Climate Change is one of the most urgent issues of our time.
This advocacy feature was originally published in January 2020, and focuses on the effects of the Australia wildfires. It also includes still relevant information about organizations to support and actions you can take to reduce your carbon imprint.
The ecological imbalances created by the warming planet will effect our weather patterns and food supplies, with hundreds of millions of people at risk of climate-related poverty.
The January 2020 fires in Australia were a particularly apocalyptic vision of the effects of climate change:
About 2,700 firefighters were battling the blazes as of 1/6/2020. There were about 136 fires burning across NSW 1/5/2020. Officials say 24 people have died nationwide this fire season.
About 480 million animals have died across NSW, though the true mortality is likely to be substantially higher than those estimated. Almost ⅓ of koalas in NSW have been killed in the fires, and ⅓ of their habitat has been destroyed.
More than 1,300 houses destroyed and 8.9 million acres scorched. In total, more than 14.7 million acres have been burned across the country's six states.
How to help
We’ve compiled a list of organizations to support, in Australia and worldwide:
The Clean Energy Innovation program at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Solar Responders - One of our readers, Nita Baum, is Founding Board Chair of this organization that helps first responders save lives with renewable energy.
Beyond giving your dollars, you can also find an organization near you and volunteer, host recycling drives, show up at a community event, write stories or essays, or make art in response.
5 Ways to Reduce your Carbon Imprint
Stop eating (or eat less) meat
Greenhouse gas emissions from agribusiness are an even bigger problem than fossil fuels, with red meat producing especially high levels of emissions and using large quantities of water. You don’t have to become a vegetarian entirely — but reducing your consumption of meat can go a long way. Eating local and organic can help, too.
Unplug your devices when you’re not using them
Computers, phones, and nonessential pull electricity when they are plugged in, even when they are on sleep mode. When you’re not using your computer or phone, just make sure the plug comes out of the wall. Your electricity bill will thank you, too.
Drive less
If you life in a big city with available infrastructure, make the choice to take public transportation, walk, or bicycle.
Buy vintage clothing or make repairs to damaged clothes
The UN estimated that the fashion industry (including its long supply chains) is responsible for 10 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions heating our planet. Textile waste is a particularly large problem, even more so because most clothing that is discarded into landfills is often made from synthetic materials that don’t biodegrade.
You can do a lot by avoiding these “fast fashion” brands (must-have trends at extremely low prices), buying used or secondhand clothing as much as possible, and making simple repairs to rips and snags to extend the life of your clothing.
Want to learn more? Read Elizabeth Cline’s Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.
Plant a garden
Plants absorb carbon dioxide, and as such are one of the most important ways we can mitigate the effects of climate change. Even if you live in cities, you can plant window, balcony, or roof gardens, and participate in community gardens.
Bonus: you can get involved in organizations like The GrowHaus, The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, and Urban Harvest St. Louis.