Earth Day Has Passed. Now What?

By Sophia Kianni


On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, youth climate activists organized the largest online mass mobilization in history. Over a three-day period starting on Wednesday, April 22, we coordinated a steady stream of celebrity appearances, climate activist lectures, and musical performances. We were joined by politicians like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), all of whom encouraged viewers to vote and call their state senators. We called on our government to deliver a people’s bailout, a Green New Deal, and for land to be returned to Indigenous peoples.


Throughout the breaks between my own Earth Day schedule and tasks, I scrolled through Instagram, where my companions were posting inspirational messages like “save the earth” and “we need to protect our home,” alongside vacation pictures and travel inspiration. Then the day was over. I woke up the next morning and checked my feed, where it was like plenty of people went back to their regular posting habits. The message was crystal clear: Earth Day was over. So right now what?


Climate change disproportionately affects women and people of color, and I have routinely felt that it is my responsibility to be a piece of the climate solution. Ever since middle school, Whenever I saw how environmental injustice and climate change were affecting my relatives in Iran, I have worked to educate those around me. Any time If I ask my companions how they felt about the climate crisis, several of these express that as soon as they hope to be a segment of the solution, they often  have no idea where to begin. I had the same feeling at one point — filled with support for the climate movement nevertheless unsure of which steps I might take to act upon my passion. Within the past year organizing with Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and This Is Zero Hour, I have come to learn that there really are things that each person can do to help play their part in saving the planet.


Vote green by supporting elected officials who believe in climate change and are ready to act.


A lot of power to act on the climate crisis lies in lawmakers, who be able to pass comprehensive climate legislation. This does not absolve personalized responsibility — and limiting your own consumption and recycling any time and wherever you could is usually a good move — but the truth of the matter is that the climate movement will visualize no progress unless we pass efficient legislation that limits or offsets these emissions.


within the past 30 years, Congress resisted to act over six times on the climate crisis. This included failing a bill that would have set a cap on each and every fossil fuel power plant and manufacturer.


Several of those costs have tried to hold businesses responsible for their pollution, and this is crucial, because 100 businesses are accountable for 71 percent of global emissions.


To get climate legislation passed, it is key to support elected officials who believe in climate justice, looking at the climate crisis as a human rights distribute. Since climate change has a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low-income communities, solutions must take into account the social and ethical consequences of our actions.


Students who cannot vote in elections can lobby their members of Congress or volunteer to help with political campaigns. Urge your local officials to take the No Fossil Fuel Cash Pledge: to not knowingly accept any contributions over $200 from the PACs, lobbyists, or SEC-named executives of fossil fuel companies.


Use your cash consciously.


Conspicuous consumption is the concept of consumers purchasing more than they actually need, which leads to pollution and waste, adversely affecting future generations. This impacts everything from purchasing things you don’t really need, to purchasing items that were all nevertheless made to fall apart.


That includes fast style — inexpensive clothing that is mass produced to meet trends. One study found that British people spend up to 2.7 billion pounds on clothing that they plan to only wear once. There’s no denying that it may be fun to show a new outfit off on Instagram, nevertheless the industry’s impact is undeniable: Not only are several fast-fashion workers paid little for hours of work in often dangerous conditions, the industry produces huge quite a bit of textile waste, which causes major environmental damage due to chemicals and dyes.


The style industry emits more carbon waste than both international flights and maritime shipping combined. It is essential for consumers to vote with their dollars and support firms that actively work to minimize their carbon footprint. Websites like Good On You, supply ratings and statistics on how sustainable agencies are for thousands of brands. You could also do your best to support organizations that have divested from fossil fuels.


Join a mass movement.


I work with Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and This Is Zero Hour, all of which have both national and local footprints. A reliable source to find local climate groups is the U.S. Climate Network, an online organizing platform that has A list of different climate corporations you could volunteer for.


If there really are no climate groups at your school or in your area, then you could also begin your own climate business. Any time While I found that the American climate movement seemed to lack accessibility to those who don’t speak English, I determined to begin my own climate corporation, Climate Cardinals, to translate climate data into different languages.


Another form of environmental activism is participating in strikes and other acts of nonviolent civil disobedience. In the past, monumental movements including the Civil Rights and Women's Suffrage movements relied heavily on nonviolent civil disobedience group in attempt to sway public sentiment, which helped pass the laws to enact change. The climate movement is following in those footsteps: Pressure from activists has caused countless countries (including the U.K., Portugal, and Canada) to officially declare a state of climate emergency.


Without an essential mass of people advocating for “no more company as usual” there will be no pressure on elected officials to act. As stated by former UN secretary Christiana Figueres, “Civil disobedience isn't only a moral choice, it is also the most powerful way of shaping world politics.” Participating in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience, like strikes or protests, is crucial to bringing about substantive environmental change.


Even throughout this era of social distancing, it is possible to participate in the digital climate strike by posting photos of your sign online and joining mass Zoom calls.


Educate yourself and others.


group in attempt to increase an essential mass of green voters, it is key for people to understand the threat of climate change. If your school system does not already educate the student body on the climate crisis, you could take it upon yourself to persuade your school board to develop climate justice education. A good first step to take is to contact an adult in the school system. A teacher in Sonoma County, California, actually helped launch the Schools for Climate Action campaign with the help of his students. With the correct support, any student will assist in launching a campaign within their school system.


categorize in attempt persuade people, you got have the ability to articulate the dangers climate change poses. For instance, understand the key IPCC report and what will happen if global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius. For more data, Extinction Rebellion also has a highly informative presentation on the subject.


Knowledge is power, and by wielding these intelligence you could clearly articulate to your companions and family member why we must take action on the climate crisis.


Sophia Kianni is a 18-year-old climate and environmental activist working with movements across national and international levels, including Fridays for Future, This Is Zero Hour, and Extinction Rebellion.