A New Year, A New Hope for Climate Action

By Hillary V.

A new year usually brings hope of opportunity and change. However, especially this year, it is difficult to muster hope when facing the massive challenge of combating global warming. But we have never been better positioned to tackle this monumental challenge. Global movements, led principally by incredibly inspiring youth groups, are demanding climate change and placing the issue at the top of political and corporate agendas alike. 

On the political side, we should celebrate electing officials at all levels of government who acknowledge the climate crisis and have made meaningful promises to take real action.¹ Electing these officials is just a beginning. We must collectively keep up the pressure! See our previous post on how to talk to elected officials about climate change. Remember, all Congress-people and many state and local officials are up for election every two years. This means they must start campaigning virtually the minute they get elected. Never let them forget that you are paying attention and that their next election is at stake. We need to act fast to correct the course on climate change, so let’s use this two year election cycle to our advantage. This is one of the rare governmental mechanisms that can be susceptible to rapid social change. 

On the corporate side, at the very least, corporate leaders have begun to understand that consumers are demanding more sustainable good and climate-friendly practices. But we cannot be content, as a society of consumers, to pat ourselves on the back for promises and hope that corporations choose to do the right thing. We must demand that corporations who make promises of net zero carbon emissions or internal recycling commitments stick to those promises. If they do not, we can vote with our dollar and go elsewhere.

As a consumer, I am in a constant state of learning, confusion, and doubt concerning my buying practices.  With that in mind, I want to encourage you as the reader to simply do your best and consistently evaluate the impact that your spending has on the environment. You don’t have to wade through corporate relations documentation and track federal waste management regulations to stay engaged in this conversation. 

I encourage you to just do your best each day to ask the following one question about the products you are buying – What is the real cost of the product?  It’s 2021 and humanity has developed breathtaking technology and processes that have brought a mind-boggling collective of consumer products to consumers at every income-level.  Yes, you can afford a new pair of headphones for $50.00, but does that $50.00 internalize the entire cost of the product?  Does it include the full cost of shipping? Likely it does not, simply because we have decided as a society to defer the cost of climate change. Yes, we pay for gas, but we defer the cost of temperature rise due to emissions. Yes, we pay for material and production costs, but do you sincerely believe that we have correctly evaluated the lasting impact that the packaging will have in the landfill? None of us are perfect, and some days convenience will win out, but I encourage you to start making it a habit to ask yourself about the true cost of a product before you purchase. 

We must not let up hope or momentum. We are just getting started.

Actionable Tip: See our Sustainable Spotlight section for Companies we believe are making real, tangible commitments to a better planet. Please note we do not get paid for any of our endorsements.

1-I define a “meaningful promise” as one that is backed by research and contains a path to a solution on a realistic and effective timeline