How to Speak Out for Climate Change Action
We need to act fast to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and there are many ways to do so by just using your voice!
Talk - Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says that the most important thing that we can do to fight climate change is to talk about it (see so in her Ted Talk here or in her new book here) with anyone that will listen.
Vote – Look for the candidates that support green policies and vote for them! Some websites to find out about candidates and their policies are:
Give Green - to search for candidates that support the environment
Open Secrets - to find out about candidates that have taken money from oil and gas companies.
Volunteer for Candidates – Phone Bank, walk door to door, or just talk about candidates that support green policies.
Go Local - Show up at your local town hall meetings and attend public forums hosted by members of Congress. When doing so, be prepared to talk about the specific problem you’re facing, how it impacts your community, and what the elected officials can do about it.
Testify - Be on the lookout for public hearings and sign up to testify either in person or in writing! The NRDC says that “in some cases, to introduce or repeal legislation, government agencies are required by law to hold hearings to gather public input.”
Speak out with a Group – there are many different climate groups that can help you find or amplify your voice! Check out the links below to find local chapters of the groups near you!
Citizens Climate Lobby - a bipartisan group that empowers everyday people to work within their communities and members of Congress on climate change solutions.
The Sunrise Movement - a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.
Attend a peaceful climate protest!
Be a Vocal Consumer – tag companies on social media or write them when they’re doing things you don’t believe in, especially if you’re telling them they’re losing you as a customer or investor because of their actions.
Hopefully, this gets you inspired to start speaking out! And if you do not feel comfortable speaking out about climate change just yet because you don’t know much about it, read this introduction to climate change blog post linked here!