'Here's how we can tackle climate action, for the sake of our kids.'

I have a two-year-old son. By the time he is 18 and able to vote, earn money and hopefully sleep through the night, the year will be 2039. Scientists tell us that by then, just as my son is coming into his power, the window for taking real action on climate change will have closed. 

It won’t matter how much he worries about the state of the planet and cares to do something, a significant amount of climate change will be locked in and the action we take won’t have nearly as much impact as it can this decade. 

This was a terrifying realisation to have, but after sitting with that feeling for a while, I came to see the incredible power this moment holds. 

Right now, the outcome of the climate mess we are in is not decided. We are deciding it right now, with every action we take. 

Experts say we have seven years to drive down our emissions and there’s so much we can do. For World Environment Day, let’s look at some of the most meaningful ways we can show up for our kids in this moment.

1. Talk about climate change/action

We have all the science, solutions and technology we need to solve climate change. What we need now is for as many people as possible to take action. Talking about climate change with your family and friends can really help here. It normalises the conversation and when we share our stories about stepping into climate action, we invite others to do the same. 

Note: You don’t have to be a perfect bike-riding-veggie-burger-eating climate person to talk about climate change, and this isn’t about trying to convince your climate denying uncle that climate change is real – it’s about building popular support for more action at a community, corporate and political level.

Get started: Brush up on the basics and check out this Climate Conversation Guide for tips on how to talk about climate change at your next family BBQ.

2. Think about your consumer power 

While we vote on our political leadership every few years, we vote with our money every single day. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, it can be overwhelming to think about the sustainability factor of every purchase we make.

Instead, focus on those bigger slices of the money pie, like the car you drive, who you bank with and which superannuation fund you’re signed up to. These things have a direct link to the fossil fuel industry (most banks and super funds are huge lenders to coal and gas projects) and when you redirect your investments to more renewable options, you help dry up the pipeline sustaining fossil fuel production.

Get started: Check out whether your bank and super fund lends to fossil fuels via Market Forces.

3. Look around your home

Fossil fuel emissions are the main contributor to global warming, and the energy we use in our daily lives is the main source of our emissions. 

Australia is one of the highest emitting countries in the world per capita, so looking around your home and thinking about how you can reduce your energy use is one of the most important things you can do for climate change.

Switching energy providers or putting solar on your rooftop are great considerations to make. Good for both the planet and your wallet, it will also give you a positive climate story to talk about at that next family BBQ.

Get started: Check out your renewable options at home via the Clean Energy Council. If you rent or can't install solar panels on your roof, consider a plot in a Solar Garden.

Listen to the Mamamia Out Loud team talk about the bushfires and what to do with our anger over climate change below. Article continues after podcast. 

4. Join a group

When you see an exciting headline like the Victorian government putting an end to native logging or the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek blocking a coal mine, there’s a whole network of grassroots climate groups and First Nations leaders who have been working behind the scenes to help make this happen. 

These highly strategic and organised groups are making significant progress in addressing the climate crisis and each one of us can magnify this impact exponentially by joining in. 

There are so many worthy groups to support, so whether you’re into surfing, knitting, parenting, footy or farming, decide which group is the best fit for you and reach out to let them know how you can contribute. 

Get started: Check out this list of climate organisations doing amazing work via climate action grant funder Groundswell.

5. Fund climate action

Here’s a woeful statistic – less than 0.5 per cent of charitable giving in Australia currently goes towards addressing climate change. Given the scale of the climate crisis, this number needs to increase as quickly as possible. 

By donating to organisations at the forefront of the climate crisis, we can bolster their efforts and supercharge their campaign work at this most critical time. This is one of the most powerful ways to make a difference, particularly if you’re finding life too busy to carve out time to take in-person action. 

Watch Greta Thunberg's speech at COP24 below. Article continues after video. 

The best part is, small contributions add up and make a significant difference when combined with others' support.

Get started: Make a one-off donation to Groundswell for World Environment Day – 100 per cent of donations towards powering a wave of high-impact, strategic climate action around the country.
Like any successful social movement of the past, meaningful change happens off the back of millions of individual actions like the ones listed here. Like a giant see-saw, we all add our little bit of weight until eventually it tips. Together – and only together – can we turn things around on climate change, so let’s use this World Environment Day as a moment to step up into action.

Making a donation to Groundswell’s ‘Do it for the kids’ campaign gets you started straight away. Not only does taking action feel good (it really does) it inspires the people around you to step up too.

Jess Bineth is the head of communications at Groundswell, a charity that funds grassroots climate advocacy and works to accelerate climate action in Australia.  

Image: Supplied. 

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