Did you strike last Friday? The whole Pela crew went to the strike in Kelowna. It was amazing to see everyone marching together. There were some amazing signs and the energy was electric.
If you missed the Climate Strike last Friday, there's another one coming up THIS Friday! You can find a strike near you at globalclimatestrike.net.
Now, I know it's not feasible for everyone to attend, so here are a few ways you can participate even if you can't go.
- Wear a button, t-shirt, or have a small sign at your desk to show solidarity. Hopefully, it will start a good conversation!
- Share about the strike on social media and encourage your friends, family, and followers to join the strike!
- Comment, share, and like the posts, you see from others posting about the strike on social media.
Even if you did participate in the strike you might be asking yourself, what comes next?
How do we harness all of this energy that's out there and use it to make long-lasting change? I've rounded up seven ways to continue to spread the sustainability message even further!
1. make sure you're registered to vote:
Are you registered to vote? If not, fix it! Then ask ALL your friends and family if they're registered to vote. It's time to elect politicians who will take the climate crisis seriously.
2. donate:
Here are several of the organizations I support, that you might want to consider supporting and donating to as well.
- Drawdown
- Earth Justice
- Rainforest Alliance
- Sierra Club
- World Wildlife Foundation
- Oceana
- Environmental Defense Fund
3. join your local Citizens Climate Lobby:
The Citizens Climate Lobby is a great organization that will put you in touch with your legislators. They will help you successfully advocate for a carbon tax, and equip you with the tools to be a more active citizen.
4. check your investments:
You often hear the term vote with your dollars. And, while it absolutely applies to the purchases you're making, have you thought about what your bank does with your money? Anything from CDs to savings accounts, they invest your money. They give people and businesses loans with that money.
And, they might be funding some things you don't agree with like tar sands pipelines, drilling in the arctic, etc. Get a full guide on divesting from the fossil fuel industry.
5. email your reps:
When is the last time you emailed your reps? If you're looking for an easy way to make your voice heard, then look no further!
Take a look at your local Sierra Club Chapter and find the section where they have bills currently in your legislature. Here's California's page.
Everything is easy to read, they tell you which bills to support/oppose so all you have to do is copy the bill number into an email or fax to your representative. Make a monthly practice of this!
6. ditch single-use plastics:
You already know you should be doing this, right? I've got a great guide for you on 7 easy ways to ditch single-use plastics. It's the perfect place to get started.
7. eat plant-based:
We've talked extensively about the benefits of eating a plant-based diet on the Pela Blog. A plant-based diet means little to no animal products so you want the majority of your plate to be made up of plants - sounds easy, right?
This type of diet uses far fewer resources, and is very healthy! If you're looking for meal inspiration be sure to check out our plant-based cooking show Cookin' and Compostin'!
For more ways to lower your carbon footprint be sure to check out this blog post 5 Tips for Lowering Your Carbon Footprint.
