How To Be A Climate Hero: The Series
What our world needs now? You. Me. Everyday heroes. Let's go!
It was a cry for help — masked as a lighthearted question for the mom chat group.
“Does anyone have a favorite place to buy little kids socks and underwear? Last-minute back-to-school shopping … I’m stumped.”
‘Stumped’ didn’t even begin to describe how I was feeling. Somehow — amid smoke-filled dog days of summer during Canada’s worst-ever fire season — I had convinced myself that I had to do something. I had to change. I had to live more sustainably, ASAP.
Cue endless Google searches.
“Which clothing materials are better for the environment? Cotton, organic cotton, bamboo cotton or tencel?”
“Are old [clothes/markers/photos/toys/literally any piece of junk cluttering our living room] recyclable?”
“Where can I find zero-waste grocery delivery?”
That particular morning, I had spent hours searching the internet for a local (or not clear across the globe) place to buy organic socks and underwear for my littles. When I finally found something that checked most of my boxes, and added just a couple of pairs each to my shopping cart, the order total sent my jaw to the floor.
Delete, delete, delete. I quit!
One year later, I wish I could go back and give myself a big hug — and a piece of intel.
Obsessively reducing one family’s so-called carbon footprint does not a hero make. Instead of empowering us, it saps our energy. And it distracts us from focusing on the primary cause of climate change (burning fossil fuels) and real, systemic solutions.
The revolution won’t happen by people staying home and being good. — Rebecca Solnit
We Could Be Heroes
When, out of pure exhaustion, I finally put down my sustainable-organic-everything quest, I actually freed up space to discover my real super powers:
Learning the facts about why our climate is changing
Developing my own opinions about the emerging solutions
Finding outlets for political action
Our children will spend their entire lifetimes dealing with the intensified effects of climate change. As we age, we will become more vulnerable to extreme weather events, too. We cannot afford to sit quietly by, simply hoping our leaders are keeping our family’s best interests in mind.
In many cases, they are not.
So, Let’s Be Heroes
I know I’m not the only beleaguered parent or caregiver here, wondering what they can actually do about climate change with their limited capacity. There seem to be few starter guides available for us, so let’s fill the gap!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore …
Easy ways to boost our climate knowledge without losing our minds
Ways we can start taking action — with our existing skills and limited capacity
And more!
I’ll share what I’ve been learning first-hand through trial and error, and I’ll gather insights from more seasoned Climate Heroes, too.
If you’re excited to get started, let me know. Give this post a like. Forward it to friends who’d make excellent Climate Heroes, too. Hit reply and let me know what else you need to get active on climate change.
Together, I know we can make a difference.
Step 1:
I am SO excited for this series!
Oh, I'm SO happy to hear that!!! Thanks for being here and coming along! 💚