Our climate and ecological emergencies will not be solved overnight and they will not be solved by a single person – it will take all of us working together throughout our lives to tackle these global problems. This is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, but it is also our greatest opportunity. As we strive for environmental justice we are not simply working to save endangered animals, but rather we are working to dismantle the systems of extraction, oppression, and inequality that are at the root of our crises.
Now the question is, what can you do? Everyone is different, so we all have something unique to bring to the movement. Below is an exercise you can do to figure out what your eco-action should be, along with a list of 15 general eco-actions for anyone.
“What are you good at? What solutions do you want to work on? What brings you joy? Figure out where those three overlap and be in the epicenter of that Venn Diagram for as many minutes of your life as you can.”
– Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
15 general eco-actions
- Devote time to learning about our climate & ecological crises
- Reduce your meat & dairy consumption
- Urge your elected officials to protect the environment
- Attend environmental protests & rallies
- Join local organizations fighting for environmental justice
- Bike, carpool, or use public transportation when possible
- Start composting your food scraps
- Plant native trees in your neighborhood
- Get politically active & vote
- Lessen the number of flights you take per year
- Give a small monthly donation to an environmental non-profit
- Use reusable items instead of single-use plastics
- Create art to raise awareness about environmental issues
- Save energy & water at home
- Teach your friends & family about our climate & ecological crises