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Planet Now
Blog on Effective Environmental Communication
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Most of us have a lot of responsibilities in life, and it can be tough to commit to lifestyle changes to protect the environment. However, you should make the point to take each of the following actions at least one time. These actions could be more fun and less challenging than they may appear! 1. Read a book about the environment. Books can help people better understand and discuss complex environmental topics. Also, reading about the beauty of the environment could inspire action to protect it. One book that shares stories of hope for solving climate change is All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson edited this book. See this list for more books about climate change. 2. Compost food waste at home. The USDA’s Economic Research Service found that Americans waste about 31% of the food they buy. Uneaten food contributes to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases in landfills. To reduce food in landfills, people can compost by first collecting food scraps in small bins. They should avoid collecting meat and dairy. Then they can add the scraps to backyard compost bins or bring them to drop-off sites, such as community gardens. The scraps will break down into fertilizer that can improve soil and grow more food. 3. Join an environmental organization. People can join environmental organizations to contribute to larger efforts to reduce climate change. Through these organizations, people might install solar panels in communities or collect signatures on petitions for climate policies. Participating in environmental organizations can remind people that they are not alone in attempting to slow climate change. Some organizations, like the Sierra Club and the Sunrise Movement, are national organizations with local chapters. Some examples of regional organizations in North Carolina are Appalachian Voices and Save Our Sandhills. College students may have several options of environmental organizations they can join through their schools. For example, at UNC-Chapel Hill, I lead an organization called United Solar Initiative. It teaches students about solar energy and reduces climate change by adding solar panels to homes in the community. 4. Attend an environmental protest. Protests with clear purposes can encourage politicians to pass climate policies or can inspire more people to call for action to protect the environment. Climate activist Greta Thunberg is known for encouraging students to skip school on Fridays in protest of a lack of international action to prevent climate change. Her protests have been effective at inspiring millions of students around the world to advocate for slowing climate change, although Thunberg said in November 2021 that international leaders have failed to take meaningful action to prevent climate change so far. In September 2019, I attended a peaceful protest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to encourage town, state, and national leaders to pass policies reducing greenhouse gas emissions. About 200 people attended. The protest did not directly lead to policy changes, but it did show me that other students and community members care about reducing climate impacts. At the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in September 2019, people protest a lack of government climate action. 5. Start a conversation about climate change with someone who does not seem concerned about the problem. Encouraging one person to think about climate change in new ways can make that person influence others to think differently. A recent post shares tips on motivating people to care about climate change. These actions are meaningful! Making efforts to protect the environment can make environmental communicators appear more trustworthy to Americans. Communicators’ willingness to make changes suggests that they believe climate change is real and serious. Therefore, taking these actions can help you communicate more effectively.
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Welcome to my blog! It is a combination of posts from my strategic writing (spring 2022) and personal branding (spring 2023) courses at UNC. I hope you will enjoy reading the posts and learning about the environment and communication.
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