Besides letter-writing and reducing your carbon footprint, what else can one do about climate change?
September 23, 2010 5:17 AM Subscribe
Besides letter-writing and reducing your carbon footprint, what else can one do about climate change?
I feel like there's only so much one can do and despite how important the problem is, the US, it seems, is likely on a trajectory of apathy for the next 10 years until we go beyond a point of no return. (If the Republicans take control of the House in November and/or Obama loses to a Republican in his next term, it will probably be another decade before there is the political will for climate change legislation in Washington.)
I feel like there's only so much one can do and despite how important the problem is, the US, it seems, is likely on a trajectory of apathy for the next 10 years until we go beyond a point of no return. (If the Republicans take control of the House in November and/or Obama loses to a Republican in his next term, it will probably be another decade before there is the political will for climate change legislation in Washington.)
Plant lots of trees or other photosynthesizers to help increase carbon sequestration.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:48 AM on September 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Jacqueline at 5:48 AM on September 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
Have fewer children.
posted by Cuppatea at 6:09 AM on September 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Cuppatea at 6:09 AM on September 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
As discussed here, eat less red meat and dairy (worst). Instead, shift to more eggs, poultry, and fish (better) or more vegetables (best).
I'm not doing this, but it's something one could do.
posted by Tehhund at 6:38 AM on September 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
I'm not doing this, but it's something one could do.
posted by Tehhund at 6:38 AM on September 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
Help others take baby steps towards reducing their own carbon footprints and at the same time receive benefits themselves, with small lifestyle changes. Encourage your friends to go biking or ride public transit with you instead of taking cars, because it would be fun. Rave about the awesome food you picked up at the local farmer's market, and how much you enjoyed being there. Tell them about the amount of money you've been saving on your electric bill by remembering to turn off the lights when you leave the room, and turning off the computer at night. Show them how easy it is to do composting and what a delight it is to grow your own veggies. The list goes on.
As for the bigger things like making use of renewable energy, that also requires spreading the word. I worked in bioenergy for 4 years and know that this is not a new concept by any means - in the past it's been used whenever fossil fuels weren't available. It hasn't taken off though because the processes are far more complex in their quirks, and hence more expensive to run. Bioenergy isn't a moneymaking endeavor, so you have to look at it from a different perspective. Making use of the energy value of municipal wastes, and reducing the amount of material that has to be landfilled, for instance - cities pay someone to take that garbage, so the plant gets paid to take the feedstock and they get paid for the energy they also contribute to the grid. Often these are joint ventures between business and governments, which are driven by public support. So loudly support the local efforts for your community and city to become green, and encourage your friends to take part as well. Changing the local government's opinions is more within your grasp as an individual or group of interested people.
posted by lizbunny at 6:49 AM on September 23, 2010
As for the bigger things like making use of renewable energy, that also requires spreading the word. I worked in bioenergy for 4 years and know that this is not a new concept by any means - in the past it's been used whenever fossil fuels weren't available. It hasn't taken off though because the processes are far more complex in their quirks, and hence more expensive to run. Bioenergy isn't a moneymaking endeavor, so you have to look at it from a different perspective. Making use of the energy value of municipal wastes, and reducing the amount of material that has to be landfilled, for instance - cities pay someone to take that garbage, so the plant gets paid to take the feedstock and they get paid for the energy they also contribute to the grid. Often these are joint ventures between business and governments, which are driven by public support. So loudly support the local efforts for your community and city to become green, and encourage your friends to take part as well. Changing the local government's opinions is more within your grasp as an individual or group of interested people.
posted by lizbunny at 6:49 AM on September 23, 2010
Weatherproof your home! Then brag to your friends about how cheap your home is to heat/cool now and how comfortable it is and how they should do it too.
posted by mskyle at 7:08 AM on September 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mskyle at 7:08 AM on September 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
Where's your money? Do you have an IRA? What are you passively investing in? Look for places to put your money that benefit the environment.
I am not your investment counselor, but there are Socially Responsible funds which approximate the S&P 500 or other indexes.
If your retirement funds are locked up in a company 401(k), write a note to HR asking for SRI funds as an option (if you don't have them already). Let your coworkers know you've done so (without lobbying or pressuring them.)
posted by endless_forms at 7:18 AM on September 23, 2010
I am not your investment counselor, but there are Socially Responsible funds which approximate the S&P 500 or other indexes.
If your retirement funds are locked up in a company 401(k), write a note to HR asking for SRI funds as an option (if you don't have them already). Let your coworkers know you've done so (without lobbying or pressuring them.)
posted by endless_forms at 7:18 AM on September 23, 2010
1. Stop shopping. Wear what you already own.
2. When possible, take public transportation, or ride your bike.
3. Vote "yes" on all public library millage/bond issues. A well-funded public library is a civic gem.
4. Do you have a farmers' market in your town? Get your produce there, instead of the supermarket. (Err...walk, ride your bike, or take the bus to the farmers' market.)
posted by Cuppatea:
Have fewer children.
I'll add:
5. Or NONE.
posted by BostonTerrier at 7:28 AM on September 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
2. When possible, take public transportation, or ride your bike.
3. Vote "yes" on all public library millage/bond issues. A well-funded public library is a civic gem.
4. Do you have a farmers' market in your town? Get your produce there, instead of the supermarket. (Err...walk, ride your bike, or take the bus to the farmers' market.)
posted by Cuppatea:
Have fewer children.
I'll add:
5. Or NONE.
posted by BostonTerrier at 7:28 AM on September 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
Get involved with, or start, a community garden. Plant some vegetables.
posted by doublesix at 7:54 AM on September 23, 2010
posted by doublesix at 7:54 AM on September 23, 2010
Support policies which can drive re-urbanization of the middle-class -- city dwelling-and-working is far less carbon intense than living in the suburbs or country. In my opinion, those policies are conservative (law and order, school choice and test-based gifted public schools, and abolishing "affordable" housing programs that concentrate the poor and push the middle class out of the city). I suppose that there are some liberal policies that might be constructive as well.
posted by MattD at 7:56 AM on September 23, 2010
posted by MattD at 7:56 AM on September 23, 2010
If you really want to make a meaningful difference, rather than just feel like you are, you need to make as much money as you can and donate it to a highly effective NGO or lobby group working on climate-related issues. Donating a few thousand dollars to a non-profit which is -- for example -- rolling out carbon-friendly energy solutions in India is going to be orders of magnitude more beneficial to the planet than re-using your plastic bags and all the other act-local "solutions" that environmentally-minded people spend so much mental energy on. Do both if you like, but a generous donation is going to be more helpful than re-using a million plastic bags.
posted by dontjumplarry at 9:08 AM on September 23, 2010
posted by dontjumplarry at 9:08 AM on September 23, 2010
Stop using a tumble dryer. In the UK most people air dry their clothes, either outside in the summer, or on a drying rack in a corner or spare room in the winter. I gather from reading blogs that most people in the US always use a tumble dryer, although I may be making unwarranted assumptions.
posted by alicegoldie at 9:53 AM on September 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by alicegoldie at 9:53 AM on September 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
Beside reducing one's own footprint and trying to convince others to do the same, there is little that can be done. That's pretty much it.
...Unless you have a background that gives you the ability to dedicate a career to helping prevent climate change. Perhaps you are an engineer and you can work in some respect to figure out some great new carbon neutral energy technology? Perhaps you can make it a hobby to learn about different green technologies and think about ways they can be improved.
Eventually, you might come up with an idea that could change the world. Probably not, but somebody has to do it! You may as well give it a shot. Regardless of your educational background, I'm sure there's something you could potentially throw in the idea hat. In college, I used my thesis to try to contribute to a cause I believe in strongly: cheap, energy efficient water treatment.
P.S. I didn't quite succeed, but it felt good to try.
posted by swellingitchingbrain at 11:58 AM on September 23, 2010
...Unless you have a background that gives you the ability to dedicate a career to helping prevent climate change. Perhaps you are an engineer and you can work in some respect to figure out some great new carbon neutral energy technology? Perhaps you can make it a hobby to learn about different green technologies and think about ways they can be improved.
Eventually, you might come up with an idea that could change the world. Probably not, but somebody has to do it! You may as well give it a shot. Regardless of your educational background, I'm sure there's something you could potentially throw in the idea hat. In college, I used my thesis to try to contribute to a cause I believe in strongly: cheap, energy efficient water treatment.
P.S. I didn't quite succeed, but it felt good to try.
posted by swellingitchingbrain at 11:58 AM on September 23, 2010
Ride your bike everywhere.
Line-dry your clothes.
Shorter showers.
Greywater your plants.
Eat local, organic foods.
Even eating fair trade helps, because folks who are paid a better price for their goods are able to take better care of the land they're growing them on. Issues that don't seem connected at a first glance? They probably are, in fact, related.
Ride your bike!
Use less packaging. Examples include buying from the bulk section and bringing your own containers.
Participate in your immediate communities.
It's overquoted for a reason: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Lead by doing. Folks you know and interact with will pick up on your good ideas and pass them on, and you will pick up on theirs. It's a process that we as a society are learning together. There's always going to be more to do than time to do it. As long as you are striving to care, to not be apathetic, to do what you can (because you can't do everything), then you're doing it right.
posted by aniola at 12:35 PM on September 23, 2010
Line-dry your clothes.
Shorter showers.
Greywater your plants.
Eat local, organic foods.
Even eating fair trade helps, because folks who are paid a better price for their goods are able to take better care of the land they're growing them on. Issues that don't seem connected at a first glance? They probably are, in fact, related.
Ride your bike!
Use less packaging. Examples include buying from the bulk section and bringing your own containers.
Participate in your immediate communities.
It's overquoted for a reason: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Lead by doing. Folks you know and interact with will pick up on your good ideas and pass them on, and you will pick up on theirs. It's a process that we as a society are learning together. There's always going to be more to do than time to do it. As long as you are striving to care, to not be apathetic, to do what you can (because you can't do everything), then you're doing it right.
posted by aniola at 12:35 PM on September 23, 2010
There's a whole world of things to be done that doesn't rely on limiting yourself to individual lifestyle changes or writing for politicians to do things for you. The two examples that spring immediately to mind are the Transistion Network a.k.a Transitions Towns communities self-organizing to meet the challenges of climate change at the community level, and Rising Tide, a "grassroots network of groups and individuals who take direct action to confront the roots causes of climate change and promote local, community-based solutions to the climate crisis".
posted by tallus at 2:31 PM on September 23, 2010
posted by tallus at 2:31 PM on September 23, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks so much everyone for the ideas! These are great. Like I said I'm already looking into solar panels which I've talked up at work and among family and friends. That may be the sort of lead-by-example action that might convince some people (although I think the federal rebate on solar panels expires at the end of the year).
posted by theNeutral at 9:56 AM on September 24, 2010
posted by theNeutral at 9:56 AM on September 24, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by delmoi at 5:40 AM on September 23, 2010 [2 favorites]