Local Government
Much of the practical things that need to be done happen at the local level. For instance, here in Denver we started a department that aims directly at the climate crisis. We make it safer for people to walk places or ride bikes. We plant trees to keep things cooler. We get our departments to run on electricity instead of fossil fuels. We got Denver to demand that our local utility stop using fossil fuels. There are lots of ways to get your local government on board and help.
So we at M4TP can look up the links for your local government for you; email us at M4TP@colivableclimate.org. But you have a computer in hand, see if you can find these folks yourself. Contact your mayor or city manager. Contact your council member or alderman. Ask what is happening, maybe some really good projects are under way! But is it enough? (It is rare that anyone is doing enough.) Let them know how very concerned you are. Then do it again.
State Representatives
Here in Colorado the state has done many constructive things to get people to electrify their lives and stop burning fossil fuels. The big thing has been putting renewable generation by the utilities into law (80% renewable by 2030.) Then there have been subsidies for Electric Vehicles and heat pumps. And the state has helped to create a broad network of charging stations for EVs.
On the other hand, Colorado has done to little to reign in the production of fossil fuels. So the upshot is that while we residents might not use them so much, our corporations make bunches of money to sell these pollutants to other people across the globe who do use them and the coral reefs are just as dead.
Colorado Republicans have closed their eyes to this crisis falling onto their own people. If you are a Republican, work to change your party; this is essential. There is no reason to not follow the science.
In Colorado the Democrats have led the initiatives to deal with the crisis; it hasn’t been enough. The coral reefs are just as dead.
If you live in Colorado, here are a couple of links to get you on your way.
https://leg.colorado.gov/find-my-legislator
https://governorsoffice.colorado.gov/governor/contact-us
If you don’t live in Colorado, you know the drill, pull out your favorite search engine and look for your state and look these folks up.
Federal Representatives
Look up your senators and congress person. Tell them how you feel.
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Look up the president. Tell him or her how you feel.