All the resources you need to become a climate activist in 2021.

While COVID-19 has (rightfully) taken centre stage over the last year, it has in many ways drawn attention away from a much larger global crisis. In May 2020, the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere hit 417 million parts per million (ppm) — a record amount that the earth hasn’t seen in four million years. (To put it in context, the last time CO2 levels were this high, sea levels were an average 15 metres higher than they are today and summer temperatures in the Arctic were 14 degrees warmer.)

If we continue down the path we’re on today — a path that Martin Siegert, co-director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, calls “the worst-case scenario” — CO2 levels will be 800 ppm by the end of the century.

“We haven’t had that for 55 million years,” Siegert told the BBC in January. “There was no ice on the planet then and it was 12 degrees warmer.”

For most of us, that’s a little more information than we can deal with. When dealing with climate change, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with negative information — and yet, there are reasons for optimism. 

• In 2021, world leaders will meet for a follow-up to the historic conference in 2015 that brought forth the Paris Agreement;

• Renewable energies are now the cheapest form of electricity that has ever existed; 

• In the last two years, multiple countries (including China) have voluntarily stepped up to the plate to commit to going carbon neutral before 2060.

António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, believes that 2021 is a “crucial year in the fight against climate change.” And so do we. So, to prepare for Earth Day 2021, we’re sharing the top tools — including books, films, organizations, podcasts, and resources — we’ve used to overcome despair with hope, conquer fear with love, and replace overwhelm with action.

Listen

The Mothers of Invention podcast takes all of the tired storytelling you’ve heard about climate change and turns it on its head. Created by a former president, a writer and comedian, and a top producer, Mothers of Invention tackle climate issues with laughter, positivity, and a focus on the Black, brown, and Indigenous women who are innovating on the front lines of the climate movement. Hit subscribe: there’s three great seasons of content for you to sink into.

https://twitter.com/MothersInvent/status/1339200117132431364?s=20 

For those who want a more general and wide-reaching overview on the climate crisis, the Climate Conversations podcast by MIT offers just that. Care to learn about climate modelling? Plastics? How international climate deals are brokered? Climate Conversations is packed with rich knowledge featuring some of the world’s leading experts.

Read

If you like getting fresh news in your inbox each morning, Grist — a non-profit that tackles climate change with a “smart, funny, and green” approach — has several options for you. Their Beacon newsletter delivers a daily dose of good news; Ask Umbra serves as your weekly agony aunt column for climate change; and their Weekly or Daily digests serve up news at the frequency you’d like.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KBxn1ntnR/ 

Prefer a longer read? The Story of More, by Hope Jahren, explains just how we got here in a series of short, punchy chapters. After the brief — but thorough — explainer, the award-winning geobiologist and writer tackles how we can get ourselves out of this mess. Consider it your book club read for April.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjGDgJUjTDh/ 

If you’re more of a self-help reader than a science reader (*raises hand*), The Happy Hero by Solitaire Townsend is for you. Solitaire, the founder of Futerra — a sustainability consultancy and creative agency for brands — lays out the principles of “feeling good by doing good.” Whether “doing good” means enjoying Meatless Mondays, shopping zero waste, petitioning politicians, or cleaning up trash, this book will help you understand how doing good helps you, all with a refreshing dose of positivity and optimism.

Follow

https://twitter.com/bethsawin/status/1376900029168893956?s=20 

On Twitter, Dr. Elizabeth Sawin shines a light on dual-pronged solutions that help both climate and communities. The founder of Climate Interactive, her multi-solving models provide a positive way forward for people and the planet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9r1ZU_p77i/ 

More of a visual learner? In that case, Pattie Gonia is your new must-follow on Instagram — they’re a queer environmentalist building the conscious environmental community you didn’t know you needed. Follow for environmental stats, advocacy tips, and endless feel-good vibes.

Play

The best way we’ve found to shake off stress and overwhelm has been through play, and Net Zero Game 2050 lets players do just that — while learning about how to transition to a carbon-neutral economy. It’s like Monopoly, but with a sense of purpose.

https://twitter.com/NetZeroGame/status/1375764607311155202?s=20 

It’s not on the market yet, but over the next few months, we’ll also be keeping an eye out for Climate Crisis — a board game set to be released by Matt Leacock, who turned COVID-19 into a global learning opportunity with his best-selling Pandemic board game.

Download

They say you can’t know something until you measure it, and the Joro app does just that. By linking your debit and credit cards to the app, Joro automatically lets you know just how much of a carbon impact your purchases are having — and then helps you take proactive action to lower that impact. 

© Angela Wallace Impact Agency

Authored by content co-conspirator Kenza Moller: professional story-telling for impact-oriented companies, agencies and thought leaders.