norms.</strong></div><p style="">Humans are pack animals. In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow created his <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html" target="_blank">Hierarchy of Needs</a>, which proposed that humans have certain needs that begin with the most basic needs (food, sleep, safety) and end with ego-centered needs (self-esteem, creativity).</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzE2NzM3My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzgyNTUwMX0.qjCKkd5aFF0DsrrUK-_sBF6o3kbdnPbGqYkuMBIDEv0/img.png?width=980" id="852b4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4a5f6b9f042fc06618f65b2636c081c9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></small></p>
<p style="">The hierarchy also proposed that once humans have their physical and safety needs satisfied, the next need in the hierarchy is belongingness. Put simply, humans are <a href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/five-psychology-insights-to-engage-the-public/" target="_blank">social beings that respond to group norms</a>, and for our ancestors, group acceptance meant access to shared resources and feeling protected from predators.<br></p><p style="">Today, humans are just as keenly aware of social dynamics and <a href="http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/04/rejection.aspx" target="_blank">psychology tells us that we fear feeling socially rejected</a>. That's why the more we can make climate action the norm in our social and family circles, the more likely others will join in.</p><p style=""><strong>3. Talk about what we're gaining, not what we're losing, to avoid loss aversion.</strong></p><p style="">The psychological concept of loss aversion is nothing new, but behavioral scientists have started thinking about it more as it relates to the climate movement. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378010000610" target="_blank">One study examined how framing climate change impacts can affect attitudes and perceptions</a>. In the experiment, researchers presented different climate change impacts to participants (sourced from the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report), who then answered questions about what they saw.</p><p style="">The results showed that framing climate change impacts in a way that highlights possible gains rather than losses increased positive attitudes toward mitigation responses. Participants also perceived climate change impacts as more severe when they were framed as gains.</p><p style="">So when talking about climate change with your friends and family, explain how action is an opportunity. For example, America's Clean Power Plan, which is now under threat by the Trump administration, could lead to public health and climate benefits worth an <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/breathe-easy-how-america-clean-power-plan-good-your-health?segment=web_homepage_tile?segment=homepage_hero" target="_blank">estimated $34 billion to $54 billion annually in 2030</a>. Those are some serious gains! If you agree, we invite you to <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/we-have-said-it-we-will-say-it-again-americans-want-clean-energy?utm_source=advocacy&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RFP&utm_content=cpp-anpr" target="_blank">add your name to support the Clean Power Plan and stand up for clean energy</a>.</p><p style=""><strong>4. Give your friends real ways to take action to prevent "environmental melancholia."</strong></p><p style="">We know that the climate crisis isn't just an environmental issue. Not only do the people who experience extreme weather, warmer temperatures, drought, rising sea levels and other devastating impacts feel psychological effects, but many people are affected simply by hearing about the crisis or seeing unsettling images in the news.</p><p style="">Dr. Renee Lertzman, a researcher who promotes climate change activism inside the workplace, explains that people often experience "<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-psychology_us_5674272ee4b014efe0d52186" target="_blank">environmental melancholia</a>." She explained that although we know the climate crisis is a threat, many people feel anxious and powerless about how they can make a difference, which can prevent them from doing something.</p><p style="">By understanding that people may feel powerless when thinking about the climate crisis, we should communicate and provide real ways to take action and support them throughout the process. If your friends or family members feel powerless or have anxiety about getting involved, one way to help is to share helpful content that gives them specific ways to take action. Our blog post, <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/four-ways-anyone-can-take-climate-action" target="_blank"><em>Four Ways Anyone Can Take Climate Action</em></a>, is a great place to start. </p><p style=""><strong>How You Can Make a Difference</strong></p><p style="">Humans are complicated and changing behavior is no easy task, but thinking about how to overcome empathy or powerlessness is the first step to getting others involved with the movement for solutions. If you're ready to make a difference in your community, download our <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/content/download-make-it-a-reality-action-kit" target="_blank"><em>Make It a Reality Action Kit</em></a> now to get started. Our climate action kit will give you a thorough look at the climate crisis and ways you can participate in the fight for a bright, sustainable future.</p>
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