I recently read an article on NASA’s Global Climate Change website entitled The struggle to reach out and tell the climate story. The article posed an important question that often crosses my mind: how do we move people and make them care about how their behavior is affecting Earth? How do we get people to feel something?
As a climate and Earth science communicator, the author of the article shared her frustration in achieving this goal. “We get caught up with logical analysis of facts and don’t understand why many people don’t hear our stories. This is incredibly frustrating because, for us, climate change is so important, so dire, such a big deal. We desperately want to reach out and let our stories be told; to find the right way for the meaning to get through.”
This is an obstacle I think many people in the climate and environmental conservation field struggle with. It’s one thing to get someone to like an article on Facebook, to share a video or to virtually stand in solidarity with the cause. But how do we translate that awareness into action and inspire individuals to feel empowered to make a difference? How do we get people to truly care?
After reading her article, I felt compelled to ask members of the Stand For Trees social community what they thought and to respond to the following question: “What will it take to inspire and move you to care about the planet?”
I really appreciated all of the thoughtful responses that everyone shared. It’s important to have an open dialogue about this topic as the movement to mitigate climate change is a collective effort. A theme I noticed among the various responses was that people DO care about this issue, but seem overwhelmed by the enormous task of saving the world. I totally get that. Which is why I believe that the Stand For Trees campaign is an incredibly valuable tool. It’s an innovative and easy solution that puts the power of change into your hands!
Although tackling climate change can seem like a pretty daunting task, it’s clear that people really want to do their part, big or small. Which is awesome! That’s what this is all about – shared responsibility and collective action. We can save the planet if we all work together and decide that this matters. There is power in numbers and if every individual commits to taking action, in whichever way they can, we have a real shot at reversing the dangerous effects of climate change and ensuring our future. But the time to act is NOW. This is the tipping point. The 11th hour.
I understand that sometimes it’s hard to wrap your head around the imminent devastation that faces this place we all call home (I have a hard time with that myself), especially when some of us live in regions that are far removed from visible damage and ESPECIALLY when people in positions of power claim that this isn’t as big of a deal as it truly is. And I agree, that it’s an intimidating responsibility to take action against the destruction of our planet, but I would argue that it is the most important thing any of us can do. This is our only home.
If you want to learn more about how the Stand For Trees campaign works and how you can get involved, click here.
And to read more about Stand For Trees and the truth about climate change, click on the hyperlinks to these past articles of mine!