When it comes to our planet, we are living in a moment of deep fear and frustration. The crisis, from wildfires and extreme storms to vanishing species, is a real, heartbreaking reality. As much as you’ve tried to do your part—reducing waste, buying wisely, being more efficient—it’s hard to imagine how to solve this existential problem. Your fear for the future of the planet is real, and your frustration is justified.
At the heart of the climate crisis is an important issue: justice. For example, what good are green options if only some people can afford them? What good is clean energy if the poorest Americans still live downstream from sites extracting coal and methane gas? Some “climate friendly” solutions still allow for sacrificial species, biomes, and communities. This, of course, is unacceptable. Climate justice is more than living clean and green, it ensures that our shared future is equitable and sustainable.
There is hope. We can shift our focus to embrace the most powerful climate tool of all: solidarity.
Around the world, communities with decades of lived experiences caring for the Earth and living closest to environmental problems often hold the solutions we seek. Indigenous, Black and Latine communities who have stewarded the land for generations are showing the way forward. Black communities, for example, urge us to experience joy in our planet. Indigenous-led groups teach historically white-led and pro-nature climate organizations how to unlearn their biases, understand the limitations of extraction mindset, and bring the respect, equity, and justice essential to enduring solutions.
Alone, you might feel powerless to motivate your elected officials. It is our responsibility to hold them accountable, and we aim to do just that in this special edition Checklist. However, joining a climate justice effort is the approach we recommend. Communities of color have been doing earth-changing work—join them to follow their lead and expertise.
Taking even a single action is a statement of hope that humanity is on the brink of a new way of being, not disaster. Prioritizing collaboration, shared wisdom, and mutual benefit allows us to move forward together with joy, not fear. This Climate Justice Special Edition Checklist is here to give you meaningful actions, listed in order of ease and time commitment. Take them one at a time, and be sure to celebrate at the end with good news.