Reading the book Drawdown was a game-changer for me, and ultimately is what led me to launch Make Our Kids Healthy Again in 2018. If you’ve never heard about it before, Drawdown is a resource guide on the most impactful things we can do to reduce our carbon emissions on this planet.
It’s easy to fear what global warming is going to do and be. There aren’t a lot of organizations that are putting out solutions that were actionable. Drawdown is unique in that it lays out solutions that we can actually implement - and that is empowering.
I am all about action, big and small. Here are 4 lessons I learned from Drawdown in 2018 that I plan to take with me into 2019 through Make Our Kids Healthy Again.
Yes, there are things we can do as individuals to impact global warming. It’s very easy to get caught up in the negativity of global warming and just how BIG the problem it - it affects everyone on this planet. It’s overwhelming, and a lot of people will just shut down and ignore it, or simply refuse to deal with it. Big change starts with us, and we as a human race will have to deal with it eventually. Start now.
Meaningful change requires individual action as well as policy change at the government level. Individuals taking action is critical for accountability. However governments have a big responsibility as well. Take off-shore and on-shore wind farms for example. As much as I’d love the ability to go implement a wind-farm, as an individual I don’t have the power or capacity to do so. Governments have to step in to help support that infrastructure.
Global warming is not pass or fail. We could get by with a solid B and be just fine. People see or hear that we can’t reverse the damage that has been done. That is not an excuse for completely disregarding the damaging impact of fossil fuels. By doing even the minimum and making some small effort we give ourselves and the planet some credit.
Our actions to reduce global warming are connected to each other.The different things we do cascade onto another. For example, reducing food waste makes us mindful about what we’re eating. That mindfulness will cascade and have an impact on other areas - there is a multiplying effect when it comes to global warming.
2019 is the year of action. For me, leveraging these lessons learned is just the start of making a difference in the world. I hope you will join me in a year of positive change, big and small.
Learn more around what you can do to make an impact on global warming through a plant based diet with your entire family by following us on Facebookand Instagram.
In good health,
Meagan
