We all need to do our part to protect the climate any which way we can. You agree and you’d like to pitch in, but you don't know where to start? Well, Granny Trude has a few ideas for you.
My Dears,It’s the end of January already, but I want to wish you a Happy New Year all the same!
Did you make any resolutions for 2022? Good resolutions were writ large in my family at the turn of the year. But not the usual pledges to “exercise more”, “lose weight”, “eat healthier” and that sort of thing. Instead, we had heated discussions about climate change and what each of us can do to stop it. Towards the end we also talked about some slight cases of climate anxiety among family members.
That anxiety is quite justified. After all, the world’s problems are manifold, as are the proposed remedies, so you might end up doing nothing for the time being because you simply don’t know where to start. I asked myself, too: How can I help protect the climate? Or should I work on wildlife conservation, which has a lot to do with climate change? If you feel stymied by all the ideas being floated nowadays, then take advantage of the start of the new year to get off to a fresh start with your climate resolutions!
A shot in the arm or hands-on involvement?
Now, you may be very busy. Busy taking care of your families, with lots to do at work or at school, and you just don't know how to find the time to get personally involved. Well then, one viable solution for you might be to make a donation for others to work towards a goal that’s your goal, too. I don’t see anything wrong with that, on the contrary. After all, this is a way for you to contribute at the global – and not just local – level.Sure bets
You can find out on the Deutsches Zentralinstitut für Soziale Fragen (DZI) (German Central Institute for Social Issues) website which NGOs handle donations carefully and responsibly and, as a result, have the DZI seal of approval guaranteeing the highest standards of quality. Organizations have to operate efficiently, transparently and economically to earn DZI certification. Use keywords in the website’s search engine to pick a country you’d like your money to go to. Or enter a topical search term like “environment” or “climate”.Locally active
If you’d like to get actively involved instead of or in addition to making a donation, you’ll find it easier to pick an activity if you give the matter some thought beforehand:First of all: What do I want to change? What do I find most upsetting and where can I actually make a difference?
The following questions will also help you choose what kind of activity to get involved in: Do the people I’d be teaming up with think like me, are they kindred spirits? Are they roughly my age? That could prove an important factor when it comes to working together.
Secondly: Ask your friends and acquaintances whether there’s an association or citizens' initiative with the same goal in your neighbourhood. You could even start up your own citizens' initiative or a petition for a referendum if no one else has wholeheartedly taken up the issue. Then again, this is a more demanding undertaking. You can also start a local petition – though the powers that be are under no obligation to carry out the measures you’re calling for.
Find kindred spirits on social media
Whether your involvement is local or global, you’re bound to find folks with the same interests and goals on social media. This is where my grandson Michi and his girlfriend Helene, who happens to be an admirably committed environmental activist, have come in handy. Helene showed me all the people and institutions she follows on Instagram and the great stuff they post. Instagram is still new to me so you certainly know more about it than I do. But I’m wild about this simple and highly motivating form of communication. You can find oodles of inspiration there! I’ve come across plenty of well-crafted posts from which I learned a lot in no time. Because, to tell you the truth, even though I’m retired, I sometimes don't have the time or leisure to read lengthy newspaper articles or watch long documentaries. The brief texts, films, graphics and pictures on Instagram fill me in on what’s going on in a jiffy – and in an entertaining way. I’m probably not going to post anything myself, but now that I’ve set up a private account, I use it to keep abreast of things – I just have to be careful not to get lost in the Instagram jungle...Greenpeace, NABU Bundesverband, klima.neutral (my special recommendation!), GermanZero, the Umweltinstitut München, the BUND für Umwelt und Naturschutz and their youth organizations... and then there’s always the local groups’ accounts – so many exciting things going on! And you can always check to see which institutions follow which NGOs – this is a very practical tool and another source of inspiration, I think it’s great!
Climate anxiety
I’d like to talk a little about the aforementioned climate anxiety. The more you find out about what’s going on, and depending where, how and with whom you share news and views, the more understandable it is to fear the consequences of the climate crisis. It’s certainly understandable to me, at any rate, because I’m afraid too: after all, climate change is a very real threat. And yet, one advantage of fear is that (in the best-case scenario) you want to face it – actively and forcefully. Some people do the opposite, of course, and simply deny the climate crisis, for example. Others are paralysed with fear and feel by and large powerless.This is why I urge you to use your fear as I’ve used mine. That can be very productive. Our schoolchildren and college students have shown us with their Fridays for Future protests. Taking to the streets, demonstrating – that can (still) make a difference! Is it just my imagination or have a lot more people wised up to the problems of climate change than before the protests started? And it seems like many more young people are showing concern and getting involved themselves.
If I had my way
I wish we’d all stop putting our own interests first, that we’d all make the odd sacrifice and put the time, money and energy we’ve saved thereby into saving our planet. Each and every one of us is sure to find something we can do to protect the climate in 2022. Even if it’s “just” a donation to an NGO. I’ll keep sharing tips and suggestions here. I’ve already got a few more good ideas to share with you soon, so stay tuned! Meantime, stay healthy and look forward, as I sure do, to what the rest of 2022 has in store for us!Environmentally yours,
Trude
January 2022