After the record-breaking heat and resulting disruption and discomfort in July last year, you might be feeling anxious, scared or overwhelmed. Temperatures of over 40 degrees in South East England left scarred fields and scared communities wondering what actions we can take to try to undo the damage that humankind is causing. But all this can’t surely be fixed by just talking about climate change, can it?
We hope you’re feeling some comfort in the work of Sustainable St Albans (and other grassroots groups in the UK and abroad). We have been working for over 10 years to help the residents of this District think globally, and act locally, on environmental sustainability.
You might not realize this, but chatting with people you know about climate change is incredibly important. What the people we know think, say, and do has the biggest influence on our own attitudes and behaviour. In fact, research shows that friends and families are one of the most trusted sources of information on climate. That’s why the conversations you have with friends, family members and others in your community can bring about even bigger change.
No matter where you live, there’s a good chance that most of the people around you are already thinking about or even worried about climate change. Talking with people can create the space for change and help us find ways to work together and make everyone feel part of the solution.
If you’re feeling nervous to take step, Sustainable St Albans has been supporting communities talking about climate change through our projects, for over a decade:
- Our Planet Our Future: Our regular series of talks and discussions encourages audience discussion on the subject presented, whether it’s a film, a demonstration or debate.
- Meeting your neighbours through Playing Out and Street Parties: Communities who regularly get to know each other, share lives and share friendships are more likely to share resources, food, tools and ideas.
- Sustainability Markets: Come and talk with our volunteers to find out more about our work at any of our events, and an opportunity to meet local eco-businesses who can help you reduce your carbon footprint
- Climate Conversations: A structured series of questions and prompts to help you and your friends navigate a self-guided discussion and resolve to take steps between you.
- Climate Champions: We have volunteers who can come to your work, your group, your school, your club or meet you and your team after a match. We
- Talk to your representatives: Voting and engaging with politics is as important as ever before. Issues from education to energy, jobs to travel, food prices to healthcare are all rooted in political decisions. Find out who represents you in those conversations and let them know what you think.
Our resources to inspire you share a wealth of information about ways to broach the discussion with friends and colleagues: it might be awkward to start the discussion but it’s one of the best ways you can fight climate change.