Climate change is an issue that must be faced and dealt with by everybody. There is no one way to solve it, and it is important that we do everything in our power to help with this crisis we are facing. 

We must change our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint and elect politicians who are climate conscious and will hold corporations accountable for their emissions.

There are many valuable resources that can be used to learn about climate change. Reading, attending lectures and events in your community, and watching documentaries are good ways to learn more about the crisis. 

Kalamazoo has many organizations that provide opportunities to learn how to lower your carbon footprint, and to learn more about climate change as a whole. The Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition puts on many events, including Fridays for Future, which take place every Friday internationally. 

They feature a specific topic to do with climate change with speakers who come and give lectures about it. Some examples of Kalamazoo’s Fridays for Future events are “Climate Impacts on the Great Lakes,” “Low Carbon Cooking,” and “The Scientific Case for Urgent Action on Climate Change.” These events are an hour long, so they are always specific and to the point, and are great ways to learn.

Fahimeh Baziari was a part of the planning committee for the Fridays for Future put on by the Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition. She has worked in the conservation field for many years and has held positions in the Peace Corps and in Forestry. 

According to Baziari, “The goal of FFF [Fridays for Future] was to mirror the messages and actions that Greta Thunberg advocated. These events were trying to get people to spend a portion of their week informing themselves on climate change issues.” 

The target audience for the events is high school students, to teach the next generation of leaders about the climate crisis.

Baziari also said that the aforementioned Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition, the Citizens Climate Lobby and Extinction Rebellion are some nearby organizations to keep an eye on to get more involved.

Despite there being some great organizations to get involved in, Baziari said, “Compared to other places I believe climate change accessibility could be much better.” She maintains that the information can be found easily if associated with these organizations, but also said, “If you are not a person who affiliates with these groups, I believe you would actively have to seek out information.”

Baziari said that working in a field related to the issue makes it easier to stay up-to-date and added,“I have always been able to find mentors that I can reach out to for information on climate change.”

She also reads about the issue, stating that “Some recent books I have read are: ‘We Are The Weather’ By Jonathan Safran Foer, ‘6 Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet’ By Mark Lynas, and ‘Uninhabitable Earth’ By David Wallace Wells.

It is very important to learn more about what you can do to help with the issue of climate change. The severe consequences of inaction will fall on our generation to solve, and we must do all we can to prevent those from occurring. These resources presented are good ways to become more informed and make good decisions in lifestyle and election times.