USE THIS BUTTON TO TAKE AN EASY CLIMATE ACTION!
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has been one of my favorite sources of accurate, useful climate information for many years. I recently discovered that they have a CLIMATE ACTION BUTTON that you can click on any time to take a simple climate action. I invite you to check it out right now:
THE CLIMATE ACTION BUTTONHere are a few of the reasons this is such a great thing to do: the actions UCS posts are updated frequently, and include actions that take only a minute as well as actions if you have a bit more time. Each action includes a brief explanation of why it matters. You can stay off of their mailing list if you wish simply by un-clicking the boxes at the bottom of the action. I hope you try it!
USE THE NEW CLIMATE LAW TO DECARBONIZE!
In August, 2022, President Biden signed the biggest climate law in U.S. history–the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Incentives in this law will make electrifying and decarbonizing your household a lot cheaper. REWIRING AMERICA has created a savings calculator which shows how you can use the new climate law to electrify, shift to clean energy, and make your home more energy-efficient. (This action will take less than 5 minutes!)
Use Savings Calculator to find your clean energy incentives!
USE CALCULATORWhy this action is important: The IRA’s provisions are aimed at speeding the U.S. clean energy transition, lowering household energy costs, saving lives, and creating good-paying jobs. The incentives are available through a variety of pathways, with some immediately accessible, and some coming on line as regulations are written and states set up implementation. You are or will soon be eligible for incentives for such products as solar panels, electric vehicles, battery back-up power, electric appliances, energy-saving products, and more. Some incentives benefit renters, some focus on lower income households, and some are available now. To use the incentives, which have been designed to save you money, lower your carbon footprint, and improve your health and comfort, you have to know about them!
BANKING ON OUR FUTURE!
Four big banks–Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, and Wells Fargo–are helping finance the climate crisis by supporting new oil, gas and coal projects. But these banks rely on their credit card and banking customers like you to stay in business. By signing the Banking on our Future pledge, you’re urging these banks to stop funding climate chaos, otherwise you will stop banking with them. If you have a credit card with one of these banks, you will cut it up. If you don’t bank there now, you pledge you won’t do so in the future.
TAKE THE PLEDGE!Why this action is so important: In 2021, the International Energy Agency stated that in order to meet the Paris climate targets there can be no new investments in oil, gas, or coal, starting immediately. Yet since the climate accords were signed, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Bank of America have loaned the fossil fuel industry a trillion dollars with no plans to stop. We, as their customers, have the ability to convince them to do the right thing for all our our futures.
Once you’ve signed the pledge, here are two next steps you can take to amplify the impact of this action:
First, If you do have a credit card with Chase, Citicard, Bank of America, or Wells Fargo, apply for a new credit card with a better bank now. Once you have a new card, you’ll be able to switch cards and cancel your card with these climate outlaw banks. To find a good option, use Green America’s list of credit cards issued from banks that don’t lend to fossil fuel companies. Both Beneficial State Bank and Amalgamated Bank offer climate-friendly credit cards with no annual fee.
If you’d like to do more, please share the Banking on our Future pledge with your network! Third Act has a Banking on our Future Page with all the resources you need to learn about the action and share with others.
TAKE THE PLEDGE!Additional Resources:
To learn more about this action, watch a 3-minute video from THIRD ACT: Banking on Our Future
An overview of the connection between financial institutions and the climate crisis, from the New Yorker
Bank.green, a tool allowing you to check your bank’s fossil fuel financing record.
Green America’s List of fossil fuel-free credit cards.
MAKE A PLAN TO ELECTRIFY!
Perhaps the most high-impact personal climate action you can take is to begin electrifying the machines that you use every day. Climate experts agree that every path to preserving a livable future and restoring safe climate requires us to electrify everything we can as soon as we can. You can help!
Decide today that the next time one of the gas-powered machines in your life needs replacing, you will switch to an electric version.
One year after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, we are seeing many signs of progress, and have a clearer picture of what what we need to do next. Rewiring America’s PACE OF PROGRESS report examines the state of clean energy and electrification today and how much we need to pick up the pace of electrifying. This report can help you get inspired and commit to your next step to electrify!
TAKE ACTION: Read Rewiring America’s #Pace of Progress report. One year in, how are we doing on electrifying our homes and cars, and installing solar panels on our roofs?
PACE OF PROGRESS REPORT!Cars, stoves, water heaters, air conditioners, washers and dryers, and even gas barbecues all have efficient, reliable, and increasingly affordable electric options. Provisions in the IRA are designed to make all these electric machines cheaper to purchase. You can decide today that the next time one of the gas-powered machines in your life needs replacing, you will switch to an electric version.
Electric motors are more efficient than fossil fuel-fed motors, and emit no pollutants when in use. Forty percent of U.S. electricity already comes from carbon-free sources, and this percentage is growing rapidly each year. Make a commitment to electrify something. From a single-burner induction cooktop to a heat pump water heater to an EV, each machine that goes electric helps speed the clean energy transition.
If you have more time, find your incentives with the Inflation Reduction Act Savings Calculator! Plug in your zip code, household size and income, and a few other details and this tool shows you all the money you can get from the Inflation Reduction Act to electrify, increase energy efficiency, and decarbonize.
IRA SAVINGS CALCULATORHere are four additional resources to learn more about the Inflation Reduction Act and the vital role of electrification in climate action:
The Electric Explainer: Key programs programs in the Inflation Reduction Act and what they mean for Americans, Rewriting America Policy Hub
The Biggest Climate Bill of your Life – But What does it DO!? 22-minute video from Hank Green (it’s long but it’s the best and most entertaining explanation of the new climate bill I’ve seen!)
Most fossil fuel energy is wasted–New analysis shows how to fix this! Power Up for Climate Solutions blog, August 28, 2020
One Billion Machines that will Electrify America 12-minute video from Saul Griffith
EMAIL FOR CLIMATE ACTION TODAY!
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) has an easy-to-use tool you can use to email your Congressional Representatives to urge them to act on climate. Unlike many other groups, CCL allows you to opt-out of getting on their mailing list, so you can take this action without increasing your email burden!
Use the link below to contact your Congressperson and Senators and urge them to pass additional bold climate policies that will open a path toward meeting our commitment under the Paris Climate Accords.
TAKE ACTIONFollow the easy instructions to email your elected officials! An email will be provided which you can send as is or personalize for even greater effectiveness. The more voters they hear from, the more likely it is that Congress will pass climate policies that truly meet the moment.
Many powerful interests are fighting to weaken and derail these efforts. YOU can help by letting Congress know you want them to pass sweeping, bold action tackling the climate crisis!
YOUR MONEY AND OUR CLIMATE!
No matter how much money you have, how you save and spend is important for the climate. Below are three actions you can take to ensure that your money is supporting climate solutions.
Action ONE: Use the Bank Green tool to learn if your bank is using your money to fund climate chaos:
CHECK ON YOUR BANKTaking this action will allow you to decide whether you feel good about where you bank, or whether to consider opening a new account at a better bank.
Action TWO: Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, Citi, or Bank of America are funding fossil fuel exploration, extraction, and transport. If you have a credit card from any of these banks, apply for a new credit card today, and start your switch to a climate-friendly credit card.
Find a climate friendly credit card that’s right for you!
BETTER CREDIT CARDSChase Bank, Wells Fargo, Citi, or Bank of America make big money off their credit card customers; switching cards sends a powerful message to banks that it’s time to stop funding fossil fuels once and for all. (Many of the credit cards listed at the link above offer cards with no annual fee, including Beneficial State Bank and Amalgamated Bank.)
Action THREE: If you are in a position to make donations for climate action, Giving Green provides recommendations on organizations maximizing their impact on climate. See their list and choose one or more groups to give to:
See Giving Green’s recommendations for climate donations:
FIND TOP CLIMATE DONATIONSFor more information about supporting climate action with your money, see additional resources below:
Money is the oxygen on which the fire of global warming burns
Stop the money pipeline campaign
Divesting from fossil fuel investments:
Earthfolio Sustainable Investing
HELP ELECT CLIMATE CHAMPIONS!
Here are two great ways to help elect climate champions! Below, we offer two options to promote getting more climate champions elected to federal and state offices.
Option ONE: Sign up with the Environmental Voter Project, dedicated to identifying inactive environmentalists and transforming them into consistent voters. The Environmental Voter Project provides opportunities to encourage the most climate aware people to become consistent voters in critical swing states. Their work is data-driven and has been highly impactful in recent years.
The link below will take you to their “Get Involved” page, where you can sign up to join their volunteer email list, or to help with a specific campaign.
Environmental Voter ProjectOption TWO: Help elect climate champions by making donations through Give Green. Give Green provides a strategic way to support candidates who will advance just solutions to the climate crisis. Their platform selects candidates committed to climate action and then allows you to give to them directly. To take action, click the button, select candidates, and make a donation in any amount.
Give Green
STAND UP FOR RACIAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE!
As an organization that works for a healthy planet and a safer world, we recognize that health and safety are enjoyed unequally across races in our country and around the world. We recognize that addressing these inequalities must be an integral part of our mission and daily work, and we urge our members and supporters to do the same.
Take Action: educate yourself on the links between racism and the climate crisis, and learn more about what you can do. Below are five excellent sources of information, and a link to the UN Stand Up for Human Rights campaign.
Read up on the links between racism and the environment, Somini Sengupta, New York Times, June 5, 2020.
We don’t have to halt climate action to fight racism, Mary Annaise Heglar, HuffPost, June 12, 2020.
Climate change tied to pregnancy risk affecting black mothers most, Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, June 18, 2020.
Black, Hispanic, and Latino people care about climate change the most, Drew Costley, OneZero, May 6, 2020.
PM2.5 polluters disproportionately and systemically affect people of color in the United States,
Christopher W. Tessum et al., Science Advances, April 28, 2021.
Stand Up for Human Rights, A campaign from the United Nations to encourage each of us to stand up for the rights of all.
INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN POWER UP FOR CLIMATE SOLUTIONS!
At this critical moment, there are many ways to speed the transition to clean energy, and help protect more of this beautiful world. Please invite a friend to join Power Up for Climate Solutions so more people have access to our resources. Below is a message you can use or modify to invite someone to sign up:
I’m writing to invite you to join Power Up for Climate Solutions, (www.powerupforclimate.com) a non-profit devoted to helping people take action to contain the climate crisis. Once you sign up, you will receive climate action invitations chosen for their simplicity and impact, and blog posts about climate solutions. You will hear from them about once a month. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time! Here’s the link to join: www.powerupforclimate.com/join-us/
Most new members find us because someone they know invited them. Please help us increase our impact by inviting a friend or family member to join us!
TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE!
There is one action you can take that many climate experts say is the single most effective thing you can do to help solve the climate crisis. Talk about it with your friends and family members. Talk about why you care, and what climate actions you are taking.
Why is this so important? Most Americans care about global warming, yet rarely or never talk about it. Yet humans are social creatures, so this cycle of silence discourages engagement. There is growing evidence that the more we talk about climate change, the more we realize others care, and the more we take action.
What you can say: Talking about why you care about climate change and what you are doing about it are the two great places to start. I’ve recently been talking about the electric barbecue we got because we are electrifying our home, my worries about the recent summer heat and fire seasons in Oregon, and the Banking on our Future Pledge I signed to support banks that do not invest in fossil fuel expansion.
Who to talk to: According to the most recent Yale climate opinion poll, 71% of Americans say global warming is important to them. Talk to anyone you know who is concerned about climate change, which includes most of us. As climate scientist Dr. Katherine Hayhoe has said, “The biggest challenge isn’t science denial, it’s complacency.”
Here are a few more resources to inspire you:
Why you should talk about climate change right now, Katherine Hayhoe, Gizmodo, October 13, 2021
The most important thing you can do right now to fight climate change, according to science, Joe Romm, Think Progress, July 11, 2019
The magic of talking, Power Up for Climate Solutions Blog, May 20, 2022
The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: Talk about it, TED talk, Katherine Hayhoe, December, 2018