This regular column on tips to live more sustainably comes from the 52 Weeks Climate Action Challenge. The challenge was created by Laurel Hood and Sherri Jackson. Hood is a retired Collingwood Collegiate Institute teacher, and Jackson is a writer and speaker, and ran as the Green Party’s candidate for the area in the last federal election. Both are climate activists.
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If you’re still here and I’m not just talking to myself, pat yourself on the back. We made it! 52 weeks, 52 challenges. Hopefully, 52 ways you are more active in protecting the environment and combating climate change.
Look, none of us is perfect. You may have missed the bus on a few challenges. Some you may have looked at and thought “no way.” That’s OK. We don’t judge. But, here’s your shot. You can go around again. This time, without training wheels.
Challenge 52: Commit to another year of climate action.
Commit to following the 52-week climate action challenge for another year, as an individual (good) with a group of friends and family (better), or with a community- friends, family, neighbours, colleagues (best).
The new year is going to be different, because you won’t get our happy emails every week encouraging you. At least not for a while, and it may be in a different format than before. We aren’t sure yet, to be honest. Life happens, and we’re currently figuring out how the puzzle pieces all fit together. But that’s not a reason for you to stop. It’s just a different kind of call for you to keep going.
See, you didn’t realize it, but we’ve been in Oz this whole time. Laurel and I are Glenda the Good Witch, and now we’re telling you, Dorothy, you’ve always had it, my dear. You’ve always had the power to make the world a better place.
You have 52 weeks of articles in your possession, and you can go around again. This time, you can dig deeper into each challenge. Put more emphasis on the ones you found really appealing, and perhaps skip over some others. You’re in control of the next 52 weeks.
If you are ready for another year of challenges, great! Put on your roller skates and get rolling. Each one of the challenges was created so you can build upon what you already know. If you start again at week one on Earth Day (April 22, folks), you can push yourself to do more than you could last time. Band together with a few friends who can help keep you in line. Join one of the local climate action groups. Stay involved. Stay motivated. Stay awakened.
This year, Earth Day’s theme is “Restore Our Earth.” It’s a three-day virtual summit. You can find it here. There are five pillars of Restore Our Earth, which is kind of like 52 Weeks, because it offers five ways you can get involved to help out the planet.
If you feel like the wheels will fall off your bus without our weekly reminders, don’t fret. We aren’t planning to be gone forever. We are taking some time to figure out where we go next, and we would really love to take you with us. So, if you haven’t already, sign up for the challenges, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. It’s much more fun with a group who can support each other. We’ll keep you updated on our progress and what comes next.
For 52 weeks we’ve met here, in a place where we’ve all committed to being part of the solution. Where we’ve rejected the negative predictions and the unending debates, and decided to do what we can, in whatever way we can, to make the world even a tiny bit better. We believe that it is possible for a small group of people to change the world. But, it starts with each one of us deciding that we are going to do what we can, however we can. No matter how small. We’re just going to keep moving forward, at our pace, toward our goal: A healthy planet that supports all life forms that depend on it, and healthy life forms that support the planet they depend on.
In doing that, we’ve chosen positivity. We’ve chosen kindness, and action and caring. We’ve chosen support and community and awareness. We’ve chosen empowerment and willingness and a new outlook.
The world is what we make it, and instead of trying to control and dominate it, if we begin to see more clearly the magic that happens every day, right before our eyes, we connect with nature and see it as the miracle it is. Then, we become part of the solution. As E.E. Cummings said, “the eyes of my eyes are open.”
OK, that’s a bit over the top. But did you think this last article wouldn’t have a little cheese to send you off? You know us too well.
So Laurel and I want to thank you so much for indulging our vision of a year of climate action. We know many of you are already making positive decisions to help the planet in your own way, and we appreciate you being part of this journey.
We hope you’ve learned things, and looked at things in a new light. We know we’ve tweaked some of you, which is good, because expanding your comfort zone is the only way we grow.
We hope we’ve validated your experiences and given you hope in some small way. We hope you carry on, and see the power you have to make a difference, with every single choice you make each day. A choice to be better, or a choice to stay the same.
All in all, the future is in our hands. You’ve always had it, my dear. Go out and use it.
