13 ideas for building a climate-friendly lifestyle you can stick with | Fix

<h1>What can you do for the climate? (Not everything, but start here.)</h1>
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<p><em>Joy can strengthen our resolve, help us unlock creativity, and bolster our resilience. In Fix’s </em><a href="https://grist.org/fix/july-2022-joy-issue/??utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=top"><strong><em>Joy Issue</em></strong></a><strong><em>,</em></strong><em> we explore the importance and power of finding joy in the face of grief, anger, and a changing climate.</em></p>

<p><em>Am I doing enough? </em></p>

<p>It’s safe to say everyone in the climate movement has been haunted by these questions at one time or another. An individual can never really do “enough” when confronting a problem as complex and gargantuan as the climate crisis — and it will never<em> feel</em> like enough when we care, as we ought to, for the fate of our planet, our communities, and ourselves. </p>

<p>Once you’ve gone vegetarian, should you go vegan? Once you’ve attended one climate protest, should you organize the next one? Once you’ve started volunteering with a climate organization, should you quit your job, sell your car, and devote every ounce of your energy to climate solutions? “You’ll burn yourself out if you think you can be everything all at once,” says <a href="https://grist.org/fix/fixers/#kristy-drutman">Kristy Drutman</a>, an environmental justice advocate, host of the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4NreqTdjZvOgxvaNN2njEN" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown Girl Green podcast</a>, and a <a href="https://grist.org/fix/grist-50/2022/#kristy-drutman">2022 Grist 50</a> honoree. As a passionate young professional in the climate movement, she’s had to recognize her own strengths as well as her limitations. “I can’t be at every protest,” Drutman says. “That’s not even necessarily the work I want to do.” Accepting that doesn’t make her less of an advocate — it means she’s found more effective ways to direct her unique skills toward solutions. </p>

<p>It’s hard to keep guilt and anxiety entirely at bay. But one antidote can be to put real thought into <a href="https://www.instagram.com/climatevenn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the actions you want to take</a>, then give yourself permission to let go of the rest. <em>I should be doing more</em> feels vague and troubling. <em>I’m showing up to every march in my city — but I need my beef jerky to fuel me while I walk</em> is specific. It’s intentional. </p>

<p>“I try to think small rather than think big,” says <a href="https://grist.org/fix/fixers/#nathaniel-stinnett">Nathaniel Stinnett</a>, founder and executive director of the <a href="https://www.environmentalvoter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Voter Project</a> and a <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/profile/nathaniel-stinnett/">2016 Grist 50 honoree</a>. “I really think the key to joyfulness within the climate crisis is not to always think about the enormity of the problem and how can I, as one person, overcome this enormous problem,” Stinnett says. Instead, he suggests focusing on the climate challenges and opportunities within your own life, and how you can succeed at those.</p>

<p>So here are some ways you can succeed: 13 ideas for actions you can take (or leave) for the planet — as suggested by people who spend their time thinking about this — by changing your lifestyle, using your voice, or volunteering your time. Find the ones that spark joy and commit to those, but don’t beat yourself up over the others. It’s not about perfection. It’s about doing the most and the best you can for your planet, your community, and yourself.</p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Vote in every election</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercising your right to vote is one of the most fundamental ways to make your voice heard — especially if you do it with the climate in mind. </span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 2020 presidential election saw record turnout, yet </span><a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2020-presidential-election-voting-and-registration-tables-now-available.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">about a third of eligible adults</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> didn’t cast a ballot. For local elections, which are arguably an even more crucial opportunity to have an impact, </span><a href="https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/ncr-article/increasing-voter-turnout-in-local-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">turnout trends are even worse</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Choosing not to vote often comes down to the feeling that your voice doesn’t matter. But </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/11/03/663709392/why-every-vote-matters-the-elections-decided-by-a-single-vote-or-a-little-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">over a dozen U.S. elections</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have been decided by a single vote, or ended in a tie during the past 20 years. And, like any climate action, voting can be seen as contributing to a collective shift, rather than taking all the weight of the movement onto your own ballot-casting shoulders. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think most Americans appropriately feel pretty cynical about politics,” the </span><a href="https://www.environmentalvoter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Environmental Voter Project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">’s Nathaniel Stinnett says. People often believe that politicians will say or do just about anything to win. But that’s not a bad thing, he notes. “That realization actually shows us how much power we have.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Environmental Voter Project seeks to turn election-skipping environmentalists into “super voters.” Stinnett believes that if </span><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2020/06/23/two-thirds-of-americans-think-government-should-do-more-on-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">everyone who cares about the climate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> would vote consistently, the movement could become an unstoppable political force. When citizens speak up about their priorities, especially around elections, politicians are more inclined to listen — or risk not getting elected. Given the ecological and </span><a href="https://www.vox.com/22798975/democracy-threats-peril-trump-voting-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">political climate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> we’re in, it has never been more important for individuals to do their civic duty. “Simply participating in the process, simply voting, means that you’re going to have an outsized influence on climate policymaking,” Stinnett says. Register to vote, check your registration, find your polling place, and even set election reminders at </span><a href="https://www.vote.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vote.org</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Go to protests</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another classic way to make your voice heard is to carry a megaphone and march down the street — literally. </span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Climate demonstrations have drawn </span><a href="https://qz.com/1713587/global-climate-strike-city-by-city-crowd-estimate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">millions of people</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in cities all over the world, especially in the years before the pandemic. These protests have become increasingly youth-led, organized by groups like </span><a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fridays for Future</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.thisiszerohour.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zero Hour</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.earthguardians.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earth Guardians</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunrise Movement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. (Check out any of their websites to find out about planned actions near you, or other ways to get involved.) </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Protests aren’t necessarily happy experiences in their own right. “It’s not always a joyful feeling,” says </span><a href="https://grist.org/fix/fixers/#leah-thomas"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leah Thomas</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a climate activist, writer, and founder of </span><a href="https://www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intersectional Environmentalist</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (and a </span><a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2021/#leah-thomas"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2021 Grist 50 honoree</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). “Sometimes it’s a feeling of mourning or urgency.” But it’s like running a relay race: You’re working hard and possibly in pain, but the feeling of collective accomplishment afterward is what makes the effort worthwhile — and, of course, the celebratory drinks with your comrades. “Getting to just hang out with activists and talk about things that have nothing to do with the environment, those moments bring me a lot of joy,” Thomas says, “where we realize that we can be fighting for our planet, but also have a good time together.”</span></p>

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                            <p><a href="http://grist.org/fix/climate-organizers-using-joy-activist-toolkit/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=inline"><em>[Read more: With music, art, and an element of theater, climate organizers are making joy part of their toolkit]</em></a></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Speak out on social media</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re active on any social media, be it Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, or even LinkedIn, you have a platform.</span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With so much of our lives happening online, social media is </span><a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/social-media/features/how-activists-use-social-media-for-good-and-you-can-too/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">increasingly used for things like activism</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and education as well as connection. Although there isn’t a ton of definitive research on the effects of social media advocacy, </span><a href="https://oxfordre.com/climatescience/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228620-e-369" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">studies suggest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it can play a positive role in influencing opinions, knowledge, and behavior around climate change. If you’re already active on social sites, it’s also mad easy to get started. Supporting climate causes online can be as simple as retweeting your favorite orgs or advocates (or even </span><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350668692_Changing_the_World_One_Meme_at_a_Time_The_Effects_of_Climate_Change_Memes_on_Civic_Engagement_Intentions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sharing climate memes</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some people may insist that social media is the world’s toilet. But others, like Kristy Drutman of Brown Girl Green, have found meaningful connection and joy in engaging on social platforms. “Part of my activism is getting to learn about initiatives and efforts [of other environmental organizations] and figure out ways that I can amplify and support,” says Drutman, who has nearly 65,000 followers on </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/browngirl_green/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Listening to and lifting up the voices of others — particularly people and organizations on the front lines of the climate crisis — can be just as important as using your own. If you have a mic, try passing it. Check out groups like the </span><a href="https://twitter.com/uproot_project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Uproot Project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a network of environmental journalists of color (Grist is a founding partner), or </span><a href="https://twitter.com/i/lists/1087490564977819648" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Green Voices of Color</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to listen, learn, and amplify. </span></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Have ‘the climate talk’</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you have friends or family who are totally out of the loop on climate issues? (Don’t we all?) Personal conversations matter — perhaps even more than what you say from behind a literal or metaphorical megaphone.</span></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Eat more plants </h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The greenest choice on the menu is always steering clear of land-chomping, water-polluting, carbon- and methane-spewing </span><a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/hsus-report-agriculture-global-warming-and-climate-change.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">animal agriculture</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although meat and dairy are beloved for their taste and their significance in many cuisines and cultures, </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/04/animal-agriculture-choking-earth-making-sick-climate-food-environmental-impact-james-cameron-suzy-amis-cameron" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">we know that the future of food</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will look less fleshy and more veggie. Whether that feels like a sacrifice is all in how you look at it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You don’t have to go vegan to reduce the carbon in your diet. But for those who do decide to embrace veganism or vegetarianism (or another </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">-ism</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">), there are many reasons to love it. For Todd Anderson (who goes by </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/turnipvegan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turnip Vegan</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on Instagram), eschewing animal products came down to health concerns. Following a particularly bad hangover after a trip to Vegas, Anderson watched the documentary </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2rmpFChifc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Food Choices</span></i></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and learned, among other things, that humans are the only animals that drink milk from other species. “By the end of the documentary, I made the decision to try to eat vegan for a couple weeks and see how it goes,” he says. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As he approaches his sixth year of vegan living, Anderson has made it his life’s work to share the learning and the joy with others through his Instagram account, two e-books of recipes, and his San Diego </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/spoiledvegans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cafe</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (which closed during COVID, but will likely reopen soon). “These have been the happiest five and a half years of my life,” he says.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although it is possible to eat an unhealthy vegan diet, consuming mostly plants </span><a href="https://news.stanford.edu/report/2021/05/06/embracing-plant-based-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">can reduce blood pressure</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evidence-based-living/202201/are-plant-based-diets-really-better-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lower your risk of heart disease</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and diabetes.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">This isn’t some hip new health or eco trend, either — plant-based diets have deep </span><a href="https://www.eater.com/22229322/black-veganism-history-black-panthers-dick-gregory-nation-of-islam-alvenia-fulton" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">roots in the African diaspora</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as well as in many Asian cuisines. Even the idea of </span><a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/plant-based-meat-china-taiwan-buddhist-vegetarian" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fake meat</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been around for centuries. Food choices are deeply personal, so understanding the history of plant-based diets as well as the climate benefits can help determine if it’s the right move for you. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re curious about cutting back on meat, Anderson suggests that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Try preparing a plant-based version of a favorite dish, or find a vegetarian or vegan restaurant that makes something you love. Treating yourself to scrumptious vegan food might defy your expectations about the culinary pleasures you’ll find in a different diet. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And don’t forget the fungi. One of Anderson’s go-tos right now is </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUSbHLJApz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lion’s mane mushroom</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — “I will use that to make anything from crab cakes to a Nashville vegan chicken sandwich.”</span></p>

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                        <p class="prediction__category grist-reveal-card__tags">Green Your Lifestyle</p>
                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Choose sustainable fashion</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not only is it #ontrend, greening your wardrobe can be a true delight. Fashion, like food, is deeply personal, so of course we want it to align with our values.</span></p>

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                            <p><a href="http://grist.org/fix/happy-climate-project-reduce-carbon-footprint-find-joy/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=inline"><em>[Read more: Happy Climate is on a mission to show what we gain from climate action]</em></a></p>

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                        <p class="prediction__category grist-reveal-card__tags">Green Your Lifestyle</p>
                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Walk and bike places</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Trying to drive as little as possible is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” says Nathaniel Stinnett of the Environmental Voter Project.</span></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Do an energy audit</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you think about how to green your energy use at home, your mind might jump straight to installing solar panels or a </span><a href="https://grist.org/housing/heat-pumps-do-work-in-the-cold-americans-just-dont-know-it-yet/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">heat pump</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — which is great, if that’s feasible for you. But a cheaper and easier approach might be making your home more efficient.</span></p>

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                        <p class="prediction__category grist-reveal-card__tags">Give Your Time</p>
                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Help mobilize voters</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are tons of ways to get out the vote for climate action. You can volunteer with a particular candidate you believe in, or with a climate- or justice-focused organization like the </span><a href="https://www.environmentalvoter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Environmental Voter Project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><a href="https://nextgenamerica.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NextGen America</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Find pro-bono opportunities</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re not a climate professional and love what you do for work, pro-bono opportunities may be a way to have your cake and green it, too.</span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Using your unique skills, talent, and training to help an environmental project or organization can be personally and professionally fulfilling. The</span><a href="https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2008/07/guide-pro-bono.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> benefits of pro-bono work</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on things like job satisfaction, skill development, and sense of purpose have been well documented, particularly among those in the legal profession. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Even though I wasn’t paid for my efforts, I felt happier and more satisfied with my work than ever, and it led to more professional success,” environmental attorney Matt Karmel </span><a href="https://grist.org/fix/it-should-be-easier-for-pros-to-find-pro-bono-climate-work/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">wrote in a recent opinion piece</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for Fix. Karmel had sought out work with a nonprofit in New Jersey that helps community gardens expand their composting operations, but in his piece he shares other avenues for finding opportunities. For attorneys, there’s the Environmental Law Institute’s </span><a href="https://www.eli.org/probono" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pro Bono Clearinghouse</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For professionals in HR, marketing, finance, and tech, the </span><a href="https://taprootfoundation.org/volunteers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taproot Foundation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> offers matchmaking with social change organizations, ranging from long-term projects to one-hour virtual consulting sessions. And folks with 10 or more hours a week to contribute, especially those pondering an eventual career switch, might consider applying to join the </span><a href="https://climatefellows.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Climate Fellows</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> network of professional volunteers, part of the </span><a href="https://workonclimate.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Work on Climate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> initiative that aims to get more skilled professionals from different sectors working on climate solutions. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You also could reach out to an org you’re interested in working with and start a conversation about what you might offer. Community-based organizations, particularly those led by people of color, </span><a href="https://19thnews.org/2022/02/women-of-color-leading-climate-justice-lacking-funding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tend to be particularly resource-strapped</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Pro-bono services can go a long way toward helping them get things done. “Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make an immediate connection,” Karmel writes. “Needs change, and just being available can make the difference.”</span></p>

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                            <p><a href="https://grist.org/fix/climate-change-impact-outdoor-sports-athletes-activists/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=inline"><em>[Read more: With their beloved sports at risk, outdoor athletes are taking climate action]</em></a></p>

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                        <p class="prediction__category grist-reveal-card__tags">Give Your Time</p>
                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Clean up your favorite park</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have a beloved green space near you, spending some time picking up trash (or joining organized clean-ups) could be a great way to connect more deeply with the land and its nooks and crannies. </span></p>

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                        <p class="prediction__category grist-reveal-card__tags">Give Your Time</p>
                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Plant some trees</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When I was in college, I volunteered at this restoration program twice a week,” says </span><a href="https://www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intersectional Environmentalist</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> founder Leah Thomas. “I would come out and get rid of invasive plant species along the coast and then also nurture new seedlings. It was really fun.”</span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More recently, Thomas helped restore native chestnut trees to the Bronx in New York City. Foliage offers</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> tons</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of </span><a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.39" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">benefits to neighborhoods</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">; in addition to cleaning the air and </span><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-being-around-trees-help-people-feel-good/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">making us feel happier</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, tree cover can lower hot summer temperatures </span><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190325173305.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">by up to 10 degrees F</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a starting point, Thomas recommends checking out organizations like </span><a href="https://onetreeplanted.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One Tree Planted</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.americanforests.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">American Forests</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I tend to look for urban tree-planting projects,” she says. “I think getting involved in your own local community feels even better, because then you get to see that tree grow over time. It feels like you’re doing something good for your community.” If you want to plant trees beyond your own garden, so to speak, and help ensure </span><a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/07/15/a-push-for-tree-equity-new-analysis-shows-neighborhoods-that-need-more-trees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tree equity</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, just be sure to </span><a href="https://grist.org/fix/trees-are-ac-for-cities-she-wants-everyone-to-benefit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">follow the lead of local residents</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>

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                        <h3 class="prediction__title">Savor nature — with others</h3>
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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">OK, this isn’t volunteering exactly. But spending time enjoying the beauty of the earth (especially alongside fellow earth-lovers) can be a crucial way to stay sustained in the climate movement — and </span><a href="https://grist.org/fix/may-2022-outdoors-issue/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">connecting with nature can take many forms</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>

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                            <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leah Thomas of the Intersectional Environmentalist loves venturing out with affinity organizations like </span><a href="https://www.outdoorafro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outdoor Afro</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.hikeclerb.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hike Clerb</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “Being with women of color, reclaiming what it means to be outdoors for ourselves and finding community, getting outdoors together — those are the moments that bring me the most joy,” Thomas says.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She emphasizes that protecting those moments of pure happiness and connection is particularly important for people of color in the climate movement. She quotes climate justice writer Mary Annaïse Heglar in saying that </span><a href="https://zora.medium.com/sorry-yall-but-climate-change-ain-t-the-first-existential-threat-b3c999267aa0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">climate change isn’t the first existential threat</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to face Black and Indigenous people in this country, and eco-anxiety is far from the only stress weighing on people who experience systematic oppression. That’s why </span><a href="https://voiceofoc.org/2021/02/celebrating-black-joy-as-an-alternative-form-of-resistance-and-reclaiming-of-humanity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Black joy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has taken root as a form of rebellion, while artistic movements like </span><a href="https://grist.org/fix/afrofuturism-to-ecotopia-climate-fiction-glossary/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Afrofuturism</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and even the delightful </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@marcustheknight/video/7098731278698122542" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TikTok “frolicking” trend</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have put it proudly on display. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Climate optimism at times can feel surface level, or it can feel like you’re ignoring or running away from the truth,” Thomas says. “But in fact, to find joy despite it all is one of the most revolutionary things that I think people can do.” So don’t forget that taking time to appreciate the earth and its inhabitants — to savor rather than save — is a part of climate and justice work, too. </span></p>

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<p><em>Explore more from Fix’s <a href="https://grist.org/fix/july-2022-joy-issue/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=bottom">Joy Issue</a>:</em></p>

<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><em><a href="http://grist.org/fix/humor-comedy-engages-people-climate-science/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=bottom">Laughter is the ultimate unifier. Can it work for climate action?</a></em></li><li><em><a href="http://grist.org/fix/musician-mali-obomsawin-climate-protest-songs-indigenous-land-trust/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=bottom"><em>When musician Mali Obomsawin traded righteous anger for joyous action</em></a></em></li><li><em><a href="http://grist.org/fix/dolphin-emotions-climate-change-solutions/?utm_campaign=recirc&utm_source=bottom">What the rich inner lives of dolphins can teach us about climate solutions</a></em></li></ul>

<p>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://grist.org/">Grist</a> at <a href="https://grist.org/fix/advocacy/13-ideas-climate-friendly-lifestyle-brings-joy/">https://grist.org/fix/advocacy/13-ideas-climate-friendly-lifestyle-brings-joy/</a>.</p>
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                  <p>Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at <a href="https://grist.org/">Grist.org</a></p>
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