Greetings from your one-stop climate activism shop: Save Our Happy Place. We aim to empower you, the nature lover, the climate activist, and the travel enthusiast, to take consistent, timely climate action in order to save the places on this planet that bring us the most joy. From big cities to small islands, from deserts to swamps, and everywhere in between, these places need our constant protection.
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Now here are 4 climate actions you can take in a hot minute.
Shake Your Money Maker for the Planet
Who, what, when, where, why, how?
Eighty-nine percent of global CO2 emissions are from fossil fuels. To divert away from the most catastrophic effects of climate change, science urges for a global transition away from fossil fuels. Because leaving oil and coal in the ground where they belong is necessary to save the planet, it is becoming abundantly clear that the overall economic value of the fossil fuel industry is rapidly depreciating. Seeing that energy companies are reluctant to change their ways and notorious for negligently plowing forward despite knowing exactly how fossil fuels have affected global temperatures for decades, it begs the question:
Do we really want to keep giving them our money?
What options do we have?
Cue the Stop the Money Pipeline movement, where we speak out against fossil fuels with our wallets by divesting our money from financial institutions that bankroll climate change. Divesting from fossil fuels is a powerful signal you can make to financial institutions and the energy industry that the time for change is now.Â
Additional perk: This gives you the opportunity to reinvest in more promising industries like renewable energy.
Looking to align your money with your values? Invest in a sustainable future by moving your dolla dolla bills to a bank, credit union, or other financial institution that doesn’t fund fossil fuels. This tool from Bank For Goodwill helps you locate an institution that works for you and backs the planet.Â
What? Sign open letters to the financial institution CEO’s, drafted by Stop the Money Pipeline, demanding that they stop funding fossil fuels and deforestation.Â
Why? Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citibank are the largest funders of fossil fuels and deforestation in the world.
How? Click the link to sign letters. (Estimated 1 minute)
What? Send an email to New York Mellon demanding that they pull funding for the building of the Carmichael Coal Project in North Queensland, Australia.
Why? If built, the Carmichael mine would increase the shipping and industrial activity in areas around the already-stressed Great Barrier Reef.
How? Click the link to send the email. (Estimated 1 minute)
Some good things to think about here. I recently signed up for New Zealand's government-supported retirement savings programme. You get to choose your fund so I made sure to choose one that didn't invest in fossil fuels (and some other unethical industries such as tobacco and arms). It's good to see that divesting is starting to make a difference.
Some good things to think about here. I recently signed up for New Zealand's government-supported retirement savings programme. You get to choose your fund so I made sure to choose one that didn't invest in fossil fuels (and some other unethical industries such as tobacco and arms). It's good to see that divesting is starting to make a difference.