Droughts. Floods. Wildfires. Hurricanes. Every day seems to bring another news story about damage wrought by global warming. Merely thinking about the realities of climate change can be really scary. The problem is so vast, and manifests on such a massive scale, that it can leave us feeling hopeless and paralyzed. Lise van Susteren, a psychiatrist and environmental activist who has spent years studying the links between climate change and mental health, says it’s incredibly important to face the fear of climate change and channel that fear into action!
Reading this insight inspired us to start including “5 actions you can take” in each of our newsletters. Here are our 5 for this week:
- Take any energy of panic and fear and say instead, here’s what I can do, and do it! Give up plastic straw use? Bike to work one day? Decide what your contribution or change will be this week and JUST DO IT! Here are some ideas from NRDC or check out Paul Hawken’s book Drawdown—The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming for many new ideas, you probably don’t even know about yet!
- The Trump administration wants to start issuing permits for elephant trophy hunting. Sign this petition to ban ivory and tusks from being imported into the U.S.
- Grab some gloves and a trash bag and find a beautiful place in nature and/or in your neighborhood to pick up the trash. Trash often ends up polluting our waterways, so you’ll be doing something awesome for yourself and Mother Earth! #winning
- Sign a petition to Help Protect our Oceans!
- Become a monthly patron of Mrs. Green’s World so we can continue to expand the content and reach of the work we’re doing!
Cheers to being the change we wish see in the world!