#drawdown

Basically just read a post that was "I'm not trying to be alarmist but- *spends seven paragraphs about how climate change is inevitable, we will never possibly recover from it, it's not global warming anymore its global "boiling", none of the damage can ever be undone and we're all going to be dead in the next five generations*" and I'm trying.. very hard not to spiral from it.

Sorry for bothering you 🙏

The "climate crisis" "climate change" and "climate hope" tags should do the trick.

Of those, "climate change" is the one that has the most content by far, just because the others are more narrow and "climate hope" is a much more recent term, so to speak, because I keep forgetting about it lol

I don't post anything that's not good news, so you can go through the general "climate change" tag without fear

Also, while I'm at it, that person is wrong. For a lot of reasons, including that we're actively fixing a lot of damage to ecosystems literally right now. And also also, GLOBAL WARMING WILL BE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT REVERSIBLE

Why? Well, the rise in average global temperatures is caused by excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we keep fixing the planet, restoring ecosystems, and stop burning fossil fuels, nature will siphon more and more of the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

And if there's less carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gasses) in the atmosphere, then more heat can once again escape the planet and radiate out into space

Will this be easy? Probably not! This planet's natural systems are incomprehensibly complicated - but that also means there are solutions out there that we haven't even discovered. There are some additional problems to overcome, like the fact that the oceans will be surfacing excess heat for a few decades after we stop CO2 emissions, and also "natural gas" and "carbon capture" are fake solutions/oil company traps.

But we can do it. I so, so, so sincerely believe that.

One term that I think we'll be seeing more and more of in the coming years is "Drawdown": "Climate drawdown refers to the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline.[1] Drawdown is a milestone in reversing climate change and eventually reducing global average temperatures." (from wikipedia)

We can achieve drawdown. Will life in the future look very different? Yes, in both good and bad ways.

Climate change is the earth's "feedback" to humanity: "Fix your shit or die."

People are, in general, really, really, really committed to finding ways not to die.

I genuinely believe the rest of us can overcome the few dozen billionaires trying to screw the rest of us over. Money is powerful, but the remaining 7 billion plus people on this planet are more so. And the fortunes of billlionaires are made off the backs of the rest of us - which means we can make those fortunes run dry.

Sources for this answer (warning, these talk about the negative side of things a lot too, they're not the uplifting reads themselves. that's next): x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x

Everyone has done it: bought a bunch of produce at the grocery store with good intentions, and fished the unused remains out of the crisper two weeks later. Most people have the right idea but have difficulty utilizing all the fruits and vegetables they buy. In fact, According to Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, over a third of food produced is wasted, and the vast majority of that happens at the consumer level. This does not mean that people should stop buying fresh fruits and vegetables, it just means they should buy and use them smarter, for the planet as well as their wallet.

Good for the long-haul

·       Potatoes: store in a dry, dark area

·       Carrots and celery: can last in the fridge for weeks or months, great for snacks or in soups

·       Canned or frozen vegetables: consider buying low sodium

·       Cabbage (red or green): as long as it’s whole, can stay fresh for two weeks to two months

Reinvent your leftovers

·       Mashed potatoes: mix into corn chowder, potato, or squash soup for a low-fat thickener

·       Brussels sprouts: make leftover brussels sprouts into a breakfast hash with onions and sweet potatoes

·       Rice: use it to make fried rice or warm it in a pan with vegetables and protein of your choice for an easy burrito filling

Use every part

·       Collect onion skins and make them into a broth

·       Use greens from the tops of root vegetables (such as carrots, radishes, and turnips) or extra fresh herbs to make a salad

·       Bake apple peels at a low heat (tossed with a sprinkle of cinnamon and lemon juice) for homemade fruit leather

·       Save stale bread and heels for making homemade French toast, breadcrumbs, and croutons

Don’t waste it

·       Freeze spinach if it’s beginning to wilt and blend into smoothies

·       Freeze berries before they get moldy (great for smoothies, overnight oats, or to put on ice cream)

·       Use brown bananas for banana bread or “nice” cream, an easy and healthy treat

Swiss army foods

·       Kale can be used in a salad, made into low-calorie kale chips, or added to soups like minestrone (try rolling it between your hands to decrease bitterness)

·       Bell peppers are a colorful ingredient suitable for stir fry, fajitas, or even sliced up as a snack

Annnnd now we have to see Lisa with someone new?!?! I already dislike this dude. Gross.

“Girls’ education, as it turns out, has a dramatic bearing on global warming. Women with more years of education have fewer, healthier children and actively manage their reproductive health.”

- Paul Hawken, Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming

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This book, a collaboration between many climate change and environmental experts and economists, profiles the 100 best solutions to climate change and ranks them from most impactful to least.

Educating girls is #6.

Family planning is #7.

This Earth Day, let us remind ourselves that women’s equality is not a nice-to-have. For more information on the project, I encourage you to visit Drawdown.org

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Sure, staring down an extinction event in progress can be overwhelming, but….well, when in doubt, go to the library. 

These are layman-friendly books that focus on immediate and actionable responses to climate change that you can use in your own life or lobby your community, government, or school to adopt. They don’t pretend that it’s easy, but they make the case that change is feasible.