The West Coast is on fire, the Amazon is burning, and we can’t take our eyes off this countdown clock in NYC’s Union Square showing the time we have left until climate change causes irreparable damage to our earth….a little over seven years.
The climate crisis is real and impacts every living thing on our planet-- but what do we do? While there are some things we can do as individuals, ultimately, 100 companies are responsible for 71% of carbon emissions.
So, fighting climate change is about more than lifestyle changes (although those are important too!) -- we need to hold these polluters accountable.
Here are 3 ways to take action:
1. Get to know your representatives on a first-name basis! ;)
We can ask our government to fight climate change by staying on top of legislation locally and nationally and contacting your representatives.
Here are a few ways to stay in the know with climate legislation:
- Use an app like Causes to follow climate legislation, contact your representative, and see how they vote
- Set up a google alert with keywords like “environmental legislation” “climate change legislation” and add your city or state name for specifics.
- Read the climate and science sections of your state newspaper.
- Follow Climate UN for global news.
Vote for representation that takes climate change seriously, are committed to action locally and nationally, and hold them accountable to their word.
2. Check out this Liability Roadmap for polluters
Use this simple tool to learn about more ways to hold companies responsible for their environmental impact.
The Liability Roadmap shows decision-makers and movements how to use a variety of tools—at the local, national, and global levels—to hold them liable.
Pro-tip: If you’re building a coalition with others in your community, this can also be a great resource to distribute to local leaders as a guideline for how to create change for the better.
3. Stay up to date with organizations leading the fight
Support and follow organizations that are dedicated to holding corporations accountable, sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on social media to stay up to date on actions.