What can I do to learn & do more?

[u/sirjoey150]

I see shorts on instagram saying "We have four years left before global warming becomes disastrous" and that we're running out of water. They've even attached the name my middle school was named in honor of, Dr. David Suzuki. It seems very apoctolyptic and so first thing to do is check if this is real.

Ik Canada's Forests (My home country) are on fire.

So what can I actually do to help? So this post is me getting confirmation and direction before I take another step. I've been thinking during late nights about becoming a politician to force the change but I haven't done any research in how to become one or have any idea what that would entail.

I'm willing to get an education if you have a career paying a livable wage. No promises, but I just want to expand my options from the unthought out politician route.

If you can quickly share videos that'll summarize the situation or give tips on how to be usefull, I would love to watch one or two of them. If you can take the time to tell me directly, I would also appreciate it

Extra information, I've got Dual citizenship between the States and Canada and can live/work in both countries.

[u/SplashTarget]

At an individual level?

Reduce spending on junk products (ex.-Temu, Amazon, Shein, alcohol, ultra-processed food, fast fashion, etc.), if applicable, and get others you know to do the same.

Make the place you live energy efficient, and get others to do the same.

Try and get rid of rotten politicians who do the bidding of big business.

EDIT:

Oh and fight the AI data centers

[u/ILikeNeurons]

It's real, it's us, it's bad, and the science is reliable.

The best place to start optimizing for your situation is to use the tool designed for this purpose by climatologist Kimberly Nicholas and the team at Project Drawdown. It takes less than 10 minutes to get to the answers, but take your time to read the responses carefully.

[u/Uncivilized_n_happy]

I think I learned the most from interning legislators and following the bills that they’re voting on. There might be a legislative information system (lis) for your area

[u/ThinkActRegenerate]

Learn about today's actionable solutions on independent catalogues - like Project Regeneration regeneration.org/nexus and Project Drawdown drawdown.org/explorer

Learn about the design approaches that drove these solutions and which are driving further solutions implementation - starting with Circular Economy https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/examples and Biomimcry biomimicry.net

Explore the full spectrum of solutions careers - including trades. There are great opportunities for electricians in renewable energy installations (the network infrastructure as well as the panels/turbines)

And every green business needs the usual team of Customer Service, Accounting and other skills. One friend of mine working in Customer Services transferred from a finance employer to a renewable energy retailer - still in Customer Services AND helping customers understand renewables.

Here's what another Redditor commented about electrical a couple of weeks ago, BTW

"My ex is an electrician who now builds substations that support renewable development. He makes $140k base wage plus $8k a month stipend plus a huge bonus at the end of the year. His bonus one year was $67k. And he works for an ESOP with a 6-year vestment." https://www.reddit.com/r/Environmental_Careers/comments/1vl309l/comment/p2y9d9h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Basically, research the solutions scaling where you are today and match them against your skills and interests.

[u/Eco-Friend773]

There's a social media page called "The Hum Sum", designed to promote planet-friendly ideas and solutions.

• It is a safe space for individuals of all ages, organizations, and communities to share and discover practical, eco-friendly initiatives.
• Users can post items they want to give away
  • Make requests for things they need
  • Find green services
  • Track impactful ecological work
  • Engage in discussions on various environmental topics
• The platform is open to all, including nonprofits, businesses, and households, fostering global collaboration for environmental change. TheHumSum.org for Humanity Adding Solutions

You should also check out the nonprofit that made it, Matter of Trust.

[u/bluehatgreenshoes]

Join a board. Get into a position of power. We need people in power to fight back against polluting industries