#global warming

I just want to yell into the void that I am fucking sick to death of governments promising to do things about climate change by year X. Reducing emissions by year X. Promising to work on it later with no plan and no budget and no fucking commitment.

Enough empty promises! Stop buying time to placate people! ACTION. I WANT ACTION. Put your goddamn money where your mouth is and start implementing clean renewable energy sources! Fine the FUCK out of companies that are killing the planet until they are economically forced to change! I want to see the changes with my own eyes.

Enough of these bullshit lies promising to make changes in ten years, twenty years, thirty years. NOW. Make the changes NOW.

- The North Pole is 36 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than usual this winter. At first, scientists thought their equipment was broken because this is so unusual. Source:  http://wapo.st/2mXi69A 

- Sixteen of the seventeen warmest years on record have occurred since 2001. Source: http://go.nasa.gov/2iRikw1 

- Miami’s streets now flood on bright, sunny days due to sea level rise caused by melting glaciers. Source: http://nyti.ms/2mfOXlC 

- According to the U.N., approximately 150 species go extinct every day. The leading causes are human development and climate change. Studies show that extinction rates are up to 100 times higher than they would be without human influence. Source: http://bit.ly/2cuy57c 

- The United States is the only developed nation with a conservative party that still denies climate change is a human caused issue. Source: http://bit.ly/2dNoJmo 

- NASA confirmed that 2016 was the hottest year on record, ever. The same goes for the last three years. Source: http://wapo.st/2mXjE3p 

- The U.S. military, including Trump-appointed Defense Secretary James Mattis, has stated that climate change poses a significant threat to our national security. Source: http://n.pr/2mXA2OY

- According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (a non-partisan government organization), flooding is estimated to be from 300 percent to 900 percent more frequent within U.S. coastal communities than it was just 50 years ago, due to melting glaciers. This flooding costs tax payers billions of dollars, takes lives each year, and is expected to become even more frequent as climate change continues. Source: http://bit.ly/1uhNNXh 

- Here is a link to a graph created using NASA data which clearly shows that greenhouse gases are the cause of global temperature rise: http://bloom.bg/2hxsT7D

I often encounter climate change deniers in the work that I do, so I share these facts in the hopes that they will help you convince your skeptical friends that climate change is real. One of the best ways we can act on climate change is by bringing it up in conversations with friends and in school, to help people wrap their minds around this complex and continually growing issue. 

hope-for-the-planet:

Here are two simple things you can do right now to capitalize on the momentum generated by the IPCC report:

1. Call your representatives and tell them you want them to take aggressive action on climate change.

Better yet, show up in person at a public forum where you can voice your opinion. Other forms of communication are definitely still good (I totally understand that cold calls are anxiety-inducing for many of us), but letters and especially emails are not nearly as impactful as phone calls.

Right now is an especially good time to do this. The IPCC report has freaked a lot of people out, which means more people contacting their representatives, and there is power in numbers. Get your friends and family in on the action too.

2. Tell other people in your life that you are afraid of climate change. No really.

One of the major obstacles towards climate action is that many people feel uncomfortable bringing up upsetting topics. This creates a situation where everyone thinks they are totally alone and no one else cares.

Humans are social creatures. We are more likely to ignore dangerous issues (literally there have been studies where people will ignore a room filling with smoke if everyone else in the room ignores it) if it seems like those around us aren’t worried.

Don’t talk about how hopeless it is and that we are all going to die.Be honest about your rational fear for the future and emphasize concrete ways that people can help be part of the solution (voting, calling their representatives, divesting, working on making your community more sustainable, etc).

Taking action is one of the best ways to counter environmental despair and climate anxiety. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are powerless or that you might as well give up; think about who benefits from prematurely giving up this fight.

I understand that not everyone is in a place to take these actions and that’s ok. Please take care of your mental health in this scary time and avoid doomscrolling; focus on things you can actually impact and don’t dwell on issues outside of your control. Take care of yourself; we need you!

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