Taking Action


For those people looking for a short list of “What to Do,” I recommend Al Gore’s Live Earth pledge, with the exception of the problematic idea of “carbon offsetting.” If you would like to do a bit more soul-searching, read on.

I have not always been an activist, and it is not easy for me to approach people and ask them to consider changing their thinking and behavior. Click here for a story about how I got started.

Every day, I wish I knew what the best thing for me to do might be. But, fortunately or unfortunately, the question of what to do next can never have a single correct answer. I know that for myself I just need to keep taking steps, and keep thinking with others about how to have the most impact. In the hopes of inspiring anyone reading this, I am listing my action steps on this page. I will try to keep this list updated. Many more inspirations can be found on the Resources page, and a few more quoted below from some of the heroes of activism.

I encourage you to try something. Hope, like a bicycle, seems to keep its balance best with a little bit of forward motion. You can let me know what you are up to , and I will post your new, good ideas on this site’s Action Forum page.
Howard Zinn: “You ask how I manage to stay involved and remain seemingly happy and adjusted to this awful world where the efforts of caring people pale in comparison to those who have power? It’s easy.” (more)
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “No problem anywhere can ever again be considered to be intractable. There is hope for you too.”(more)
Albert Schweitzer: “A man who possesses a veneration of life will not simply say his prayers. He will throw himself into the battle to preserve life, if for no other reason than that he is himself an extension of life around him.”

 Thich Nhat Hanh: “When I was in Vietnam, so many of our villages were being bombed. Along with my monastic brothers and sisters, I had to decide what to do. Should we continue to practice in our monasteries, or should we leave the meditation halls in order to help the people who were suffering under the bombs? After careful reflection, we decided to do both—to go out and help people and to do so in mindfulness. We called it engaged Buddhism. Mindfulness must be engaged. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing?” (from Peace is Every Step)

 My action steps:

  • Keep on top of changing news about climate change, peak oil, related environmental, economic, and political issues, and learn about successful activism.
  • Talk to people widely about the global crisis and share ideas for action.
  • Create this website and let all my contacts know about it.
  • Cap my driving at 50 miles a week, average. (I am fortunate in that I don’t need to drive to get to work.)
  • Cap my flying time to ten hours in the air per year. This means I sometimes take a day off work so I can use the train to visit my parents 400 miles away. (A rough estimate of the greenhouse gas impact of  a mid-length airplane trip is that it is the same as if everyone in a full airplane drove the same distance, each in a separate car. A great link to learn about the impacts of air travel, and alternatives to it, is here.)
  • Tell all my friends about the lifestyle choices I am making.
  • Work with a local citizen’s group to get intelligent provisions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions into my city’s next General Plan.

Again, I want to know about your efforts. Let me know what you are up to , and I will post your new, good ideas on this site’s Action Forum page.

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