Showing up for the planet in 2022
/I’m sure like many of you, I have a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with New Years’ resolutions. But I do hope that each of us, our community and our world step up for the environment in the new year.
As HerChesapeake has written about these past few months, the climate crisis has been front and center this year. Flooding and severe storms hit the Chesapeake Bay region and other areas of the country hard this summer and fall. President Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure package into law, which will bolster environmental and climate initiatives, including boosting funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program.The House recently passed the Build Back Better plan that contains $555 billion to fight climate change and promote clean energy - but its fate is unclear in the Senate. And last month, world leaders met in Glasgow for the COP26 summit and acknowledged the world needed to speed up its climate action, making all sorts of new promises to cut emissions but providing little in the way of concrete plans to do so.
As talk grows of needing to do more for our planet, so has our eco-anxiety. We know that flooding, wildfires and storms are growing more and more devastating. We know that people around the world are being displaced as they watch their lands become less safe to inhabit. And we know that time is running out to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
Knowing the massive global scale of this problem and the major societal and economic changes that are needed to address it, it can feel like there isn’t much we can do as individuals to make a dent. But each of us can still do our part for our little corners of the planet.
Here are some things you can commit to in 2022 to step up for the environment.
Get in touch with your local, state and federal representatives. Tell them you support action on climate - whether that’s funding for local clean energy initiatives, coastal resiliency programs, wildlife protection and more. Here in Maryland, legislators will be convening for the state’s annual General Assembly session in January, with environmental bills high up on the docket. Wherever you live in the Chesapeake Bay region, educate yourself about the climate issues under debate and tell your representatives to take action.
Support your local environmental organizations. Nonprofits of all sizes have been hit hard by the pandemic. If you are able to make charitable contributions, consider giving your money and/or your time to your local waterkeeper group, trail/park cleanup, conservation organizations, etc. So many nonprofits across the region do incredible work to make our local communities cleaner and more resilient.
Talk to others about why taking action on climate is important to you. We are all already feeling the effects of the climate crisis, and collective action is the only way to fight back. The scale of the problem can feel daunting - so talk to folks in your life about why taking action is meaningful to you and how they can do the same.
Make some changes at home. Whether that’s cutting out single-use plastics, reducing food waste and changing the way you eat, reducing your home’s energy use or buying sustainable products, each of us can take steps to reduce our carbon footprint in our daily lives. Check out this list from the New York Times on the small actions people are taking to make a difference.
Times are tough in the climate crisis - but together, we can commit to stepping up and encouraging others to do the same. Here’s to a greener, cleaner and healthier planet in 2022!