Whenever someone starts talking about climate change, we often get gloomy and we may listen and agree but eventually someone else changes the topic and we all move on with our lives. This is mainly because of our mind putting up defenses and after we consciously get rid of those defenses, we will be able to turn talk into action.
As Per Espen Stoknes said in his TED talk, “Climate isn’t really about some abstract, distant climate far, far away from us. It’s about this air that surrounds us. The air you can feel in this room, the air that moves right now in your nostrils. This air is our earth’s skin. And inside this skin, we’re all closely connected. Inside this thin, fluctuating, unsettled film, all of life is nourished, protected and held.”
Realizing this, one small step that you can take right now is to look up an event that helps the environment, whether that’s cleaning the beach or protesing against something that destroys it. Then send an invite to everyone close to you to come join you. You can go get something to drink afterward, you will feel good, and it will decrease the distance we feel with the climate. And once people see someone helping, they’re more inclined to help and join too so include it on your Snapchat and Instagram stories.
The feeling of doom that is accompanied with climate change makes us fearful and then numb. But there’s nothing to be scared about if you’re taking the right steps to prevent anything like that from happening. Let’s highlight the positive advancements we are making. Did you know that despite the 2012-15 drought around Santa Clara Valley in California, the underground water reserves are back to pre-drought levels this year, all thanks to the conservation measures that the district and normal citizens took. Next time you post that pic of the sunset, add a caption that says something like “That sun’s energy is not far from beating fossil feuls for energy, it’s already really economically competitive.”
We all have that one friend that says “well if I start taking the bus, climate change is not going to stop, so I’ll stick with my car.” They’re simply trying to justify why they won’t change and you don’t have to unfriend them for it. But we can change that by reminding ourselves that the world can be changed by just one person. Because if you start, then your sister will start, and then her friend and soon the world will follow. But it starts with YOU. You hold that power.
Denial of climate change is living like we don’t know or aren’t aware of the our situation and I am guilty of this. This one can be the most difficult to overcome but it’s very possible. Surround yourself with people who are passionate about these issues, the people that refuse to stay complacent. If you can’t find anyone, become that person. Again, you have that power and the world’s depending on you.
Finally, I want to say that there will be people who may never do anything about it. I’m sure we can all think of one popular example. That’s because the change hurts their identity and their pockets. In all honesty, the future generation and our health should not have to suffer because of that. Those people are on this earth for only so long and I don’t know about you but I want to live a healthy life and I want to have kids that can enjoy the beauty of this world too. So I am going to do something about it and I will go down in history as someone who fought and saved life as we know it. I hope you will join me too.
