A step-by-step guide to helping your community address climate change

“What can I do?” It’s a question that we almost always get after presenting the C-Change Conversations Primer. Most of us aren’t likely to invent a new renewable energy source or broker an international agreement on climate, but we can have a big impact on decisions made by our local government. That’s important because cities and towns have the power to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to help their residents adapt to the challenges presented by climate change.

We live in contentious times. This election highlighted how deeply divided we are, with each side clinging to strongly held and passionately argued views of what America means today and what it should look like tomorrow. There are many issues that separate us. Climate change should not be one of them.

Conservatives widely believe that blessings flow from accountability and that havoc results from lack of accountability. We’re people who believe in individual effort and reward and in meritocracies. A remnant of actual conservatives within the GOP still believes in thrift and balanced budgets, free markets, and free enterprise.

Because I spend so much time thinking about the climate, many people have reached out to me to ask whether I am “excited” or “happy” that skies are clearer and greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing during our worldwide lockdown. My answer is that it is complicated.

One of the best parts of my work is talking to and learning from experts who see climate change through the lens of how it impacts our economy, health, and national security. Andrew Winston, for example, is a knowledgeable and articulate expert on the nexus between business and climate change.

Fusion is one of the most exciting and promising clean energy sources on the horizon. Why? Because when you fuse nuclei together at 200 million degrees, you get the “holy grail” of energy. Clean, abundant, and safe, fusion energy can be used for electricity, manufacturing, and heating.