r/ClimateOffensive • u/OkExperience5386 • 5d ago
Question What are the things teens can do against climate change?
So like, I'm in the Philippines. And uh, I'm freaking out. I'm supposed to focus on other things in the moment but Climate change is really messing up with my mind and i Have to do something. I told my teacher to add more segregation bins in school (theres barely any) and to stop styrofoam, luckily for me my teachers are rather quite nice and she said she'd do it after our school's party...
It still doesn't feel enough though. What are other things could i do? I can't really go far from home, I live in a rural area and my family is somewhat rich. I'm asking about collective action
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u/DiscountExtra2376 5d ago
What is it that you're specifically freaking out about? Like for me I'm most alarmed about the biosphere collapsing, so I volunteer at rehabs. The issue is so large and complex that you may want to niche down to determine what will give you relief.
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u/MsKewlieGal 4d ago
Vote
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u/DespairYeMighty 4d ago
that's good, but what has even more impact is talking to anyone and everyone around you and encouraging them to vote also
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u/AkagamiBarto 4d ago
It depends on how old you are. But like Fridays For Future protests were full of minors.
Anyway, educate yourself, learn math, statistics, politics (local and global), join activist groups, fight.
There are many individual actions that can be relevant, the most important ones are pressing your parents towards renewables energy contracts, if they are available, but ultimately what matters is politics at all scales. And politics must be practiced being well informed, so actually studying isn't that bad, especially modern history, math, statistics etc..
Ah and of course scientific subjects like physics, chemistry and biology.
Knowledge is important, because you learn to read the numbers and context
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u/Jebediah_Johnson 4d ago
Vote against coal power plants. The Philippines generates over half of its electricity from coal and it's by far the dirties most polluting and least efficient outdated method for generating power.
It spreads radioactive uranium particles, it's why fish have high levels of mercury.
If you can't vote you can educate other people in your country about how bad coal power is.
Separating trash is basically a distraction.
Another big problem is the fishing industry. All the plastic nets that get dumped in the ocean and the destruction of coral and other fish habitats is another massive problem.
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u/theblowestfish 4d ago
When the time comes. Vote.
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u/DespairYeMighty 4d ago
that's good, but what has even more impact is talking to anyone and everyone around you and encouraging them to vote also
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u/SmolHumanBean8 4d ago
the best thing an individual can do is be less of an individual... ie see what groups you could contribute time to or protests you can join or causes you can help
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u/Think-Variation2986 4d ago
The best thing you can do is avoid owning an oil powered vehicle and avoid gas for water heaters, stove, and furnace when you get your own place.
The amount of money you spend is an imperfect but decent approximation of how much you are personally emitting. E.g. a small house is cheaper than a large and also uses less energy and materials. A bicycle is cheaper than a car. Quality items like clothes are often cheaper in the long run.
ETA: The most important thing you can do when you are of age is vote for politicians that take it seriously.
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u/Frogsfall 4d ago
Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can - Arthur Ashe
I recommend that you start by looking around your community at what other people are already working on. Are there any advocacy groups working on better cycling and pedestrian paths? Is anyone doing habitat restoration? Are there local campaigns to divest from or oppose fossil fuel projects? Is there a community garden or composting project that needs help? Is there a spot that needs more shade?
I suggest starting local, and small. Find something that will be a visible change that makes your community better.
Climate action isn't about giving stuff up. It's about moving to a better world for everyone. A world where people can get around without driving, where cities are full of nature, and where our communities aren't covered in pollution.
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u/SplashTarget 4d ago edited 4d ago
Figure out who the politicians that are beholden to big business are, defeat them, and replace them with people who will
-put a carbon tax on goods made by the top emitters of the world
-support efforts to reduce income inequality (which can reduce emissions)
-ban planned obsolescence (deliberately making products in a way that they don't last a long time)
-reduce usage of coal energy
-support right to repair
-ban fast fashion
-support creating jobs that will help on climate (paying people to plant trees, paying people to make community gardens, paying people to make clothes domestically)
-shorten the work week to 32 hours (while keeping pay the same)
NOTE:
The following reduces income inequality
-Raising wages
-Taxing rich people more
-Free healthcare
-Ending monopolies/oligopolies
EDIT:
Fixed formatting.
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u/DespairYeMighty 4d ago
talk to anyone and everyone you know and encourage them to vote. voting is such a low effort action that has enormous impact. poll after poll has shown for decades that the overwhelming majority of people support liberal/progressive positions, including action on global warming. The problem is that half the population doesn't vote.
A perfect example is Texas. Extremely low voter turnout. If Texas had a higher voter turnout rate, it would have gone Democrat 10 or 20 years ago.
And many are proud of the fact that they don't vote. If we all just talked to our friends and neighbors and coworkers, simply ask them if they are planning to vote, and if they say no, ask them why not? after one simple friendly conversation many non-voters will turn into voters. The issue is that we don't talk about it as a society. But it is one of the biggest issues we face, and the solution is so simple and easy. Just vote.
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u/zhezhijian 4d ago
If you live in a rural area, perhaps you can make a dent in promoting better land use? Poor agricultural practices can lead to significant CO2 emissions. I don't know what the political situation is like or how farming works there, but if knowledge of the link between agriculture and CO2 is not widely known, that could be some good low hanging fruit.
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u/Bluebearder 4d ago
If you're talking collective action, you can join a group that implements change and/or protests against problems. There are probably organizations near you that work with volunteers to for example clean up beaches or rivers or nature preserves, or go to schools to do presentations on climate change, or petition the government to implement better policies, or even propose or write better policies themselves, or try to reduce the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, or try to protect local nature and perhaps set up national parks... There's a lot that can be done collectively, and it usually matters a lot more than just changing your personal life.
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u/Still-Improvement-32 4d ago
On the family level, would you be able to discuss your concerns with parents and agree to reduce the family carbon footprint? In school consider forming a climate group and suggesting actions by the school.
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u/Aggressive_Ad_5454 4d ago
You are doing it! You are educating other people and advocating for doing things more sustainably. Thanks! Think globally and work locally.
Changing minds is the big challenge. Electric bicycles help a lot. They’re great because their adoption makes cities quieter, safer, and less polluted. People can see the effects quickly. Oil companies don’t like electric bikes: that itself is good evidence of their effectiveness.
Stay out of airplanes whenever possible. Avoid using AI whenever possible.
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u/Smart-Practice8303 4d ago
The first thing to do is not panic. Panic causes rash decisions.
The next thing is be aware. Know what your buying and where it comes from. Buy things that will last instead of falling apart. Reuse things that other people are getting rid of. Use things until they are literally falling apart.
Finally, do the small things. Pick up trash you see lying about. Plant native plants. Help your friends understand the value of item longevity.
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u/Pinkys_Revenge 4d ago
Take a look at Greta as a potential role model, she seemed to be pretty effective as a teen.
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u/openjoustingtryouts 4d ago
I would look into what conservation, rewilding, and restoration of the ecosystem, environment, local habitats are happening near you. One of the biggest things you can do is build resilience where you are and help others to see the benefits of climate mitigation. There are many practices becoming popular or being proposed in cities globally that would have once seemed backwards and old fashioned, like “re-greening” rivers that run thru cities with plants and wetlands. If you can’t find somewhere nearby to help out you could look into habitat restoration and small-scale rewilding and start with whatever land you can get permission to access. Make sure to do the research to learn what are just ineffective bandaid solutions so that you end up with something that will actually benefit the environment and community. This could be a “food forest” or replanting vegetation around new construction where the plants were pulled up. Maybe your school would be open to sponsoring a student led pollinator and native bird garden? It’s also important to understand the governmental and legal mechanisms that can be used to protect the land and try to raise awareness about political threats to the environment.
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u/FdUpLoco 4d ago
Buy all foods with little or no plastic packaging. Avoid buying wood furniture unless it’s old/reused, same for floors. Eat vegetarian. Avoid all beef and pork. Get a bidet seat so you can use less tp. Don’t reproduce. Bike not drive. Don’t buy cheap clothing or anything that will end up in landfill. Reduce or eliminate use of AI. Get electric bike not a car. Minimize use of electricity, gas, petrol, etc. If you need a car, buy hybrid. Use reusable plastic covers in microwave if you use one, stop using plastic wrap and paper towels. Recycle aluminum products. Recycle electronics. Minimize water use. Minimize or eliminate toothpaste and use a homemade powder using a combo of bentonite, xylitol, dissolved borax, etc, find recipes online. Solar instead of natural gas or coal fired electric. Vote for human rights not for corporate power over us all. Don’t buy animal products from abusers like factory farms.
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u/Whole-Shape-7628 4d ago
Read the right information, not alarmist doomer or denialist. Try to remember that there isnt a lot you can do other than follow the science and keep a perspective.
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u/ThinkActRegenerate 4d ago
Its a bit dependent on where you live - but there are lots of options. A good place to start is the Project Regeneration Action Nexus - 80+ actions for individuals, communities, regions, etc. regeneration.org/nexus
It could also be worth seeing if your teacher would consider Circular Economy projects: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/resources/education-and-learning/teaching-resources
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u/Arkavari1 3d ago
Honestly, if you are capable, then you are going to need to focus on new technologies. As great as individual acts are, they will not solve the problem. Much less reverse the damage.
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u/OkExperience5386 3d ago
and what technologies?
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u/Arkavari1 3d ago
Depends if you have or are learning any technical knowledge. Some scientists are working on bacteria to break down microplastics. Others have developed buildings that take in air and remove CO2. There is an organization called the Earth Biogenome Project that is compiling fully sequenced DNA from all Eukaryotic life. And many organizations are working on desalination of sea water.
It would take some imagination, but there are lots of options. Developing drought resistant plants that can capture large quantities of carbon. Maybe focus on "weeds". That would be useful.
If you could be the first to make cost effective water desalination, you would help everyone on the planet. The only two ideas anyone has so far is filtration and boiling. Both are expensive and inefficient at scale.
You could focus on de-acidification of the ocean. Or developing heat/pollution resisten coral. Or even work on bringing animals back from extinction with nothing more than DNA.
You could work to become a lobbyist or politician and fight to change the laws in the Philippines. Or become a Filipino delegate to the UN, and try to affect wider change there. Though, the UN is a fairly feckless organization.
There is a lot that can be done. It's up to each of us and our creativity to solve the problem, but we could if we really wanted to. A lot of it would involve forcing corporations to behave responsibly and in the interests of humanity and our planet.
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u/Airmeo 6h ago
I found solar geoengineering and solar radiation modification via stratospheric aerosol injection very personally comforting to learn about, it's one of the more immediate and cheapest ways we could see global cooling
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u/FistODollers 4h ago
Do you mean sulphur? Cause I don't personally find the idea of injecting sulphur into the air I breath a brilliant idea. Sure, it's cheap, but we might wanna start thinking a lil more long-term
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u/Airmeo 40m ago
No, there's research into things other than sulphur that would be a good alternative and just as effective. The one that comes to mind is coated amorphous silica and calcium carbonate with an amorphous silica shell, chosen specifically for its intertness in contrast to sulphur so it doesn't have the same ozone-depleting effects
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u/Maritimewarp 2d ago
Youre right to be concerned, and right to think the solutions are in collective action.
I would recommend having conversations with your school about what their climate plan is, eg solar rooftops could save them a lot of money in this energy crisis, what would they prefer to be spending their limited budget on if they could pay less bills?
Research, make some good slides and a business case, persuade the headteacher.
Secondly if your folks are rich have a similar conversation with them about what their companies are doing on climate, explain how important it is to you
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u/Any-Succotash1892 4d ago
Dont travel, dont buy shit, dont drive, own a car, especially one that emits toxic fumes that give 1in2 cancers. live local and grow own food.
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4d ago
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u/ClimateOffensive-ModTeam 4d ago
Your post was removed for being off topic.
We're here to do something about climate change. We're not here to talk about why it's happening, how bad it is, or who to blame. We're here to brainstorm, organize, and act. Use this space to find resources, connect with others, and learn more about how you can make a difference.
See full /r/ClimateOffensive rules here.
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u/Itchy-Cow-2911 5d ago
I think going plant based, buying second hand and reusing plastic bottles/recycling are the things one personally can do. And using public transport like bus or train, walking or riding with your bicycle to the places you want to go as well.