Take Action

Educate yourself. When we talk to others about climate change, we should be knowledgeable, accurate and persuasive.

• Go to reputable science sites for reliable information. RealClimate has an excellent list of good sources of information. The Climate Science Rapid Response Team also has a great list of reliable resources.

• A few of my favourites are CSIRO, BOM, NASA, NOAA, SkepticalScience (great for mythbusting) and New Scientist.  

• If you like videos, Earth: The Operators' Manual has three excellent television programs from the American Public Broadcasting Service.

 
Contact your Federal politician or senator. If you want your House of Representatives member and your State senators to stand up for what you want, then you need to tell them.

• You'll find the contact details for Australian Government House of Represenatives members and Senators here. 
• Make a phone call, write an email or letter. Be brief, use your own words, and be polite. Be sure to say that this is important to you.

Remember - the most important thing is that you take the time to call or write. If your representative doesn’t know how you feel, it’s because you haven’t spoken up.

Write a letter / send an email to your local paper

One of the most effective things you can do is write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Politicians and other decision-makers frequently track letters to the editor, and as we all know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Join a community group

Community groups are the grass roots of civil society. When you join one, you'll get to hang out with like minds and join activities that help spread accurate information based on mainstream science. Take a look at the following:

• Beyond Zero Emissions (Australia) advocates for renewables.
• 100% Renewables (Australia) advocates for renewables.
• 350.org (USA) is a global action group that advocates for low carbon policies worldwide.
• Festival of Transition is an invitation to think positively about how our lives could change as we adapt to the end of cheap fossil fuels and address the threat of runaway climate change. 
• TckTckTck is the public campaign of the Global Campaign for Climate Action. The GCCA is an alliance of more than 300 non-profit organizations all over the world. Their shared mission is to mobilize civil society and galvanize public support to ensure a safe climate future for people and nature, to promote the low-carbon transition of our economies, and to accelerate the adaptation efforts in communities already affected by climate change. 

Change your own actions

What changes can you make to reduce your emissions? Australia's greenhouse gas emissions per capita are among the highest in the world, at 24.5 tonnes in 2011. The world average is 6 tonnes and China is right on the world average.

• Energy efficiency reaps immediate rewards: turn off lights, turn off appliances that stay on standby, and make sure your home is well-insulated.
• Look for ways to take fossil fuels out of your life. One thing you can do is subscribe to your electricity retailer's green power option. If you use gas for heating, look at using  a reverse-cycle airconditioner for heating instead of using the gas. 
• If you commute by car, try to leave it at home one day a week and use public transport, walk, bicycle or carshare.
• If you're a big meat eater, try Meatless Monday.  
• When you buy your next car or appliance, make energy efficiency a priority.
• Look at installing solar hot water or solar power. There are some great deals around now. 
• Vote with your money: buy less, give preference to things that are sustainably made and those with shorter travel distances.
• Put some effort into refusing, reusing, recycling.

Use an online calculator, here, here or here, to measure your carbon footprint and see where you can reduce.