How to take climate change seriously
I don’t think its news to anyone that climate change is a thing. But I think this piece of information has a different effect on everyone who fully grasps it – either a pit of hopelessness sinks deep in your stomach, or you simply understand it and breeze on with your life.
As someone who suffers from what many people call ‘climate anxiety’ – essentially, full-blown panic about the state of our world and the fact that our governments aren’t taking it as seriously as it needs to be taken – and as someone who knows a fair amount about the topic, I think it’s only fitting that I provided some ‘big sister advice’ for everyone out there who wants to make a difference. A lot of people are aware of climate change but choose to live in blissful ignorance because the reality is an ugly thing they don’t want to face – don’t worry, this is completely normal, and I, too, have fallen victim to this before. A lot of articles seem to reiterate the fact that climate change is not only a threat to us but is already affecting our planet and climate, but fail to address what we can do as individuals to counteract these negative effects. So, without further ado, here are some ways you can start to take climate change seriously:
- Educate yourself!
Now, this may seem overwhelming and I can guarantee that this statement has already got people rolling their eyes or ready to stop reading this article. But understanding a problem is the first step towards fixing the problem. You can do this in many ways. Documentaries like ‘Seaspiracy’ and ‘Cowspiracy’ are good starting points and are thought-provoking on the matter, but there is a lot more to unpack on the subject. Netflix has an abundance of documentaries. I have recently stumbled across a tiktok account that posts easily-digestible and helpful information about climate change and the effects it has on our oceans. Carissa Cabrera founded The Conservationist Collective, and I highly recommend watching some of her tiktok videos (@carissaandclimate) or exploring their website. Following people on social media is a good way to educate yourself as they will more than likely provide you with a lot of insight that documentaries and articles won’t. Some people to follow on Instagram would be Greta Thunberg (@gretathunberg), Addie Fisher (@oldworldnew), Isaias Hernandez (@queerbrownvegan) and Leah Thomas (@intersectionalenvironmentalist). Remember, social media can be a huge asset in education as there are countless TED talks, documentaries, tiktoks, podcasts, and youtube videos on the topic. You could even take a class about it at your university.
- One small step at a time!
Changing your whole lifestyle in order to combat the effects of climate change is daunting and, chances are, you most likely won’t want to do it. A lot of people make it seem like its ‘all-or-nothing’, like you have to be vegan or you have to use public transport and god forbid if you eat some dairy yoghurt or catch a ride with one of your friends. Don’t feel pressured to change your whole lifestyle, small changes help, too. You could start with the usual stuff; by eating less red meat, opting to walk or take the bus rather than drive, buying shampoo bars rather than bottles, going to beach cleanups, supporting small businesses rather than large corporations, buying second-hand or thrifted clothes (or from companies like Patagonia and the North Face) rather than any other fast-fashion company, planting a tree, purchasing carbon offsets for any flights you may take, avoid buying household products you don’t need, going to climate protests as well as keeping an eye on your water and electricity usage. I have found, as an international student, that there is a big culture of consuming in America, so if you catch yourself wanting to buy something you want but don’t need, think about its implications on the planet.
- Spend time in nature.
Going for a hike, sitting in a park or forest, going surfing or swimming in the ocean will make you feel more connected to earth, and I think in order to want to start helping our planet you have to realise what you want to protect. Feeling connected to nature is so important because building that connection will help you become more passionate about the world of sustainability. Once you start noticing plastic floating in the ocean while you’re surfing or the litter in a park, you could start to realise how important education and awareness is.
- Start thinking about what the future looks like.
I think we should all be considering the consequences of climate change and how soon we will start to see them. We are already experiencing a change in climate around the world, as well as drastic weather conditions such as hurricanes and severe droughts and floods. Dig a little deeper – do you think you want to have kids one day? Will you take the population of earth into account when making this decision? Do you think you’ll drive a car one day? An electric one? Will you opt to ride a bicycle? Will you choose to use renewable energy or non-renewable energy as a homeowner? These are daunting questions but are important to think about because Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha will all face a different climate to the one we have now. The future is going to look different and we should prepare ourselves for this now.
Remember, there is only so much you can do as an individual. Many large corporations as well as billionaires will contribute exponentially to carbon emissions. This means you have to use your purchases, actions and vote to do as much as possible. Don’t lose hope!