We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it. -Barack Obama
Each day, we move closer to the collapse of the environment, the ecosystems that allow us to thrive, with our collective consumptive actions. The science shows that in countries like the US, where 69% of the population believes in global warming, only 56% end up changing their most basic consumption habits.
To fix the problem, we have to understand the problem. Climate change is real, and it's not only caused by the 100 mega-corporations responsible for 71% of all Co2 emissions. It is significantly caused by our everyday actions. We can't pretend that there isn't a relationship between these companies and the individuals supporting them. Suppose we stop consuming goods from these companies (heavily comprised of oil and energy companies). If we all switched to renewable energy in our homes and offices, reduced our reliance on cars and planes, and limited our use of plastics, we would eliminate many of the largest emission sources. By retelling this story, we hope we can move just a few people to make a personal change, to help us improve the future in a way that ruminating on the past and blaming giant corporations cannot.
We need to work together, give our collective support to make changes, push back against the influence of our consumerist cultures, consciously fight, raise our voices, hold people and companies accountable, and amplify those around us.
We believe that individuals and their stories are the best way to change the world. People have the opportunity to reframe narratives, share stories, and move hearts and minds in ways that pure data and statistics cannot. We urge you to share this, speak with your friends, and convince people in your life to care about our climate as much as you do — because change starts there.
At Ape Unit, we have taken action to become carbon neutral in our operations and we are focusing on reduction measures that move us toward our goal of becoming completely climate-neutral across our business. We are committed to leading discussions and communicating environmental impacts with our partners to create a business community dedicated to creating a sustainable future. We hope you will join us in taking action, educating yourself, changing habits, and sharing your conviction with those around you.
Our responsibility is to build a fairer world with our actions, our consumption, and our voices. Please use the following resources to help reach this goal. Please share suggestions with us at james@apeunit.com.
Read - Books
A Terrible Thing to Waste by Harriet A. Washington Environmental racism and its assault on the American mind.
Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration by Holly Jean Buck What if the people seized the means of climate production?
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates A wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.
The Future Earth by Eric Holthaus A Radical Vision for What's Possible in the Age of Warming.
The New Climate War by Michael E. Mann Fossil fuel companies have waged a thirty-year campaign to deflect blame and delay action on climate change. Michael E. Mann offers a plan for how we can save the planet.
There Is No Planet B by Mike Berners-Lee A handbook for the make or break years of our planet.
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells Fears of sea-level rise, barely scratch the surface of what terrors are possible.
To Know the World by Mitchell Thomashow A New Vision for Environmental Learning.
Youth to Power by Jamie Margolin Jamie Margolin offers the essential guide to changemaking for young people.
Read - Essays and Articles
A Climate Change Guide for Kids A guide for kids and anyone else about climate change, and what we can do about it.
Bloomberg Green Climate news and insights on the latest in science, environmental impacts, zero-emission tech and green finance.
Climate Feedback A worldwide network of scientists sorting fact from fiction in climate change media coverage.
Earthsight Exposing crime & corruption linked to global commodities
Grist.org A nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint This guide will walk you through some choices you can make in your every day life to reduce your carbon footprint.
Inside Climate News Pulitzer Prize-winning, nonpartisan reporting on the biggest crisis facing our planet.
Read Up on the Links Between Racism and the Environment
Taking a Different Approach to Fighting Climate Change Research from Narasimha Rao, a Yale professor, shows that reducing inequality could improve our ability to mitigate some of the worst effects on the environment.
Think You're Making Good Climate Choices? Take This Mini-Quiz Addressing misconceptions about the climate impact of different activities.
What is environmental racism and how can we fight it? Environmental racism, a form of systemic racism whereby communities of colour are disproportionately burdened with health hazards.
LOW←TECH MAGAZINE Low-tech Magazine questions the belief in technological progress, and highlights the potential of past knowledge and technologies for designing a sustainable society.
Listen - Podcasts and audiobooks
A Matter of Degrees Podcast Join Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson as they tell stories about the powerful forces behind climate change — and the tools we have to fix it.
Generation Green New Deal Generation Green New Deal tells the story of this youth movement: who they are, what they’ve accomplished so far, and where they go from here.
Hot Take A holistic, irreverent, no-bullshit look at the climate crisis and all the ways we’re talking—and not talking—about it.
How to Save a Planet | Gimlet Asking the big questions: What do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done?
INHERITED Stories from, for, and by the youth climate movement.
Learn - Online courses
Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action from the University of Michigan — How to translate learning into action on climate change in the areas of food, energy, transportation and the built environment (cities).
Climate Change and Health: From Science to Action from Yale University — Learn how climate change negatively affects human health, what adaptation strategies can lessen the impacts, and how to communicate effectively about these issues to bring about change in your community.
Climate Change Bootcamp with Terra.do — A deep dive into the full climate change landscape.
Energy Within Environmental Constraints from Harvard Univerity — A quantitative introduction to the energy system and its environmental impacts.
Essential Tools For The Low Carbon Economy from the Univeristy of Queensland — A quantitative introduction to the energy system and its environmental impacts.
One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership — A joint initiative of more than 30 multilateral organizations helping countries to achieve climate change action both through general climate literacy and applied skills development.
The Sustainable Development Goals from the University of Copenhagen — A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future.
The Health Effects of Climate Change from Harvard University — Learn how global warming impacts human health, and the ways we can diminish those impacts..
Watch - Films and documentaries
An Inconvenient Truth Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Al Gore's personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change.
Before the Flood A riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change.
Blowout Reporters, scientists, and citizens trace the fallout of a new American fossil fuel boom.
Our Planet Share the wonder of the extraordinary place we call home.
The Story of Plastic Teaser An expose revealing the ugly truth behind plastic pollution and the false solution of plastic recycling.
The True Cost Exploring the impact of fashion on people and the planet.
Tomorrow With humanity threatened by the collapse of ecosystems, journalist and NGO director Cyril Dion and actor and filmmaker Mélanie Laurent head out across the world, with a small film crew, in search of a solution that can save their children.
Act - Donate
Clean Air Task Force Through technology innovation, policy change, and thought leadership, the Clean Air Task Force drives impact to prevent catastrophic climate change through realistic solutions.
Clean Energy Innovation Creating policy and creative solutions to break through partisan gridlock.
Climate Emergency Fund At the intersection of philanthropy and climate activism to focus funding on radical action as opposed to incremental change.
Environmental Justice Foundation Shining an international spotlight on the environmental and human rights abuses that too often go unnoticed.
Rain Forest Coalition Developing policy and tools that endeavor to achieve sustainability for forested and adjacent agricultural lands.
Act - Follow
Alexandria Villaseñor Climate Justice Activist & Author. Founder @Earth_Uprising.
Future Coalition A national network and community for youth-led organizations and youth leaders.
Greta Thunberg Climate- and environmental activist
Xiye Bastida Climate Justice Activist. Co-Founder of @Re_EarthOrg organizer with @fridays4future
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This article has not been funded or sponsored by any organizations or people. This article presents our own views at Ape Unit and was written for general information purposes.
Illustration by Catarina Horn
