So you’re passionate about protecting the environment, but you don’t know where to start? Well, no need to fret because getting involved in your community and promoting change doesn’t have to be complicated! With these 5 simple and effective ways to get involved in environmental activism, you can start your journey on making a difference and be a part of the movement to save our planet!
My Experience with Environmental Activism
Just to show you that you’re not alone in feeling confused and overwhelmed about getting started with environmental activism, here’s a bit of my story. I was lost as to what I could do when I first started learning about the true extent and urgency of the environmental crisis. All I knew was that I didn’t want to stand by the side anymore, waiting for the next person and the next generation to fix a problem I un-doubtebly have contributed to. I was seeing all these awe-inspiring activists who gave up everything to fight for the planet and I saw environmental activism as an all or nothing deal.
It took me awhile to garner the courage to start taking part in more vocal environmental activism activities but it felt extremely empowering and boosted my morale and mood. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
1. Follow organizations and other activists on social media
Whether this is for inspiration or to help build connections with other people invested in protecting the environment, this is a great way to get started. Any platform works – whether that’s Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Tiktok – there are tons of wonderful accounts out there with great advice and resources for people interested in bringing change to their own communities!
If you want some recommendations for people and organizations to follow to get your footing, I definitely recommend @earthlinged, @climatesavemovement, @greenpeace, and @environmental_defensse_fund. And, don’t forget to look for organizations and individuals within your local area!
2. Start talking to friends and family!
This is a great way to get started with environmental activism! Starting small with trying to spread awareness and information to the people in your life can have a huge impact and it’s a great place to get practice talking to people who might not see the importance of taking radical action to stop climate change. Additionally, if you can get your friends and family to support you, they can possibly join you on your environmental activism journey!
3. Research issues, movements, organizations, and/or companies that are relevant to your community
While it’s important to get your footing with a more broad focus on environmental activism, learning about issues in your own community is a great strategy for those starting out. It’s a great way to get to know other environmental activists in your area and tackle smaller-scale, but just as important, issues. The most significant thing individuals can do for the planet is tackle the issues in their community, and all together with people all over the world taking similar actions, it can make an astronomical difference!
This can mean campaigning against certain companies, raising awareness on issues and climate change, attending city council meetings, and talking with local publications and politicians. I remember that one of the first things I did when I was starting my environmental activist journey was research the environmental justice issues in my immediate area and how minority and low-income families were forced to bare the largest brunt of toxic chemicals, air pollution, and other environmental issues.
I found it really easy to put in the time and effort to do thorough research because this was an issue I could immediately relate to people I knew and saw everyday. I spoke to people in my community and was able to inspire others to investigate the environmental justice issues in our area. This made me feel good and energized and I realized I could make a bigger impact that I once thought. It really encouraged me to continue working on my journey in environmental activism, even if I felt I would never be able to make as big a difference as heroes like Greta Thunberg.
4. Show people how easy (and delicious!) it is to follow a climate-friendly diet
If you didn’t already know, one of the easiest ways for individuals to lower their carbon footprint is to reduce their consumption of meat, dairy, and other animal products. A recent study published by the UN have revealed that animal agriculture is believed to be responsible to 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the contribution of the entire industry sector combined.
Additionally, a nearly entirely plant-based diet is believed to produce half the amount of carbon dioxide, 1/11th the amount of oil, 1/13th the amount of water, and 1/18th the amount of land (more info here), making a plant-based diet a hugely effective way to combat climate change. If you want to learn more about the environmental impact of animal agriculture, refer to one of my prior posts here.
So, the discussion of environmental activism would not be complete without adressing diet and a plant-based diet. The first step is to start transitioning your own diet to a more climate-friendly one, and for those of you who don’t know where to start, this article is a great resource!
The next step in this particular aspect of environmental activism is to encourage those around you to learn more about a plant-forward lifestyle and the environmental benefits it holds! One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is to show people how easy and delicious a primarily plant-based diet can be! For instance, invite people over for brunch and dinner and wow them with your plant-based meals. If this seems out of reach, another option is to encourage others to try out plant-based recipes and meat-alternatives like Impossible and Beyond Meat.
If you’re feeling ambitious, maybe start your own social media account where you can share recipes and pictures of your fabulous and delicious plant-based creations!
5. Join organizations in your area!
For those of you who are more serious about getting involved in environmental activism, this is one is a must! This can mean joining large organizations like Greenpeace or the Environmental Defense Fund online, joining local chapters of larger organizations, or smaller more localized environmental activism and action organizations.
You can just search up ‘environmental organizations near me’ and you should find plenty of options. Of course those who live in larger cities with a larger environmental activism presence will likely have more options than those in more rural areas, but even if there aren’t chapters, hubs, or organizations in your area, you can still get involved digitally with nation-wide or world-wide organizations to see how you can help.
In summary…
If getting involved in environmental activism sounds interesting and exciting, don’t wait, just go for it! It can feel overwhelming to somehow make an impact in this capitalistic and materialistic society, but trust me, any little thing that you do will have an impact and will be a necessary push towards more environmental action and reform. You matter – your voice matters – and even if you’ve never done anything like this before, you can do great things for the planet.
Life can be confusing, and it can be hard to feel significant in the midst of it all, especially in a capitalistic and materialistic society like ours. But getting involved in something that matters to you, like environmental activism, and working for a cause greater than yourself can bring so much clarity and motivation. For people
Any other recommendations for simple ways to get involved in environmental activism?
Leave a comment down below if there’s anything I left out or if you have any other great tips for aspiring or beginner environmental activists! Thanks for reading and make sure to subscribe to our email list to get plant-based recipes and eco-friendly lifestyle tips delivered directly to your inbox 😀
Curious for more?
Check out our posts on eco-friendly gift ideas, zero-waste kitchen swaps, and simple eco-friendly habits!
If you’re interested in cooking, make sure check out my plant-based and vegan recipes including my heavenly chocolate chip banana bread, decadent chocolate oats, Indian-inspired aloo gobi, vegan breakfast scramble, banana oat pancakes and my chickpea, kale, and farro soup. Plus, remember to subscribe down below to get updates when new recipes are posted, and check out my new youtube channel, ecofoodstuff! For a preview of my burrito recipe video, check out the video down below.
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