What to do, Jan. 2017 edition

As I write this, wildfires have just burned through a million acres of the Texas panhandle. Another mass bleaching is sweeping through the corals of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Sea ice in the Arctic has set a record low for the third year running….

And so on, and so on. Anyone with eyes can see what’s happening, and yet, here in the U.S., the new government leadership denies it.

It’s infuriating. Disheartening. But we’re not dead yet! And that’s why I started this collection, a year ago. As individuals, we’re just tiny drops in a sea of humanity, facing a problem that we’re basically powerless to change. How’s that for an inspiring call to action?

But, if you love this planet and the beautiful animals and plants who live here with us, giving up in despair is not an option.

And that’s why I started this collection, mostly for myself, to try to answer this question: what do we do now? I am neither a scientist nor a politician nor a rich philanthropist. What can I do?

Alas, politics

When I started this G+ collection more than a year ago, I wanted to avoid politics as much as possible, because it both psychologically poisonous and unsatisfying.

But stuff happens. The latest U.S. election filled the highest levels of government with climate deniers, former global oil company CEOs, and anti-conservationists. To ignore that is to ignore reality.

So we’ve got to push back. Sadly, one political party has made it a point of partisan identify to deny climate change (and science in general).

Like [a] basketball team ignoring the referee, they have simply chosen not to accept the results of climate science. http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/3/10/14871696/scott-pruitt-climate-denial

The simplest solution is to get that party out of power. Personally, I think this may be a case of standing back and letting the opponent destroy itself. But you can help things along, by speaking to your representatives, or, if they don’t represent your views, seeking to replace them.

For member of Congress, you can get good information from League of Conservation Voters (which is also a good organization to support):
https://www.lcvef.org/

If your representatives are enlightened, thank them and let them know which issues are important you. If they are not enlightened, be a squeaky wheel. There’s lots of information out there (Google “indivisible”) about how to be an effective squeaky wheel. I’d suggest limiting your participation to one or two issues that you care most about, to avoid the very real possibility of burnout.

Tackling environmental issues at a state and local level is also important. It’s far easier to influence local elections, and climate deniers know this. When they frame environmental compliance as an issue for the states, it’s because they know that businesses have a close, friendly relationship with state politicians and state regulators, with very little oversight from the press or citizens.

Changing the balance of power at the state and local level seems like low-hanging fruit to me.

Two national organizations that have a strong state and local organizations are well are Audubon and Sierra Club.
http://www.audubon.org/
http://www.sierraclub.org/

Finally, keep an eye on the actions of your state’s attorney general and how they are using their powers.

Or We Could Sue the Bastards

At all levels of government, there is also the possibility of influencing environmental decision-making via the courts – and, hey, our current head of the EPA has spent most of his career doing just that!

We can play that game too, but someone has to pay the lawyers. Here are three organizations you might consider supporting:
Environmental Defense Fund. https://www.edf.org/
Earth Justice. http://earthjustice.org/
Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/

Another place where lawyers are needed, sadly, is in defending climate scientists and activists against harassment. Certain members of Congress have made harassment by subpoena into an art form. This is an organization that defends scientists from this sort of attack:
https://climatesciencedefensefund.org/

Public protests

Several years ago, my personal hero, E.O. Wilson, scolded a young interviewer:

As we squirmed in our seats, Wilson, 82, continued: “Why are you not repeating what was done in the ‘60s? Why aren’t you in the streets? And what in the world has happened to the green movement that used to be on our minds and accompanied by outrage and high hopes? What went wrong?”
https://thinkprogress.org/e-o-wilson-wants-to-know-why-youre-not-protesting-in-the-streets-8cd4c98c7549#.aen5vtpb4

Perhaps we’re finally there. First is the March for Science, on April 22, Earth Day. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/scientists-march-new-movement-21203

The People’s Climate March is April 29. You can find out more about it from the worthy organization 350.org, https://350.org/

Private action

If you care about climate and want reliable information, you should consider supporting independent journalism that focuses on climate. Here are three sources I really like, and which have done some excellent original reporting:
https://climatecentral47041.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298
https://insideclimatenews.org/about/membership
https://www.desmogblog.com/donate-desmog

Finally, protect your own sanity. Focus some attention on areas where you can see real results, like citizen science. Do best you can with property under your control, like gardening for wildlife or pursuing energy efficiency or clean energy sources for your home.

And talk to your friends. Just like I’m doing right now.