2024 is in full swing and it's going to be a heckuva a ride. The United States is experiencing extreme weather from floods to extreme cold this week. The climate crisis is here.
According to a January 2024 Yale Program on Climate Change Communication report, the number of Americans who believe in climate change outnumber climate deniers 5 to 1 (72 percent believe climate change is real compared to 15 percent who do not). Therefore, the vast majority of people who live in the United States know that climate change is real and it's primarily caused by our energy choices that use oil and gas.
Big Oil's lobby is as powerful as ever, as we saw with COP28. That said, globally the world came together to announce that we must transition away from fossil fuels in order to limit global warming.
The big takeaway from 2023: We ARE making progress.
As we step into the new year, here are our Ins & Outs for the year.
From highlighting the real and tangible benefits to consumers from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to the Administration's recent call to end oil and gas subsidies, we have seen important action on climate policy. Yet, the impact of the climate crisis continues to accelerate and we need more action to scale solutions.
We're all familiar with the dystopian futures if we don't act. It's not hard to imagine the disruptions from wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. We're experiencing them now.
But it's time for us to think about what life would be like if we come together and make the necessary changes to address climate change once and for all. What could the green, clean energy future look like? What could we create together?
This emphasis on imagining a world if we make the SDGs a reality is essential to show why we must rapidly scale climate solutions globally. Learn more about solarpunk and the artists, technologists, architects, and designers who are working to make a greener future possible.
Once you learn about the gravity of the climate crisis, you can't unlearn it. The issue is overwhelming, which is why more and more people are experiencing climate anxiety or eco-anxiety. Our best advice is to exercise agency over what you can and find your unique talents in service in climate action. Take our Service Superpower Assessment, download the 7-day Climate Action Kickstarter plan based on your service superpower (available on your Service Superpower profile page), and get started. Your daily #onegreenthing can help ease eco-anxiety, bring more joy into your life, and shift the culture to support the climate policy solutions we need.
This year is NOT the year to sit out any election - local, state, or federal. Register to vote, organize, and make your voice heard. Stay tuned and sign up for one of OneGreenThing Climate Leadership Academy workshops in 2024 to learn more about how to lobby, engage with our democratic process, and make change in your community and beyond.
And, finally, as excited as we are about Youth v. Gov lawsuits, the trial verdict in favor of the young plaintiffs of Held v. Montana, and the talented Gen Z activists around the globe, this crisis is not on their shoulders alone. We must all get involved in climate action - the biggest challenge of our lifetimes. We all have a role to play. Take the Be an Awesome Ancestor pledge and connect our community to learn more about what you can do to support your loved ones in creating a greener, healthier, more equitable future.
Let's hear it for leaning into a daily practice of sustainability and honoring our future loved ones each day with our actions to create a greener, healthier, more equitable world. Here at OneGreenThing, we'll keep rolling up our sleeves and working everyday to bring as many people as possible into this movement. We CAN do this!