Little Climate Pep Talks
You're doing fantastic!
You’re one of the 64% of people around the world making decisions with the climate in mind. Well done, you! I’d say you were killing it, but a more on-brand observation is that you’re as hot as a well-stirred compost pile. iykyk.
It’s rewarding to be sustainable, but it’s also dang difficult. Why is shopping so much easier? (There’s an interesting answer. Future newsletter topic alert.) But right now, you—like me—might be carrying a lot. You’re alarmed about climate change and aware that systems need to change faster. This month, I want you to know you’re not alone and what you’re doing matters.
You’re active on your BuyNothing group, keeping items out of landfills and reducing packaging. Each time you post an item, you’re voting for sustainable systems. You’re amazing!
You’re adding more native plants to your garden, creating pollinator corridors. We both know the real beneficiary is you. Nothing is quite as rewarding as seeing birds eating seeds from the plants you’ve selected. But also, your yard is part of the restoration of biodiversity. You’re an ecological healer.
You voted! Changing systems is hard, but that’s exactly what you did. Maybe like me, you followed the latest U.S. election results with a bubbly sensation you recognized as hope! Bravo!
You went into Michael’s for hot glue sticks and you left with hot glue sticks and nothing else! Not every hero wears a cape.
You changed your family’s toilet paper brand and no one in your household even noticed. Bravo! You’re saving old growth forests. And maybe you now wanna punch those smug cartoon bears who sell a product that destroys the habitat of actual bears. What can I say? You’re a badass.
You remembered (finally) to bring a container with you to that restaurant and you took your leftovers home in it. I’m in awe! I always forget to grab one before leaving the house, but because of you, I’m going to remember. You inspire me.
You’re vegan (or vegetarian). Not only are you eating delicious food, but you’ve chosen a diet that has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions. We all thank you. You’re amazing!
You’re not vegan or vegetarian, but you’re plant forward, a flexitarian. You’re eating more Beyond Meat burgers or leaning into Meatless Mondays. You’re the future. It’s not realistic to expect everyone to be vegan, but we can all eat more plant proteins. You know this. You live this. You’re doing great!
You made time to get both your COVID and flu shot! You’re protecting your health and that of your community. Well done!
You talked to someone about climate change and maybe even recommended a book or told them something hopeful. Your influence is called your climate shadow and it’s essential. Tackling climate change is the ultimate group project and we need everyone to participate. Thank you!
You’re looking into electrifying your house. YES! Hooray for heat pumps of all varieties. If you want to dip your toe into the heat pump world, check out heat pump water heaters. One of the most vexing climate questions is how to electrify house by house. You’re living your values and saving money. Both good things. Bravo!
You signed up for Catalog Choice, reducing the catalogs that show up at your house (and those temptations). It only took a minute to save trees. You know small changes have big benefits.
You’re human. You made a choice you knew wasn’t great for the environment. Me, too! All the time. And then, you kept the faith. This is a long game and you’re in it. Thank you for walking this walk with me!
November Project: Create a Bug Snug: A place for pollinators to overwinter
Find a location. Sunny spots are best for overwintering bugs. For humans who mow, building the bug snug on a mulched area will make summers more enjoyable.
Tie three sticks together. Put them into the ground. I used a mallet to pound the sticks into the ground.
Gather materials. We used leaves, branches, and stems. We arranged them into lasagna like layers.
Enjoy!
Pollinators and lightning bugs use leaf litter and hollow stems to overwinter. When homeowners rake leaves, it cuts the number of moths and butterflies in half. Some honest talk: Because we live in a neighborhood, we can’t just leave the leaves. What we can leave are the native plants since they don’t blow into other yards. For the leaves, we rake them into native garden beds and under bushes, bag them for compost, put them into our bug snug, and because I’ll always be real with you, we then mow what’s left.
The bug snug has been the most fun part of November. I made it with my daughter who ran joyfully around the yard bringing twigs and branches. “Looks a little weird,” she told me, “but nice.” She’s advocating for a Bug Snug sign. Next project.
Link round up
Humans are fascinating: This New York Times magazine piece about a woman who won’t stop having babies—over the objections of her husband and The Originals—is the kind of journalistic deep dive that underscores how much I love creative nonfiction. And it’s the sort of story I’ll always share with my sister. And now, I’m sharing the gift article with you.
Board game rec: Road to Tokaido, a visually beautiful board game in which you get rewarded for soaking at hot springs and donating to the temple.
Book rec for parents: 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High Tech World by Jean M Twenge. I loved how Twenge not only provides the research, but also gives parents concrete recommendations. My kid might hate that I listened to this book, but she’ll thank me later. Maybe.
Audio book rec for kids: Sneaks by Catherine Egan. I usually fall asleep on drives when we listen to audio books. I stayed up for this. The characters were interesting, the plot original, the narration excellent.
