We make so many tiny decisions every day, and figuring out which ones help the planet can be overwhelming. I’m a climate reporter, and even I can feel helpless sometimes, and have to fight the desire to shut out the daunting task of saving a planet.
What do you want to know about making a difference for the planet? What daily decisions, big or small, are you struggling with?
I’ve found in my own life and in talking with professionals in the climate and mental health industries that one of the best antidotes to that fear is agency. Maybe you can’t solve the climate crisis on your own, but you can change the way you eat, get around, or shop. Systemic change starts with individuals, and knowing I really am making a difference — however small — helps me feel better, all while helping the planet. A win-win!
Some questions I’ve struggled with in the past:
- Which is better for the planet: buying a new EV and increasing the demand for manufacturing and all the environmental problems that come with it, or using my old gas-powered, greenhouse-gas-emitting car until it dies?
- Are they gonna look at me weird if I ask the guy at the deli counter to put the turkey in my glass tupperware container?
- How am I supposed to tell my niece the planet will be all right when I’m not even sure of that myself?
Share your questions about your daily life and its climate impact up above.
I’m on a mission to make our individual actions in this climate crisis a bit less daunting.