‘The climate crisis feels paralyzing. I don’t know what to do.’ Here are ideas from an expert
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of columns by Joana Tavares, The Tribune’s American Association for the Advancement of Science mass media fellow, answering reader questions about climate change. Tavares is completing a doctorate degree in earth sciences at UC Irvine.
Maddie from Atascadero wrote:
“The enormity of the climate crisis feels paralyzing. I don’t know what to do. I want specific, actionable ideas. I would also love to know about groups who are doing this work in our community (and beyond) to whom I could lend my voice.”
Dear Maddie,
Indeed, the climate crisis is a complex and overwhelming issue. I, too, feel paralyzed by it sometimes. And we are not alone.
A 2019 study conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association revealed that more than two-thirds of the 2,017 U.S. adults they surveyed worry about climate change and nearly half of the younger respondents (ages 18 to 34) said that the stress they feel about climate change affects their daily lives.
Most of the people in the study (70%) said they wish they could do more to combat climate change, but like you, 51% of those surveyed said they don’t know where to start. Let’s change that.
You asked for actionable ideas. The ability to carry through the actions that I’m about to suggest will depend on each person’s circumstances, but steps that individuals can take to reduce emissions associated with their lifestyles include eating less beef, reducing food waste, flying less, driving less, consuming less in general, retrofitting their homes by installing solar panels, and replacing gas appliances with electric ones (and, yes, I am talking about your gas stove, too).
While they might not be easy to implement, these are practical solutions, and recent research shows that if most people in developed countries embraced the changes outlined above, we could cut global emissions by 27%.
Unfortunately, as you may already know, to prevent the worst consequences of the climate crisis, we must halve greenhouse gas emissions before the end of this decade and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Thus, clearly, individual action alone will not solve our problem. So, what can be done?
In another study that came out last month, scientists say that to close the emissions gap in the U.S., we must address large infrastructure needs by changing policies.
For instance, most of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions come from power generation and transportation.
So, to cut total emissions by 50%, according to researchers’ calculations, we need to double the amount of electricity our grids get from alternative energy sources from 40 to 80%, while simultaneously electrifying buildings, industries and transportation fleets.
These scientists make it clear that contrary to what we may have been told in the past, cost is not the main impediment to increasing alternative energy.
Instead, the main obstacle will be enacting new policies that coordinate efforts among cities, states and the federal government.
In other words, if everyday people want to help solve the climate crisis, they need to find ways to push for policy changes through civic engagement.
By now, you may be feeling even more overwhelmed than when we started this conversation, but going back to what the American Psychological Association recommends, leaning into the problem and finding ways to realign our actions to our values, while building community around the cause, may be some of the best remedies for the climate anxiety we have been experiencing.
Which leads us to the last part of your question: What groups are doing this work in our community (and beyond)?
I have had the opportunity to learn about various organizations working on different climate action initiatives in SLO, so you have many choices.
I would recommend reaching out to the SLO Climate Coalition folks. On their website, you can read about the work they do, sign up for their email list and find information about climate action events and programs.
Was this helpful? Do you have other questions that I may be able to answer? If so, email me at jtavares@thetribunenews.com.
This story was originally published June 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
