Tom Bowman - What If Solving the Climate Crisis Is Simple?

If you are ready to take action for the first time or want to expand your range of activities, here are some resources to get you moving. As you engage and take new steps, remember that talking with others about your new connections and accomplishments will bolster your efforts and help create a wider culture that supports tackling the climate crisis.

If you would like to learn the fundamentals about the science of global warming, here are a few highly respected resources.

What We Know, American Association for the Advancement of Sciencehttps://whatweknow.aaas.org

Climate Change 101, National Center for Science Educationhttps://ncse.ngo/climate-change-101

Climate Change 101, Center for Climate and Energy Solutionswww.c2es.org/site/assets/uploads/2017/10/climate101-fullbook.pdf

There are three ways to approach reducing your carbon footprint. The simplest is to follow a step-by-step action guide. This approach will get you started with a minimum of effort. Since you will not be measuring your carbon emissions, the best way to track progress is by reductions in your monthly bills for electricity, natural gas, water and gasoline or diesel.

A Personal Action Guide to Becoming Climate Resilient, written for a warm-weather region, but based on guiding principles that apply everywherewww.aquariumofpacific.org/downloads/A_Personal_Action_Guide_to_Becoming_Climate-Resilient.pdf

Cooler Smarter, a book by the Union of Concerned Scientists

Zero Waste: The 80/20 Way, a book by Stephanie Miller

Small business success storieshttps://coolcalifornia.arb.ca.gov/business-success-stories

The second approach is to estimate your carbon footprint based on average households or organizations that are similar to yours. Using this type of calculator takes a little more effort, but it will help you see where to focus your actions in order to get the biggest results. Several reputable carbon offset organizations provide simple online calculators. Here are two calculators that were developed by government agencies.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculatorwww3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/

Cool California, a product of the California Air Resources Board, has calculators for households, small businesses, government agencies and schoolshttps://coolcalifornia.arb.ca.gov

The third and most detailed approach is to have your emissions measured and verified by a third party. The advantage is that the information will be much more precise, but there will be costs and much more legwork involved. Businesses, especially larger corporations, and governments tend to rely on third party measurement and verification by companies that offer this service. Here is a highly regarded nonprofit alternative.

The Climate Registrywww.theclimateregistry.org

A quick online search will reveal many nonprofit organizations and networks that work on climate and environmental justice. Consider supporting an organization in the town, city or rural area where you live. Here are a few nationwide organizations to consider as well.

Climate Justice Networkwww.climatejusticenetwork.org

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)www.naacp.org/environmental-climate-justice-about

Indigenous Environmental Networkwww.ienearth.org

Climate Justice Resilience Fund, an international organization that funds community-led resilience solutionswww.cjrfund.org

U.S. National ACE Strategic Planning Framework has a number of informative resources on its websitehttp://aceframework.us

As with climate justice organizations, you can find a large number of organizations and networks online that approach the climate crisis from many different directions. Some organizations focus on legal action, others on political activism, while others build support for volunteer involvement in local neighborhoods and communities. Here are two of many large-scale movements.

Sunrise Movement, a youth initiative for climate actionwww.sunrisemovement.org

350.org, a global movement for climate actionhttps://350.org

The range of business networks, trade associations, and professional networks that provide advice and sustainability certifications is as diverse as the economy itself. Look within your industry and its trade associations and movements, and also within your state or local community where sustainability-minded businesses often form networks. Here are three nationwide examples that serve diverse industries and markets.

B Corporation Certificationhttps://bcorporation.net

Green Business Networkwww.greenamerica.org

Sustainable Brandshttps://sustainablebrands.com

Educators working in K-12, community colleges, higher education and informal education share resources and promote climate curriculum through informal networks.

Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) is a U.S.-based network of climate educatorshttps://cleanet.org

Climate Education, Communication & Outreach Stakeholder Community (ClimateECOS) is an international network of climate educators and communicatorshttps://climateecos.org

The voluntary initiative described in tracks its progress online with recordings of inspiring panel discussions, the Framework report and a number of useful resources for public empowerment. If you work on climate solutions in any capacity, the opportunities for strategic collaboration that this project supports are meant for you. Take a look at the participating organizations. You can also help this initiative gain strength by bringing it to your elected representatives at the national, state and local levels. This is the pathway to establishing an official national strategy for the United States as part of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

U.S. ACE National Strategic Planning Frameworkhttps://aceframework.us

Tom Bowman is Strategic Advisor and Writing Team Lead for the U.S. Action for Climate Empowerment Strategic Planning Framework. The Framework is an initiative by social scientists, educators, scientists and activists to help the United States meet and exceed the goals of the Paris Agreement. Tom founded Bowman Design Group and Bowman Change, Inc., a strategic communication consultancy. He works with federal agencies, corporate leadership, entrepreneurs and leading cultural institutions such as NOAA, NASA, the National Academy of Sciences and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Toms company received a Cool California Small Business of the Year Award for decarbonizing business operations. His work received White House Champions of Change recognition, and he was inducted into the International Green Industry Hall of Fame. Tom is a popular public speaker and author of The Green Edge.

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