By Leila Waid.
During a presidential election cycle, it may feel like national-level politics will make or break the societal issues you care the most about for the next four years – or even beyond. Environmental justice and climate change have always been politically charged topics, so it’s no wonder that during this election cycle, people felt a lot of climate anxiety. In fact, climate anxiety among youth is on the rise, according to the World Economic Forum. The uncertainty, fear, and anxiety that individuals feel about what the future will entail is understandable, given the stark warnings that climate scientists have provided. For example, the IPCC states that “Today, our chances of limiting warming to 1.5 °C are hanging on a very slender thread. The recent UNEP Gap Report concluded that global emissions would need to fall by 7.5 percent per year through to 2035 to return us to a 1.5 °C pathway.”
When the national tides turn against climate action, it can feel overwhelming. However, it’s essential to not let yourself become so anxious and worried about the future that you become immobilized from acting now. One of the best ways to deal with large-scale political setbacks is to realize that actions don’t need to be grand – you can be just as impactful at the local level. Utilizing grassroots organizing to spur community action and increase community resilience is one of the best ways to get involved in climate action.
So, what do grassroots climate action activities look like around the country and beyond? In LA, an organization called Crop Swap works directly with families and communities to take spacious and empty green lawns and turn them into micro-farms. Their approach helps feed dozens of local families, uses solar power, and provides significantly less water than traditional farms. Microfarming can be a great climate adaptation technique for drought-prone areas.
Decarbonization is another area of focus for community action. Many cities, such as New York, Toronto, and Oslo, have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions by eighty-five to a hundred percent. The governing bodies in these cities are planning to achieve these goals by switching fully to renewable energy, improving the efficiency of old buildings, promoting electric vehicle transition, and investing in public transport. Some ways to get involved with local decarbonization policies is to be educated on where your city or town stands regarding net neutrality commitments, getting involved in local politics, and advocating for decarbonization action with your local representatives.
Another community action that can be taken is “community healing.” An article by Maldonaldo et al. describes how Indigenous communities utilize cultural practices, such as “spiritual connection” to the land, as a way to cope with climate stressors, such as relocation. As the authors mention, even in situations where relocation becomes imperative, “it is critical to support communities in continuing their cultures, traditions, and practices in new places.”
Even in times of great political uncertainty, we are not powerless. As long as we invest in our communities, build up each other’s strengths, and invest in each other, we can adapt and mitigate the changing climate. To quote climate activist Thelma Young Lutunatabua, “The question shouldn’t be will my actions be enough? But will our actions be enough? This is a communal quest.”