51 Ways to Help Fight Climate Change
The Plankton Tea House is an interactive installation, where the visitors have a cup of tea with the artist Jessica Ling Findley and talk about the stress and solutions to climate change. After your tea leaf reading you may select one or more of these 51 tea cards, divided into categories of ways “Think”, “Act” and “Connect” and categories of sectors to act in (for example “food waste” or “Art”). These cards are suggestions based on Jessica’s research on ways to cope and contribute to helping fight climate change. If you have knowledge and research for ways to combat global heating please email and share those with us.
Think
Activism Where do your local, state and federal politicians stand on climate change?
Fuel How can we end subsidies for fossil fuels and reduce risks of air pollution?
Plastic Waste Which 10 rivers carry 90% of our plastic pollution to our ocean?
Micro Plastics How can we prevent the average person from eating 70,000 microplastics per year?
Meat How much does red meat contribute to the carbon footprint?
Inspiration How can one person make a difference to climate change?
Marine Protected Areas What can you do to help Marine Protected Areas?
Transportation Transportation Accounts For 29% of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, how can we change transportation to reduce this?
Green Jobs How can your work place be more energy efficient?
Water Conservation How can conserving water help fight climate change?
Waste How can going for Zero Waste help fight climate change?
Renewable Energy How can I support renewable energy?
Parks How do parks help fight climate change?
Arts How can artists help fight climate change?
Act
Activism Take action in your home, nieghborhood and workplace to reduce carbon emissions.
Fuel Reduce your carbon footprint on your next vacation with a staycation!
Plastic Waste Shop at the local farmers market and bring your own bag!
Buy fewer plastic bottles! (link contributed by Girls Scout Troop Troop 1320)
Micro Plastics Buy used natural fiber clothing and reduce microplastics in our water.
Meat Eat less meat to cut your carbon footprint and try some of new veggie recipes!
Inspiration Use your passion to focus on a climate change issue that is important to you.
Ocean Water Donate or volunteer with organizations taking legal action to protect our ocean waters.
Air Call on companies and political leaders to help reduce power plants pollution pollution.
Marine Protected Areas Become an Marine Protected Area watch volunteer with Wildcoast in San Diego or in your local area.
Food Waste Teach yourself or a friend how to compost and cut out the carbon footprint of your food waste.
Transportation Advocate for transportation justice in your city to provide public transporation to all areas.
Green Jobs Vote for candidates that prioritize fighting the climate crisis.
Water Conservation Make over your yard with water smart plants to conserve water.
Waste Go zero waste and reduce the methane output of landfills!
Renewable Energy Help lobby for renewable energy.
Parks Support more parks in your area or donate to the National Parks and reduce urban heat islands!
Arts Make art, music, writing or performances that expresses your views on the climate crisis.
Connect
Activism Connect with people who are working on climate justice like the Environmental Health Coalition.
Fuel Connect with groups working to stop Fossil Fuels and move to 100% renewable like 350.org activists.
Plastic Waste Connect with organizations working on river and ocean clean up.
Micro Plastics Find friends for a clothing swap and keep the microplastics out of your wardrobe and our water!
Meat Meet some cooks with low carbon footprints at a vegan cooking class near you.
Inspiration Connect and be inspired by local creatures and go on a shark snorkeling adventure with the Birch Aquarium!
Ocean Water Connect with people protecting our waters at a Surfrider local chapter meeting.
Marine Protected Areas Meet people who care about Marine Protected Areas at San Diego Coast Keeper beach clean up.
Food Waste Take a compost class and learn with other people cutting out food waste.
Transportation Connect with low carbon commuters on a local bicycle coalition ride.
Green Jobs Work with people working for the environment.
Water Conservation Volunteer at a local Nature Conservancy event and meet people working to conserve water.
Renewable Energy Reach out to your local and state and federal leaders to support 100% renewable energy.
Parks Meet some other nature lovers and volunteer with the National Parks.
A little bit about the little guys
Plankton are important to our climate. Phytoplankton provide more oxygen to the planet than all the rainforests combined. Plankton also sink much of our carbon into the sea bed, without it, greenhouse gasses would be more extreme. Foraminafera and other microscopic plankton fossils studied by scientists show us the history of our carbon emissions dating back to 400 million years ago. The tiny Pteropods are a “canary in the coal mine” as their shell cannot withstand the increasing ocean acidification.
