What You Can Do
Political Actions
1. Support local, state and national government initiatives that retrain people whose jobs are eliminated by programs that limit greenhouse gases---even if your tax bills go up.
The US Green Building Council identifies types of green jobs, quantifies them, and discusses job training resources.
2. Advocate public funding of election campaigns, which will prevent special interests from thwarting efforts to reverse global warming.
The Brenner Center explains how publically funded elections could work.
3. Support elected officials who advocate increasing investment in clean energy research.
Boosting funding for clean energy innovation is crucial to addressing climate change.
4. Demand that your elected representatives put a price on carbon.
The World Bank explains what it means to “put a price on carbon” and why it's worth considering.
5. Organize and mobilize a group for action: your school, company, church, team.
Here is an online toolkit for starting a small group.
6. Sign the Women Lead Climate petition. It urges support for women’s climate leadership and for programs that directly affect women, girls, and climate justice.
7. Champion farmers who practice carbon farming, which sequesters carbon dioxide, restores (vs. exhausts) the soil, and makes it more fertile.
What farmers (and gardeners) can do to reduce carbon emissions.
Personal Actions
1. Check out these websites and related resources:
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Carbon Footprint Calculator
The Nature Conservancy’s Carbon Calculator
The US Department of Energy’s Appliance Energy Calculator
Listen to Wednesday podcasts about climate by Mary Robinson and Maeve Higgins
Buy clothes are built to last.
How To Reduce Your Digital Carbon Footprint - And Why You Need To
Financial Actions
1. Include organizations that combat global warming in your estate plan.
2. Invest in exchange traded funds that focus on reducing carbon emissions.
Green investing and ETFs are explained here, with examples.
3. Increase your financial portfolio’s stake in clean energy companies.
US News names the 7 top clean energy stocks and ETF’s as of July 2020.
4. Make sure your workplace, pension fund or university does not invest in fossil fuels. If they do, join or start a divestment campaign.
The Wall Street Journal examines the effect of divesting fossil fuel stocks as of October 2020.
5. Support organizations that raise climate change issues via shareholder proxies at corporations’ annual meetings.
Two examples: Ceres ---and As You Sow.
Actions at Home
1. Get an energy audit of your house.
An energy assessment can help you determine how much energy your home uses, and prioritize what needs to be fixed.
2. Use less heat and air conditioning.
The BBC reports how to cool your home without air conditioning.
What to do if your furnace is losing efficiency.
3. Add insulation to your walls and attic.
What to consider about insulating walls and attic.
4. Install weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows.
What you need to know about weather stripping and caulking.
5. Turn down the heat when you’re away and when you’re asleep.
This article looks at the turn-the heat-down controversy.
6. Purchase only FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) products like toilet tissue and paper towels. Or use tea towels instead of paper towels.
“Americans are flushing forests down the toilet,” according to this report titled “The Issue with Tissue.”
The Forest Stewardship Council’s Consumer Guide includes a directory of products that are FSC certified, and tells where to buy them.
7. Use less hot water. Set your water heater at 120 degrees. Take shorter cooler showers (the UN suggests 5 minutes).
How to set your water heater and shower head to enjoy shorter, cooler showers.
8. Buy low-flow showerheads.
How to choose a low-flow showerhead.
9. Wash clothes in cold or warm water.
90% of the energy used to do laundry is spent heating the water. There’s a more sustainable way.
10. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
Different bulbs require different off-and-on habits.
11. Hang clothes to dry instead of using the dryer.
Air drying saves electricity (read: carbon emissions). Better Homes and Gardens defines the pros and cons.
12. Install a heat pump in your home to transfer heat from one location to another.
Heat pumps save electricity, hence, carbon emissions. By transferring (rather than generating) heat, they do the jobs of both furnaces and air conditioners.
13. Store food in washable, reusable containers instead of paper or plastic bags.
Glass containers for hot food; plastic for cold---but check the plastic category number on the container to be sure it’s safe.
14. Take advantage of an app called TRANSIT that aggregates bus, train, bike-share (and other) alternatives to show you the best way to get to your destination.
Want to know how to get to your destination fastest, using the least energy? Transit App is has your back.
15. Get updates from The UN’s program, Climate Neutral Now.
UNFCC (aka UN Climate Change, parent of the Paris Agreement) provides up-to-the-minute climate change news and information.