I’ve been learning so much about climate. One from a free certification course by INCO Academy and another from edX which offers affordable online course on various topics including ones I am taking from Wisconsin University. In this short post, I’m going to share with you a few key takeaways that can be easily incorporated into your life.
Techie Ways We Can Make a Difference
We all use Google, but an alternative search engine called Ecosia.org plants trees for every search you do and here are 50 other reasons why you might want to make this your default search engine.
thegreenwebfoundation.org lists different green web hosting providers.
Using a darker screen for presentation uses less energy.
Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters, as well as delete archived emails. These all help use less energy.
Shift from Individualistic to Systemic Responsibility and Accountability
“So, what is a system? A system is a set of things—people, cells, molecules, or whatever—interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time.”
Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer [1, p. 2]
Many of us feel isolated and alone. Computers have exacerbated the problem. The pandemic stretched us further into our silos. The issue isn’t to blame a single person says the Director of the University of Wisconsin Madison Dekila Chungyalpa. Instead of focusing on isolated activities such as recycling, we can shift our thinking to understanding the climate issue as a systemic problem that needs to be addressed. Walkable cities is an example of how we can attack more than one problem by lowering carbon while also building social structures that prevent loneliness. I am attending an upcoming workshop in my city which aims to gather concerned citizens on how to save money and reduce carbon. If you live on Oahu, you can see when your district is holding a meeting and sign up here.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
For many of us, the earth’s health can trigger issues with grief, anxiety and depression. There are a wealth of resources to cope with this including this free video entitled, “Building Resilience to Climate Trauma: A Public Health Approach to Mental WellBeing,” by the American Public Health Association or this one by Project Drawdown, “Climate Solutions from the Inside Out: Science, Emotions, and Action on a Changing Planet.” Climate Mental Health Network also share a curated list of books with 20% off with code ‘MHAM25’ (good through May 31, 2025).
Get a Job to Help the Earth
Here is a list of green career sites:
- Sustainable Business(opens in a new tab)
- TreeHugger(opens in a new tab)
- Idealist(opens in a new tab)
- Renewable Energy Business Network
- Green Career Central(opens in a new tab)
Take a Break
Many of us are in constant fight or flight-the human reaction to stress. We freeze. We fight or we try to escape. Some of us even fawn or appease others as a survival response. Coming up with creative solutions to solve climate issues goes offline when we are in this state. Instead we need to calm our nervous system. Engage in play. Give ourselves permission to be in our body. Enjoy the earth as it is today while working on ways to make a change.
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