Climate Crisis – What can I do?

People wonder what they can do regarding the climate crisis and there are literally hundreds of scientific reports to answer this question.

Many of the “solutions” focus on large scale actions by governments or industry. These are required, and need to be supported, however as industry and government drag their feet in making real change, in the timeframe required, people feel disempowered. No matter what governments or industry do the proverbial buck is going to stop with individuals and their personal decisions / choices.

The more knowledgeable we become regarding the climate crisis the more we realize that immediate action is required. This article is a checklist for those who want to act now – in recognition of the climate emergency. To act from a deep love of Pachamama and all LIFE.
To walk the talk.

This article uses the term ‘eliminate’ rather than ‘reduce’ to emphasize the need for decisive action.
It uses the term carbon to refer to carbon dioxide, methane, and all other gasses contributing to climate change.
Since it is a checklist, it does not include detailed explanations and rationale. There are many online resources that dive deeper into the rationale for the list. 

Basics

  1. Calculate your personal carbon footprint and contribution to the climate crisis. Know where you stand locally and globally.
  2. Make climate crisis informed choices in all aspects of life – information is becoming more readily available all the time.
  3. Most of the items listed below have a cost in terms of direct $ outlay and / or personal time. Government subsidies are becoming more common. Most of the solutions listed result in long term savings of $ – however the payoff time may be on the order of 10 years.

Stop contributing to the problem

  1. House – energy: convert heating and cooling, hot water, and clothes drying to electric heat pumps or other more sophisticated sources such as geothermal heat pumps. (Eliminate oil, natural gas and propane)
  2. House – efficiency: improve insulation and windows to make the home more energy efficient.
  3. Transportation – personal: convert to electric or human powered transportation: cars, bicycles, scooters, boats, etc. (Eliminate gas and diesel)
  4. Transportation – ground: convert to electric public transportation – taxis, busses, trains, etc.
  5. Transportation – air: eliminate fossil fuel powered air travel (planes / helicopters). Convert to non-fossil fuel powered ground / sea transportation.
  6. Diet: eliminate diet components that are fossil fuel intensive in production. (A good starting point is to eliminate meat and dairy consumption).
  7. Purchases: eliminate the purchase of goods that are produced using fossil fuel energy or have a high carbon footprint. Evaluate the carbon footprint of the whole life cycle of a product (information is becoming more and more available). This is most important on higher $ purchases (e.g. renovations)

Contribute to the solution

  1. Solar panels: install solar panels, or join solar co-ops to contribute to the production of clean energy
  2. Battery back-up systems: install battery back-up systems to reduce the draw on the grid at peak times (and the use of peaker plants), and contribute to grid stability.

Climate change justice / ethics

Middle income and rich people in ‘wealthy’ societies are increasingly being recognized as the major contributors to the climate crisis, and promised reparation payments to poorer people and countries bearing the burden of the climate crisis are lagging or non-existent.

  1. Financial contributions to, or direct involvement with, organizations that support climate justice.
  2. Acknowledgement of, and accountability for, our ‘lifetime carbon footprint’. Recognizing that most of our activities and wealth accumulated over the past 35 years (time since climate change was recognized) resulted in significant carbon contributions to the climate emergency.

Psychology

As the climate crisis worsens, species extinction rates rise, and human displacement / migration increases we will be faced with this stark reality; and with our personal and societal role in creating, and lack of positive response to, the crisis.

  1. Grieve the death, destruction and displacement created by the climate crisis. This will likely involve developing increased ‘heartbreak capacity’.
  2. Develop conscious awareness of our personal responses to the “restrictions” listed above and the desire to continue privileged and climate destructive lifestyles.
  3. Become a climate emergency leader / activist.

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Summary – the bare essentials

  1. Heat Pumps
  2. Electric transportation
  3. Solar
  4. No flying
  5. No meat or dairy

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Note: see “Destroyers” in Notes and Articles