Unless you are oblivious to your surroundings, it’s hard to not be aware of the already catastrophic effects climate change is having on our lives. Each new year is bringing an increase in catastrophes and extreme weather events. It is thus easy to be suffering from eco-anxiety (or solastalgia). This can be downright depressing and paralyzing.
I wanted to write an article stating that we are not doomed just yet. Contrary to what Big Oil and some media would lead you to believe, a lot of things can still be done to stop catastrophic global warming and, who knows, at some point down the line, reverse this. This might be utopian, but scientific research and entire books such as Project Drawdown and its sequel, Regeneration, are full of regenerative solutions.
This blog is also full of pragmatic solutions and it’s a matter for all of us to adopt them at scale, such as heat pumps, district heating, renewables, electric buses and bikes, bio-based materials and so on… We have all the tools we need to slash greenhouse gases emissions fast.
Eco anxiety is not just for young folks. Most of the media still thinks that climate issues concern only folks born in the late 90s or even in the 21st century. It’s not the case. Am now 41 and I have had my fair share of this myself. I know grand parents and people in their 60s or 70s that are very concerned too.
Whether you were born in 2001 or 1951, we can all act and turn this ship around. Yes, our climate is warming, yes, there is some more locked in for the near future but there is enormous potential of actions in this decisive decade. The world we live in 2035 will be different from today’s. It’s on all of us to make it a place that is better, nicer and cooler than what it would be if we let the status quo win.
First and foremost, please note that if your eco-anxiety is just too hard to bear and you are thinking of what’s the point of living and doing anything, please consider seeking professional help. Am an energy transition professional, I am in no way, shape or form a shrink.
Here are six steps to make your life
1. Consume solution and action-based climate / sustainability reporting and news (like this blog). If you stick to the doom and gloom of certain media, you will be without a doubt overburdening yourself with negativity and despair. In recent years, solution oriented climate media have emerged. Canary Media, comes to mind. If you are more into non-fiction, solar punk is a branch of science fiction that brings some hope of what the future could look like. Grist has started publishing such novels with its Imagine 2200 contest..
2. Consume as little (stuff / energy / water / resources in general) as can be. In a world that promotes buying all kinds of stuff ad nauseam, this can be a daunting task. Resisting the sirens of marketing and advertisement can be arduous. Consuming less energy at home, for transportation and all the time can equally daunting, especially if you live in an old home or far away from your current work. But the less resources you will consume, the more resilient you will be.
3. Change your banking as Big Oil loves Big Bank and it’s reciprocal (and disgusting). If your hard-earned cash is still in an Oil loving Big Bank, consider transferring most if not all your savings and current account in a local coop or solution that will follow your values. There are more and more solutions available around the world, but beware, some might be some greenwashing. Less money at the conventional oil loving banks will make financing carbon bombs harder and our common future a bit brighter ;
4. Turn this negative energy to action. Whether its making good art, writing hopeful novels, joining a local NGO, writing blog posts, educating yourself, starting a garden, retroffiting homes, switching to a heat pump and/or solar PV… it’s all about not staying with your hands in your pockets and your head down. Get moving. Use this as a catharsis if need be ;
5. Change jobs ! The energy transition already requires millions of blue or white collars workers globally. From retrofitting homes to changing our relationship with soil and agriculture or industry and creating new services, there will be jobs for everyone. Of course, you might either make your current job a green one or you might study to get new skills to get more impact. One quick tip : chat with folks already in the position you seek. You’ll become more knowledgeable about the industry, its players and see if this green dream job is really what it looks like ;
6. Last but not least, VOTE as if your life depended on it. Because it does. Either join a party that is already aligned with sustainability topics or help your party get greener. (of course, some political spheres are just a lost cause… it’s then time to move on…). Under this item I am so pointing to the need to organize at all levels of society. If your city lacks decent cycling infrastructure, you might want to do something about it.
To conclude, these are my top six action list. I am sure I have missed some. What are yours ? How do YOU keep hope on the climate / sustainability issues ? I look forward to reading yours !
Image credits : Unsplash, Johannes Plenio.
