7 Organizations Helping People Understand And Take Action On Climate Change
Climate change is a massive threat to all living things on Earth. The only way to combat the effects of this devastating phenomenon is to make significant changes to the way we consume energy on a large scale. Luckily, there are a number of organizations like the ones listed here that spread information about these issues and advocate for action, leading the way to a more sustainable world. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Groups Working To Mitigate The Effects Of Climate Change
| Name | Headquarters Location | Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Innovation | San Francisco, CA | Accelerate clean energy by supporting the policies that most effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions |
| Center for Climate and Security | Washington, DC | Explore and highlight the security risks of climate change, at the sub-national, national, regional, and international levels, and offer solutions for mitigating and adapting to those risks |
| Climate Change Solutions | Coventry, UK | Promote sustainable local and global climate change solutions, and generate and support initiatives contributing towards achieving a low carbon economy and clean technology future |
| FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures | New York, NY | Develop voluntary, consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures for use by companies in providing information to investors, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders |
| Our Children's Trust | Eugene, OR | Provide strategic, campaign-based legal services to youth from diverse backgrounds to secure their legal rights to a safe climate |
| Sabin Center for Climate Change Law | New York, NY | Develop legal techniques to fight climate change, train law students and lawyers in their use, and provide the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation |
| Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation | Waterloo, ON | Help homeowners, communities, governments, and businesses to identify, and reduce, risks associated with climate change and extreme weather events, such as flooding |
5 Human Impacts on the Environment
The Rise Of Global Temperature
According to data from NASA
| Year | Annual Average Anomaly |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.73°C |
| 2011 | 0.61°C |
| 2012 | 0.65°C |
| 2013 | 0.69°C |
| 2014 | 0.75°C |
| 2015 | 0.90°C |
| 2016 | 1.02°C |
| 2017 | 0.93°C |
| 2018 | 0.85°C |
Products To Help You Go Green
If you're interested in the environment, you probably know that changing consumer habits is an important part of the fight against climate change. If you want to help save the planet, getting some of these eco-friendly products is a good place to start:
- A set of reusable grocery bags
- Stainless steel straws to replace disposable plastics
- A portable greenhouse where you can grow your own food
- Silicone food bags for taking healthy snacks on-the-go
- A vegan cookbook to help you cut back on meat
- Solar toys that will entertain your kids without using fossil fuels
- Some beeswax wraps, a waste-free way to keep food fresh
- A reusable water bottle
Greta Thunberg At The Climate Action Summit 2019
8 Great Documentaries About Climate Change
- An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
- The 11th Hour (2007)
- Chasing Ice (2012)
- Cowspiracy (2014)
- GasLand (2010)
- Vanishing of the Bees (2009)
- Food, Inc. (2008)
- Chasing Coral (2017)
Why Some People Don't Believe In Climate Science
In Depth
Understanding climate change, and working to mitigate its impacts, requires knowledge of the interactions between several extremely complex systems. The environment, the economy, and the governments of the world are deeply interconnected, and taking effective action to protect humanity and the global ecosystem requires grappling with all three. Presented here, in no particular order, are seven groups that provide assistance to those navigating the legal, political, and financial obstacles to climate reform.
Starting us off at #1 is Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan firm which provides research and analysis about climate change, to enable informed decisions by policy makers. They aim to offer support for approaches that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, using tools like their Energy Policy Simulator to model the impacts of government actions and regulations. Using this information, in conjunction with the recommendations of scientists, economists, and other experts, they advocate for changes to cut down on fossil fuels and avoid catastrophic climate effects.
Energy Innovation works to promote the transition of electricity infrastructure to run on renewables, outlining the necessary changes to power markets, utility business models, and transmission frameworks. They also push for new visions of urban design, offering models for building sustainable cities from the ground up. Through informational reports, policy briefs, and articles, they seek to provide a comprehensive picture of a sustainable economy, as well as specific strategies to make that vision a reality.
Through informational reports, policy briefs, and articles, they seek to provide a comprehensive picture of a sustainable economy, as well as specific strategies to make that vision a reality.
Following up at #2 is the Center for Climate and Security, an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks, with a focus on the hazards posed by the ongoing disruptions to Earth's natural systems. This think tank highlights threats to national and international stability, such as mass migrations driven by drought, or widespread loss of life and infrastructure from uncontrolled wildfires. They push for policy makers to recognize climate change as a pressing security issue and take action to address it.
Through in-depth reports on topics such as the potential for climate change to exacerbate nuclear risks, or the effect of rising sea levels on military functioning, CCS seeks to provide a non-partisan rationale for working to reduce environmental disruption. They administer the International Military Council on Climate and Security, a collaboration of leaders and experts with experience related to the armed services, who are concerned about the geopolitical hazards of a changing planet. They also offer numerous informational resources and policy recommendations for those interested in learning more.
Coming in at #3 is Climate Change Solutions, a not for profit company working to promote adoption of low carbon technologies, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment. Their primary focus is on the use of hydrogen-based fuel cells; the organization raises awareness of their applications in buildings, transportation and energy storage.
Their primary focus is on the use of hydrogen-based fuel cells; the organization raises awareness of their applications in buildings, transportation and energy storage.
Climate Change Solutions organizes conferences for innovators, organizers, and industry leaders in the field of hydrogen power, providing opportunities for networking and forming partnerships to advance alternative energy. Attendees can view presentations on crucial topics related to the transition away from a carbon economy, such as discussions of practical applications for the fuel-cell paradigm, or overviews of new technological developments. The company also shares news with the public about hydrogen technology and renewable energy.
Entry #4 is the FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. This industry-led initiative, developed by the international Financial Stability Board, develops recommendations for companies to voluntarily release information regarding sustainability impacts, transition planning, and risks from the effects of climate change. By enabling investors to better understand firms' exposure to hazards, and the effects of corporate operations on environmental health, the TCFD hopes to empower them to make decisions that will be both fiscally and ecologically responsible.
As part of its mission to convince business leaders of the value of transparency on environmental matters, the TCFD organizes events like their New York conference on climate scenario analysis, or their convention in Tokyo for corporations seeking to understand their recommendations. They also provide educational videos, online courses, case studies, and other informational resources to help companies learn about and implement the Task Force's advice. The TCFD welcomes support from organizations of all kinds.
As part of its mission to convince business leaders of the value of transparency on environmental matters, the TCFD organizes events like their New York conference on climate scenario analysis, or their convention in Tokyo for corporations seeking to understand their recommendations.
#5 on the list is Our Children's Trust, a non-profit public interest law firm assisting young people from diverse backgrounds in securing a legal right to climate security. They work to make the case that the United States government, by failing to take action to limit greenhouse emissions, is violating the constitutional protections owed to future generations of citizens. By bringing suits in state and federal courts, seeking damages for harms resulting from climate change, they hope to establish a legal precedent that will compel reform.
Our Children's Trust has championed the landmark Juliana versus the United States lawsuit, brought by several young members of the conservation group Earth Guardians, as well as legal cases or petitions for meaningful climate action in states around the country. They also work with international partners seeking to take action in their home countries. The group shares informational resources that outline their work, relevant case law, and environmental science. Those wishing to help the Trust can make a financial contribution, or start a local chapter of the YouCAN grassroots organization.
Up next at #6 we have the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, which develops legal techniques to fight carbon pollution, trains students and lawyers in their use, and works to inform the public about key developments in this area. A division of Columbia University, the Sabin Center engages in efforts like the Cities Climate Law Initiative, which provides resources to municipalities working toward sustainability, or their work defending renewable energy supporters who face legal opposition to low-carbon infrastructure development.
A division of Columbia University, the Sabin Center engages in efforts like the Cities Climate Law Initiative, which provides resources to municipalities working toward sustainability, or their work defending renewable energy supporters who face legal opposition to low-carbon infrastructure development.
A key component of the Sabin Center's mission is assessing the existing legal frameworks for addressing climate issues, such as environmental impact assessments, and pushing for reforms where current policies are inadequate. With tools like the Silencing Science Tracker, they monitor and report on efforts by governments to roll back ecological protections, or to evade accountability for pollution. They also maintain resources such as databases of climate change laws and litigation around the world. Supporters can donate to help fund the Center's work.
We'll finish with #7, the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, an applied research center located within the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Environment. With a focus on enabling Canada's citizens to adjust in the face of changing weather patterns, this institution studies issues such as preparing communities for flooding, or the health and economic impacts of natural disasters. Funded by the Intact Financial Corporation, a major insurance provider, it aims to find solutions to the threats posed by the ongoing changes to global climate.
The Intact Centre operates a number of initiatives to mitigate climate risk for individuals, governments, and businesses. Examples include training courses on protecting homes from flooding, or the Corporate-Specific Adaptation Program to prepare industries for extreme weather events. They also raise awareness through speaking engagements for corporations and public officials, and provide reports outlining practical strategies, and governmental policy proposals, for increasing resilience to natural disasters.
