Who cares about climate change?

Overwhelming global support for climate action, fish are shrinking, and how to take action in your community

The state of Texas has more climate and weather extremes than any other state: and the more climate changes, the more extreme they get. Where I live, in Dallas, it was 94F or 34C last Monday and many other cities in the region broke their daily high temperature records as well.

By the end of last week, the state was facing down its biggest wildfire ever thanks to the record hot, dry, and windy conditions. The Smokehouse Creek fire has already scorched over a million acres and is still barely under control, with only 15% contained. The town of Canadian, TX, has been hit the hardest, with 40 homes destroyed and two deaths.

These are clear signs of how climate is already affecting the people and places where we live; and each time we hear about another unprecedented weather, it becomes harder to stay hopeful about making progress on climate issues. That's why it's more important than ever to share some good news this week.

GOOD NEWS

Hardly anyone cares about climate change… right? Wrong! New research shows that 86 percent agree that people in their country should try to fight global warming and 89 percent say they want more action from their governments. These results are based on a survey of more than 130,000 people in 125 countries around the world.

Here’s the even more interesting part, though: the same study found that people around the globe also underestimate how much their fellow humans support climate action. For example, 69 percent say they are willing to pay 1 percent of their monthly income to aid in the fight, but they think only 43 percent would agree with them. And I would bet a big part of that gap is because, in most countries around the world, it’s rare for people to hear about climate change. We just don’t talk about it.

This perception gap can leave us feeling hopeless and discouraged, but the reality is that the vast majority of people are on board with climate action. “This means that we can move the debate forward and focus on how we can best tap into this broad willingness to contribute to best tackle the challenges posed by climate change,” the study’s authors told Carbon Brief. It also means that, when you start a conversation about climate solutions, most people will be interested in hearing more!

NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS

Sustainable fisheries are a healthy food choice for both people and the planet, and many regions in the world rely on fisheries for nutrition, food security, and income. As climate changes, warming waters are threatening the viability of many species, from salmon to cod. It can be challenging to untangle exactly how the fish are being affected, though, and that’s why studies are needed that focus on specific species and local regions.

One such new study shows that fish in the western North Pacific Ocean, a major source of food and trade in Japan, are getting smaller. In this case, it’s because as surface ocean waters warm, this prevents cooler water, which contains more nutrients, from rising to the surface. This in turn decreases the amount of food available for fish to eat, leading to a drop both in the weight of individual fish and the "overall biomass" of the fish as a group.

“With higher temperatures, the ocean’s upper layer becomes more stratified, and previous research has shown that larger plankton are replaced with smaller plankton and less nutritious gelatinous species, such as jellyfish,” one of the researchers explained. The researchers saw this change across 13 different species of fish in this region.

Oceans around the world are becoming more stratified as climate changes, suggesting that these types of impacts may be affecting other fisheries as well.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

We often focus on how important it is to talk about climate change where we work or study. But many of us are part of other organizations that are key to climate action, too -- such as local community, neighbourhood, or homeowner’s associations.

As this The Cool Down article explains, “Angela Rosencrans was told she had to rip out her lawn. Laurie McGuire tried to install solar panels and was denied — despite state laws in her favor. An estimated 74 million people in the U.S. live in areas governed by a homeowners association — and many of them are frustrated about HOA restrictions that prevent them from saving money and helping the planet.”

It’s not just about enabling residents to make climate-friendly decisions; these organizations can also be key to catalyzing larger change. Windsor Park Neighborhood Association, in Austin TX, has their very own Climate Crisis Committee, created at the urging of local resident Martin Luecke. Martin says he approached the neighborhood association with a plan: create a climate resolution designed to give his local, state, and federal representatives a list of demands to take action. In May of 2019, the resolution passed by unanimous vote, the first climate resolution in the history of neighborhood associations.

Within a year, two other local neighborhood associations followed suit, creating their own committees. Martin’s goal is for all 80 neighborhood associations in Austin to create their own climate resolutions. “Imagine the collective impact of 80 climate resolutions on the Mayor’s desk, representing the vast majority of the population,” he says.

Looking for more ways to connect with climate action that might already be happening in your area? The Climate Herald has a new resource that makes it easy to get involved. Just click the above link, enter your location (any country around the world), and find a local organization to join!