Blog Action Day - What Can One Individual Do To Address Climate Change Take Action! - Kathy Caprino

Blog Action Day - What Can One Individual Do To Address Climate Change Take Action! As with any major shift occurring in the world, one person can’t turn it around all by him/herself. But each of us can have a direct and significant impact, and that impact reverberates and spreads. Blog Action Day ’09 asks us to take responsibility today, speak up, and spark a global discussion on climate change. Join the discussion â€" add your voice!   Clearly, we are accountable for how we live our lives, for what we model for others and our children. We are responsible for the core messages we send to our family, our community, and the world about what we value, support, and wish to protect and nurture.   How each of us addresses this climate crisis is very similar to the ways in which we handle our own personal crises.   What’s the best way to deal with any crisis?   1. Get out of denial â€" Admit we have a serious crisis on our hands, and take concrete action to address it.   2. Get accountable â€" Take responsibility for your own actions and do what you can.   3. Treasure the good â€" Know what makes life worth living, and value and protect it.   4. Plan for the future â€" Understand yourself, your goals,  and the far-reaching implications of your actions. Think about the future and what you want to build and leave behind, not just of the present.   5. Commit to being the change you want to see â€" Step up, and realize that even one new promise or decisive action can create a shift and make all the difference.   In my family of four (with two school-aged children), we focus on doing what we can to contribute to slowing climate change. We use less energy, and cut down on waste. We turn off lights, appliances, and computers that aren’t in use. We’ve reduced our driving, and commit to carpooling wherever possible. We recycle, use energy efficient appliances, support locally grown food, keep the temperature in our house a few degrees lower, properly insulate our home and heater, and take shorter showers and fewer baths.   Another way we contribute to facilitating positive change is by supporting political candidates who care deeply about this issue, and who are 100% committed to enacting policies, laws, and endeavors that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most importantly, we discuss the issue openly with our children and explore what new things they and their generation can do to help.   I hope people will continue to find their own ways to create breakthrough in how they address this serious crisis. In dealing with climate change, as in handling our personal crises, failing to understand that we’ve co-created the problem and need to shift our behavior, is simply playing the victim. That type of thinking, as we’ve learned, will never get us where we need and want to go.   For me, participating in this action day has spurred me to step up my commitment (for one, I will stop using plastic bags for grocery shopping, starting today).   What one step can you take today to step up your commitment?   Thank you for sharing your voice and participating.   Wishing our world many powerful breakthroughs.