WRITE TO YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS ABOUT CLIMATE!
Do you like to express yourself in writing? Take climate action by writing to your Representative about why you care about the climate crisis. We suggest sending a postcard, which will reach your Member of Congress much faster than a letter. Messages highlighting climate impacts in your home district and urging your Representative to make climate action their top priority may be especially impactful.
Use the button below to find your Member of Congress. If you already know your Member’s name, you can send a postcard to them addressed this way:
Representative ___________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
SUPPORT THE YOUTH CLIMATE MOVEMENT!
Young people around the world have become leaders in the climate movement in recent years. They have created organizations, including the Sunrise Movement and Fridays for Future, organized global climate strikes, and spoken eloquently on behalf of a livable future. Whatever your age, you can support the Youth Climate Movement. Use one of the links below to learn more about these groups. If you want to go further, you can sign up to get updates about youth-led climate demonstrations near you or donate to help fund their work.
SUNRISE MOVEMENT WEBSITE FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE WEBSITE
SHIFT YOUR FOOD HABITS TO LOWER YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT!
According to researchers, reducing your household food waste and eating a plant-rich diet are among the most high impact lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your carbon emissions. Take action by first checking out the resources below on more climate-friendly eating and then choosing one or more changes you’d like to make to your food habits.
Here’s the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s website with tips, inspiration, and recipes for reducing and preventing food waste:
RESOURCES FOR REDUCING FOOD WASTEHere’s a useful guide from the New York Times that answers lots of questions about food choices and climate:
FOOD AND CLIMATE Q&AWe suggest choosing actions that will be fairly easy for you to stick to, and then committing to the change for a month.
Note to those who do not wish to go vegan or vegetarian: there are many food shifts you can make without giving up animal products that will benefit the climate. A few examples include trying Meatless Mondays, reducing the amount of dairy and beef you eat, adding fruits and vegetables to your meals, and more. The New York Times article is full of useful comparisons and information that can help you consider climate friendly shifts that will work for you.
REDUCE THE IMPACT OF YOUR TRAVEL ON THE CLIMATE!
For many of us, travel allows us to enrich our experiences on this beautiful planet, connect with loved ones, and restore ourselves. Yet we know that traveling contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and worsens the climate crisis. Many of us struggle with this conflict. If you travel, take action by learning about the best ways to reduce the impact of travel on the climate.
Below are some commonly agreed upon best practices to reduce the carbon footprint of your travel:
- Consider trains, buses or efficient cars for trips under 500 miles
- Whenever you fly, choose nonstop economy
- Buy less, do more
- Look for local food, and reduce food waste
- Buy carbon offsets for all of your travel
Two carbon offset choices:
If you are interested in diving deeper into ways to lessen the climate impact of your travel from several reliable sources, check the links below:
The Ocean Foundation: How to reduce your carbon footprint when you travel
Sustainable Travel International: How to reduce the carbon footprint of your travels
Washington Post, 9/10/21, How to actually make your travel better for the planet
HELP SAVE FORESTS BY SWITCHING TO RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS!
The Canadian boreal forest is the largest intact forest in the world, holding immense value for the climate, Indigenous Peoples, and other species. In fact, the Canadian boreal forest is the world’s most carbon-dense forest. Yet according to NRDC’s research, more than a million acres of this irreplaceable forest are clearcut each year, much of which is used to make throw-away tissue products for the U.S. market.
There is a much better alternative! According to NRDC, “tissue products made from recycled materials are far more sustainable because they do not rely on clearcutting forests and they emit one-third the greenhouse gases as tissue products made from virgin fiber.”
Take action by switching to any of the brands listed in the A or B column of the scorecard below, or other recycled paper products. Use the scorecard to choose more climate-friendly paper products that don’t contribute to the destruction of virgin Canadian boreal forests:
To see a complete list of all brands NRDC scored, go to their Issue With Tissue scorecard
LEARN MORE FROM NRDC URGE CHARMIN TO SWITCH TO RECYCLED FIBER
PLEDGE TO VOTE FOR THE CLIMATE!
The climate needs your vote! Not just in presidential elections, but in local, state, and mid-term elections too. Take action by signing this pledge to vote, created by the Environmental Voter Project. By doing so, you voice your commitment to being a consistent climate voter, and you’ll receive reminders to vote before every single election!
PLEDGE TO VOTE FOR THE CLIMATE!
Why is this pledge important? (from the Environmental Voter Project)
- Environmentalists don’t vote as often as they should. When you sign this pledge, you’re sending a loud message that you’re going to start voting your values.
- We’ll send you reminders to help you show up to every election. Studies have shown that these simple, free reminders can help you be a much more consistent voter.
- Are you already a perfect voter? Please sign the pledge anyway! The more people who pledge to vote, the easier it is to convince others to join you!