“Our scientific analysis shows that the world can reach drawdown—the point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline—by mid-century if we make the best use of all existing climate solutions. Each solution presented here reduces greenhouse gases by avoiding emissions and/or by sequestering carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.” 

Learn the myriad ways you can make a difference right away, as detailed by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Most people cannot do all ten, and that’s okay! Choose the one(s) that make the most sense for your life and values.

6. Continually acknowledge and manage eco-anxiety

Kids Fight Climate Change. Climate education made by youth and built for youth.

2. Understand the goal of climate work with Project Drawdown

Our Climate. Toolkits and How-To’s for teen activism and advocacy.

Listen to Gen-Zer and activist Clover Hogan’s “What to do when climate change feels unstoppable?” TED talk to help improve your mindset and “challenge the stories that keep you feeling powerless.”

Read or Listen to:

Reynolds, Emma, Drawn to Change the World Graphic Novel Collection: 16 Youth Climate Activists, 16 Artists (New York, NY: Harperalley, 2023).

Rusch, Elizabeth, The Twenty-One: The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government Over Climate Change (New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2023).

Have a great idea to help the Earth, but need funding? Apply for a Seed Grant from The Nature Generation.

Jane Goodall’s Hopecast. 

What Can I do? miniseries from A Matter of Degrees.

A Matter of Degrees. “Give up Climate Guilt. Become Climate Curious.”

Environmental Defense Funds’ Degrees Podcast: Real Talk About Planet-Saving Careers. 

3. Understand the goal of climate work with Project Drawdown

4. Find inspiration and ideas from other students and youth

Re-Earth Initiative, an international youth-led organization that supports frontline youth and communities across twenty-seven countries.

 Dr. Britt Wray of Gen Dread and the All We Can Save Project put together a comprehensive list of “Resources for working with climate emotions,” which includes how to find a climate-aware therapist. Many of us can benefit from professional help to manage climate grief and anxiety. You’re not alone.

5. Learn which brands are better for the planet

Head to the library to read Wallet Activism: How to Use Every Dollar You Spend, Earn, and Save as a Force for Change by Tanja Hester. The book (also available in audio form) proves you don’t need to make or spend a lot of money to make a difference with your dollars.

Founded and edited by a veteran science and tech journalist, one5c “distills behavior into impact, and surfaces the meaningful changes everyday folks can make to help save the world. That could mean breaking up with a bank that has oil money on its hands, exploring all the chemicals you can replace with baking soda, or hitting the garage-sale circuit instead of the big-box store.”

Discover some inspiration, ideas, and resources to help you navigate overwhelm or apathy with The Jane Goodall Institute: Tips and Inspiration for Working with Eco-Anxiety. 

Seeing good news first can make a huge difference in your mood and mindset. If you have a computer or phone, set your home page to Happy Eco News.

Eco-anxiety Resources from Eco-Anxious Stories. “Get tips and tools to help you share stories, normalize climate anxieties, and spark solutions.”

This free newsletter shares wide-ranging ideas for supporting emotional health and psychological resilience in the climate and wider ecological crisis. You can, of course, read all the posts without signing up, if you prefer.

If you can only energize yourself to do one thing today, please check out this amazing resource. It’s run by Britt Wray, PhD, an author, researcher, public speaker, and consultant working at the forefront of climate change and mental health. Wray is the Director of CIRCLE at Stanford Psychiatry, a research and action initiative focused on Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership, and Emotional wellbeing in Stanford’s School of Medicine.

1. Sign up for the Unthinkable (formally Gen Dread) Substack

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