You CAN Do Something
(And some things are worth doing regardless of how they turn out)
The summer of 2023 has been a wake-up call. Fires and floods, oil companies turning their backs on green initiatives, the destruction of the Greenbelt in the service of Doug Ford’s wealthy backers…I could go on and on. We’re stressed. We’re disappointed. We’re angry. Many people have responded by shutting down, avoiding the news, or pretending that everything is going to be fine. I often hear people say, “Well there’s nothing I can do as an individual, and I feel paralyzed.” Help is at hand. There’s a whole lot you CAN do. Here are some suggestions:
Support real journalism. Social media, while being a boon for advertisers and cat-owners is a minefield of disinformation and misinformation. Unlike real journalists, social media pundits and influencers don’t have any accountability for truth, and can’t be required to provide facts. And at the moment they are blocking Canadian news anyway, which is another good reason to take a break. Of course there’s lots of good stuff available too, but the best news sources have codes of ethics and rules about journalistic integrity. The very first thing autocrats and dodgy politicians do is steer you away from real news and onto their feeds—so they can’t be held to account. On the environmental front I would recommend The Narwhal for up-to-the-minute reporting on environmental stories. I’d also recommend the old standards like the CBC (they have a climate “feed,”) The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the Guardian. (I’d avoid the papers bought and paid for by Republicans and Big Oil. Just sayin…)
Choose one issue. I know there are dozens of crises to choose from, but if you try to tackle everything you won’t feel like you can achieve anything. What is the issue that calls to you most deeply? Try making a list and then narrowing it down. The more specific you can be, the better. For example, perhaps you have a child with asthma and air quality is really important for you. Or perhaps you want to choose an issue that is local to your community versus something much more international in scope. You can centre that as your number one concern and use it to help decide where you want to make an impact. Be realistic about what you can offer. It’s really hard on organizations to onboard and orient volunteers only to have them bail a short time later.
Do an assessment of your skills and resources. For example, if you are retired you may have time to donate. If you’re working full time and have young kids at home, signing up for a committee might be unrealistic. Maybe a small monthly donation to an environmental group is all you can manage at the moment. Think about the skills that you have: are you good at fundraising? Event-planning? Graphic design? Accounting? Social media? Video editing? Just about every environmental group I’ve spoken with is in need of people with these skills.
Be real about what is sustainable and your overall priorities. If you feel like you’re already spending too much time away from your children, for example, perhaps you’ll want to look for activities that you could do as a family, like litter clean-ups, a butterfly garden, or tree-planting.
Educate yourself about your chosen issue. Once you understand the history, the players, the nuances, the solutions—then you can educate your friends!
When veteran climate activist Bill McKibben was asked “What can I do as an individual?” His answer was “the most significant thing you can do for the climate is to stop being an individual and join something.” Find a group to join. Take the time to do a little research about the group. How are they funded? What is their vision? Do they meet in person or online? Are they a registered charity (important if you want tax receipts)? Do they require a specific commitment or are they flexible? For example, if you’re volunteering at an event, everyone is relying on you to be at your post. It’s like an employment situation. Not showing up hurts everybody.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Take the time to be sure that you’re well-aligned with the group you want to join. For example, if you’re a quiet, introverted person you won’t want to be asked to participate in street theatre or public speaking. Finding the right group is a little bit like dating. If you’re not a good fit it won’t work out for either of you.
Don’t start a brand new group if you can help it. I know this seems like a strange thing to say, but starting new groups is a huge investment of time and energy when there are so many very experienced groups in desperate need of funding and volunteers. These long-term groups have taken years to work out the kinks, iron out their procedures and ethics, and build a following. As concerned citizens we really need to work together instead of creating more fragmentation and competition for resources. If you want to dedicate work to a specific person (e.g. in memoriam) there are ways to make this happen within existing structures.
Recognize that joining a group can give you a support network and new friends who are equally worried about today’s issues. But it’s also important to cultivate your own self-care. Be kind to your body and brain. Be mindful of who you spend time with, online and off. Make sure you can find the time to find the little joys, like walking in nature, playing with your kids or baking a cake…whatever makes you happy.
Finally, recognize that whether or not becoming more involved actually leads to the change you want to see, it’s still worth doing. It’s about having integrity. It’s about trying to leave a better world for your children and grandchildren. It’s also important to go in with the right attitude. You’re not making sacrifices, you’re taking charge. As Christen Brandt and Tammy Tibbets say in Impact: “Creating an impact is not about what you are giving up, it’s about what you gain by making smarter choices about how you spend your time, money and talents.”
In a recent interview writer and activist, Rebecca Solnit said:
I think so much encourages people to believe they can’t win, so all you can win is a good posture for yourself in the world and how you present yourself. But I think that’s wrong. I think there’s so much more you can win, and the historical record shows that, which is why I now think of hope, which is about the future, as very connected to memory about the past. If you remember how different the world was, how many times small groups, civil society, nonviolent direct action, concerted campaigns, dedicated individuals changed the world, you know the world can be changed by these means because the world is changing all the time. And the fossil fuel companies, Wall Street, capitalism are all very willing to change it for the worse. We should be at least as willing to change it for the better.
The choices we make today are what determine the future. There really is a lot that you CAN do. And together, we CAN create positive change.
Notes:
The Rebecca Solnit quote is from a podcast with Tricycle Magazine: https://tricycle.org/podcast/rebecca-solnit/
Christen Brandt and Tammy Tibbets, Impact: A Step-by-Step Plan to Create the World You Want to Live In. (New York, Public Affairs, 2020), 5.
Weekly News Digest - “The Blowhole”
Here’s a great blog by one of our coalition group members, The Ontario Farmland Trust:
More proof that the economics versus environment argument is false:
A reminder that we have a couple events that we are hosting that we would love to invite you to join us at.
Uniting For a Sustainable Future: Public Forum on the Greenbelt. In the spirit of collective action for a better tomorrow, we’d love for you to join us on September 12th in Barrie for this special community forum on how we can protect the Greenbelt and respond to the Ontario government’s corrupt land grabs. Learn more and RSVP at the link.
Gather for the Greenbelt, an evening with Margaret Atwood. We’re hosting a very special fundraiser on October 28 in Barrie with special guests, Margaret Atwood and Sarah Harmer. It’ll be a great evening of music, food & drink, art, and inspiring conversations. Get your tickets today!
Join the Pod
Like what we talk about and want to engage with our coalition more? Check us out on social media or drop us a line if you’d like to volunteer: info@simcoecountygreenbelt.ca
If you don’t have the time to volunteer but would like to help out we really appreciate donations.
Also, if you’re enjoying The Whale, please share it with friends, family members, or anyone else you think might like it.
Really loved this Elaine. 👏👏
Love this. So well put.