Today is an important day for the world. No it’s not a holiday or an election. It’s Blog Action Day, a day where thousands of people across the world unite to pursue one common goal—to increase awareness about climate change. And it’s all possible because of the growing power of blogs and online social networks. There is something really inspiring about the fact that people from all walks of life are taking time out of their day to spread awareness and promote discussion on climate change. It’s even cooler that such action is being led by everyday individuals, not just journalists, lobbyists and the like. It shows the real desire that citizens of the world have for effective energy policies to be implemented to help solve the global climate crisis.
Comprehensive multilateral climate policy is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle, but we as citizens of the world also have an important responsibility. While it’s awesome that Blog Action Day has generated such a powerful online campaign to call attention to climate change, it’s important to translate this powerful online force into real OFFLINE ACTION. We must take what we learn from bloggers on this day and implement it into our lives if we want to see real change happen. We must each make changes in our everyday lives to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we emit. According to the EPA, an average person in the United States emits about 6.6 tons of greenhouse gases each year. Just think…if everyone participating in Blog Action Day made a few small changes to lower their greenhouse gases, together we could make a big difference!
Now that you are inspired, I bet you are asking “So how do I really do it?” For starters, you can calculate the approximate amount of greenhouse gases you or your family emits by using the EPA’s Personal Emissions Calculator. It only takes about 10 minutes to complete and it gives you 30 action steps that you can use to save both the environment and energy.
If you want to do even more to help the environment, look to some of our Youth Venture teams for inspiration. These teams add their own spin on promoting awareness about climate change and empowering individuals to protect the environment.
- Climate Action Club aims to make climate change the defining issue of the rising generation. The club raises awareness about global warming by holding merchants meetings, distributing reusable bags, holding recycling drives and leading community education campaigns. One of Climate Action Clubs many accomplishments includes raising thousands of dollars to produce eco-friendly bags and collaborating with local businesses in Maine to distribute the bags.
Green Teens USA
aims to spread environmental awareness by educating others to make simple, positive lifestyle changes. Since the Youth Venture team launched in 2007, Green Teens USA has developed some really successful projects in their Northeastern Connecticut community. From planning events where they distribute canvas bags and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to giving environmental presentations, Green Teens is helping others make small changes to help the environment. The team’s most recent endeavor the Compost Caf. Project is designed to turn to their local high school’s cafeteria waste into a compost production center.- Project TGIF
Turning Grease into Fuel, aims to provide a long term solution to help heat the homes of disadvantaged families by recycling used cooking oil into biodiesel. The project will generate 30,000 to 150,000 gallons of bioheat – enough for 15 to 75 homes. Each gallon will also help cut 20 pounds of carbon dioxide released into the air. - Live Green Learn Green aims to reduce the living costs for low-income families by providing them with Green Kits that contain energy efficient materials to install in their homes, saving both money and energy. The team raises money for the Green Kits by providing babysitting and tutoring services to families. The money earned is then donated to Live Green Learn Green and in turn the babysitters and tutors receive community service hours. To learn more about the Youth Venture team Live Green Learn Green, watch their video.
Climate change is an issue that affects us all in some capacity. Whether we are students, doctors, teachers, farmers, entrepreneurs or lawyers, we all have a stake in the well-being of our environment. Everyone across the world can come together on the issue of climate change. Together, we have the power to make a difference. We are all pursuing our own unique interests, dreams and passions, but we also all have a common vision for the world-- to make a difference and leave the world in better shape than when we came. We expect better, let’s make a difference and unite on climate change.
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