If you care about our planet and climate change, and you want to make an impact, the number one thing you can do is convince other people to care too.
What Is The Global Tipping Point?
The Global Tipping Point of Climate Change is an increase in global average temperature of 1.5 deg C when compared with temperatures in 1880 (when we first began recording temperatures). As temperature increases across our planet, things begin happening that we no longer have control over. The arctic ice is melting as a result of global warming. Ice and snow are white, and they reflect the sunlight. Water is dark blue and absorbs more sunlight, warming as a result. Because of this, as this ice melts, the temperatures at the poles will continue to warm at faster and faster rates. Secondly, as this ancient ice melts, it reveals previously decaying plant and animal material. While this material was frozen, carbon remained locked within the ice. As this material thaws and continues to decay, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that speeds further global warming. Climate change also increases occurrences of drought. Drought can lead to massive wildfires. Wildfires release carbon dioxide previously stored within trees into the atmosphere, further speeding global warming. When we hit this temperature increase of 1.5 deg C, examples of these natural phenomenon will spin climate change out of our reach in ability to control it. According to the UN Report released in 2018, without acting, we will reach this Global Tipping Point within the next 10 years.
Phoenix from South Mountain - Mormon Trail
The Best Action You Can Take - Start Talking About Climate Change
But there’s good news. If globally we unite and reduce our human-influenced greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in the next three years, and then reduce them again by another 50% within the following ten years, we can avoid hitting this global tipping point.
This is no easy task. In fact, it’s incredibly difficult. But humans are caring, innovative, and motivated creatures. If we could land on the moon in 1969 because we put every effort we had into this one goal, we can do this too. But we need everyone on the planet to care, and quickly.
Lake Superior
The biggest hurdle out there is mis-information. Some people think the science behind climate change is questionable; it’s not. Some people think climate change won’t happen; it is happening. Some people care but think the challenge is too big; this is ridiculous. Our survival as a species depends on us solving this problem. “Impossible isn’t a word – it’s a reason not to try”- Kutless. We need to put our rally hats on. We need to unite behind this goal. The best way you can get people to care is to give them information about climate change from someone they trust – meaning You!
Glacier National Park - St. Mary Lake
Yes, I’m asking you to talk about climate change, every day, with lots of different people. I get it. This is scary. I should’ve started talking about this sooner too. I didn’t. I was worried about offending people with different beliefs. Well, your choices are potentially offending them or climate change spins out of our control and the continued existence of humans on Earth is in question. Pick potentially offending, please. But you’ll be surprised. When I talk with people, usually they just listen because they want to learn, and they care.
How To Talk About Climate Change
Climate change impacts us all, no matter your job title, economic status, or political views. Focus on what is similar between us, not what’s different. If you start a conversation by attacking political person, an industry, or an idea that is not shared, you won’t gain this person’s attention or trust. Whoever you are talking with has likely already been impacted by the changing climate, but maybe they haven’t realized it. Start with something you both care about, then link it back to climate change.
Arches National Park - Delicate Arch
Second, you don’t need to be a scientist to talk about climate change. You don’t need a 4-year degree. You don’t need to be an eloquent speaker. You do need to be passionate, and you will need a little information, so you feel comfortable talking about the basics. Read the following posts. Yes, they are a little long, but the information is presented in a way that you can absorb the information if you just give yourself some time. Read it in pieces when you aren’t busy with other priorities or distractions – maybe before you go to bed in the evening. Make a list of questions you still have. Ask people – this is also a great way to start a conversation.
If you would like to receive notification of future posts, please sign up below. I will not share your email address information with anyone.
Educate Yourself
It’s easiest to practice first talking about climate change with people that you already know have this on their mind too. Bring it up in a conversation with your friends. What are their thoughts? Do they ever talk about climate change? If neither of you currently do, work out a plan to try this together and hold each other accountable (and support each other in starting).
Next, just give it a try. You can talk about climate change with people you know well or complete strangers. I do both. Weather is an easy small talk conversation, and there’s an easy link between weather and climate change.
Start a conversation with something you have in common with this other person (or group of people) – children’s sports, vacation spots, something going on relate to weather, or maybe a current event. Listen to the person talk. In your response, connect it with climate. Here are some examples.
Judge Magney State Park
Example Conversation Starters
Example 1) You are at your child’s baseball game – Comment to the parent about how beautiful of a night it is. Reminisce about how nice it is to sit outside after such a brutal winter. Ask them how they handled the days of extreme cold during the polar vortex. Throw out a fact question to them. Do they know that polar vortex events may become more likely as a result of climate change due to temperature/ moisture instability at the poles as the ice melts? Most likely they will say “no” but you will have there attention now. Share a few thoughts with them about how the ice melting further speeds climate change because the sun’s reflections can’t bounce off dark blue water as it does from the white ice. Now you’ve just taught them something that they can easily understand and connected it to something they care about. You can go anywhere in the conversation that you want to now. You could ask if they’ve test driven an electric car (if that’s something you are interested). You could ask what their thoughts are on renewable energy and if they’ve considered installing solar panels on their home. You could talk about a particular politician who is proposing an idea to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or current news at the EPA of any de-regulation that will further speed climate change. Or you could talk about trees and how important they are as they remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ground. Or whatever other part of climate change that you feel comfortable sharing. Likely, they will think about the information you shared with them long after this conversation, because you are not a climate scientist, yet you are informed, you care, and you understand it enough to share a few thoughts. That allows this other person to also feel enabled to care, speak out and act. One conversation can go a long way.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone - a view that captured the hearts of Americans and started the world’s first National Park System. Find inspiration and let that embolden you to be brave a speak up.
Example 2) When another wildfire is burning and it’s playing on the tv where you are standing next to someone – Start with a general statement about how awful it is that the frequency and severity of wildfires has increased so much over the last few years. Ask if they know anyone impacted by this or previous wildfires, or if they ever worry themselves about wildfires. Let them answer. Then in reply to their thoughts, share how fires are increasing due to increased drought and droughts are increasing because of climate change. Share a fact with them that the wildfire itself is actually releasing carbon dioxide previously stored in the tree into the atmosphere, which is further speeding climate change. Most likely they haven’t thought about this. You can share with them that not all sources of greenhouse gas emission are man-related, so it’s even more important to control what we can (like car auto emissions for example). Ask them if they know that car fuel efficiency was set to go to 54 miles per gallon starting with 2022 car models but that this was frozen by the Trump Administration EPA at the current 37 miles per gallon requirements. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all paid less for gas? Another shared value. See where the conversation goes next.
Forget fuel efficiency completely and go electric instead. Test drive an electric car before you buy your next vehicle. Chances are you’ll love driving it!
Example 3) When it’s snowing in April and someone makes a joking comment that we can’t be having global warming because it’s snowing in April – don’t laugh. Smile politely and tell them in a non-looking-down-at-them way that “weather” is day to day difference, but “climate” is weather patterns over years. Call out the mis-information when you hear it. You can share with them that the planet gets its heat from the sun, which is constant, but how much heat the planet retains is what is changing. Share an experience of walking into a greenhouse gas on a cool summer morning and that the reason it’s warmer inside is that the glass is preventing the heat from escaping. Link that back to greenhouse gases retaining heat inside our planet. This might be obvious to you, but it isn’t obvious to everyone yet. We need it to be. Share the basic facts. People will listen because they do in fact care. And you explaining things to them is more powerful than any news story about climate change that they might hear
Becker Coal Power Plant
Take The Climate Change Challenge
Here’s your challenge for the week – Bring up climate change with 3 different people. You’ve got 7 days to work up to these conversations. If that goes well, try 3 the next week, and 3 the week after that. If it doesn’t go well, keep trying, and feel free to share your experiences. We are here to support each other. If in your conversations you find other people passionate about getting involved, invite them to this challenge as well.
If questions come up that you can’t find answers to, share them, and we can search for the answers together.
We’ve Got This!
Other Posts from Nature Impacts Us
What is the Environmental Protection Agency? Where did it come from and what does it do? Where is the EPA in the battle against climate change and what have the actions of the EPA been under the Trump Administration? How do we fight back? The time to learn and educate yourselves and others is now. Speak up and make a difference for the future lives of your children and grandchildren.