Here’s a great way to celebrate Earth Day: Commit to a plan to #change4climate

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, no country has emitted more greenhouse gas pollution than the United States. And now with both yearly — and cumulative — worldwide greenhouse gas pollution forecast to increase until at least 2030, there’s even more of an imperative for Americans to begin to change for climate.

Here’s why we are calling for a change for climate, rather than focusing on climate change: “Climate change” is a passive construct of acceptance, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can act now to improve the outlook for the future.

If the U.S. government were to ask individuals to change for climate now, the resultant reduction in yearly and cumulative greenhouse gas emissions — even if only marginal — could very well buy us enough time to fend off the worst impacts of climate change until greener technologies become more widely available.

We, as Americans, should expect our government to ask us to change, yet this is not happening.

For an increasing number of Americans, this lack of solicitation from their own government only validates the narrative that climate change is a hoax or, at the least, not worth acting for.

After all, if no such crisis exists, then people shouldn’t expect to be directly asked by their government to do anything for climate.

That’s exactly what’s happening, and it fosters and validates public apathy and skepticism about climate change, which then even further disincentivizes American lawmakers to act.

We know that government guidance can be effective; it’s fair to say that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of those who wore masks did so because they were asked to by their government in order to stave off the worst possible impacts of the pandemic.

Upon being asked, most people – or more specifically, enough people - listened to their government and did mask up and physically distance.

If people had not been asked en masse by their government to mask up and physically distance, the outcome of the pandemic to this point may have been quite different.

We could expect to see the same positive results if the government were to ask us to #change4climate.

Here are some ways to do that:

• Buy local
• Unplug unused appliances
• Work more from home (Zoom to meetings)
• Dry clothes in the sun
• Combine errands
• Consider an electric car
• To reduce junk mail, opt out of credit card officers
• Support #change4climate

Why support a hashtag campaign?

As we’ve seen in recent U.S. history, hashtags have the power to bring social and institutional change, as we witnessed with #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo.

A universal hashtag could make a difference in bringing broad social and institutional change.

Communicating these changes for climate to others (including government officials, social media influencers, businesses, etc.) is something we should all be doing to help normalize change for climate.

If you agree, visit ichange4climate.com/select-4 and select at least four changes.

Once you have made these changes in your life, share that via email signature and/or Twitter (see ichange4climate.com/the-21st-century) and visit @ichange4climate on Twitter for updates and support.

James Oksanish is a member of the statistics faculty at Cal Poly and is a contributor to @ichange4climate and ichange4climate.com.