Are you more and more alarmed about the climate crisis, and want to do something, but feel overwhelmed? We need to act on all four levels listed below, and each month we offer suggestions to focus your efforts. Spread these suggestions to your friends and let’s make a snowball effect for the winter! These featured actions are brought to you by the Climate Action Group of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence and are now also circulated at the Haydenville Congregational Church, the Co-op Power newsletter, and an archive of past monthly actions is also available on this site.
Personal: To minimize your climate impact during holiday travels, avoid flying, driving alone or driving in a big car. Instead see if you can take a train, bus, or carpool with 2 or 3 other people.
Community: Write a letter to the editor of your favorite newspaper about a climate topic of your choice. Let’s keep the climate issue in the forefront of the public’s attention. There is no shortage of topics to write about: the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline, the Keystone XL pipeline, your thoughts on a carbon fee and rebate system, or local climate-related changes you’ve noticed just to name a few.
State/National/Global: For holiday gifts this year, honor your friends and family members by donating money in their name to your choice of organization that fights climate change. Some good possibilities:
Rainforest Action Network: www.ran.org
Environmental Defense Fund: www.edf.org
Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org
350.org www.350.org
350 Massachusetts www.350ma.org
Inform yourself: Take the time to read this excellent article by Al Gore that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine in June of this year. It is lengthy but worth the read. In it he discusses the optimistic economics of solar energy, the political landscape of the electric utility industry, the changing public perception about climate-related disasters, and the importance of pricing carbon, divesting from fossil fuels, and meaningful international treaties.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-turning-point-new-hope-for-the-climate-20140618?page=4
