To build agency for something that can feel as daunting as climate change, focus first on the facts. In the case of climate change: Greenhouse gas emissions cause the most harm, and people can help far more than they realize.1) IntentionalityDeciding to act with purpose—knowing what you intend to do–is far more effective than thinking “My heart’s in the right place, I just have to find the time.”
In the big picture, one’s highest climate efficacy is in participating in larger efforts to stop fossil fuel use. People can set specific ambitious goals for reducing personal and household energy use and join others in collective actions.Knowing your goals, you canand develop an action plan. Some plans support relatively simple goals involving individual lifestyle changes, such as adjusting consumption and travel patterns.
It’s difficult to imagine a greater need for lifelong learning than as we navigate decades of climate change, its many harms and efforts by fossil fuel companies to obscure the facts. Reflection – or, more precisely, keeping up with the latest science, learning and adapting – is vital as the future keeps presenting new challenges.