Post Election '16: What Can You Do?

Posted by: aahassonjee

On Tuesday, November 11th, climate change and the environment seemed to become casualties of what had been the most bizarre and stressful U.S. Presidential election of recent times. Political and economic reverberations have continued to expand as President-elect Trump has been forming his administration, u-turning on several issues including Obamacare and the Paris-agreement, and cementing the doom of other ones such as Roe vs. Wade, simultaneously.

Students, families, justice leaders, and everyday citizens have protested the impending Trump presidency, while many have stood by the change to America’s political status-quo of the establishment ruling the executive branch. The one strange conclusion of the past two weeks has made it clear that unpredictability is the main asset of the Trump administration. We may not be able to foresee just how policies will change and contort after January 20th.

We can conclude, however, that climate change will remain the biggest issue at hand on the individual level for every citizen. It is not a hoax, as has been verified by the Chinese government. It no longer can be ignored. Nor will it wait around to let the country’s government decide how to address its existence- temperature changes, extreme weather, and global heating have no expected arrival date. They strike with zero warnings, and will only increase in destructive effectiveness until we make a change to our energy systems and way of life.

The time to act has never been so vital as it is now. Below is a list of organizations that are leading the front on climate change:

- Earthjustice: The nation’s largest environmental law nonprofit, representing wildlife, clean energy, and healthy communities.
- NextGenClimate: A large political group that works to prevent climate disaster
- The Sierra Club: America’s largest grassroots environmental network that organizes for land preservation and environmental policy adoption
- 350.org: Bill McKibben’s global climate action organization that organizes campaigns and movements to combat the latest threats against the planet
- The National Resource Defense Club: A nonprofit that uses law and science to support is 500,000+ members’ fight against wildlife and environmental destruction.
- The Environmental Defense Fund: The EDF is an evidence-based advocacy group for climate change, wildlife, and conservation issues across the world.
- The Climate Reality Project: Founded by Al Gore in 2011, the Climate Reality Project is a nonprofit that uses education and advocacy to fight for advancements against climate change in the U.S.

Volunteer, donate, apply, organize: People across the country have so many opportunities to get together and create a future where the citizenry is truly united against the problems of our time. Politicians create the frameworks and the advocate on our behalf at the highest level, but the power to craft change and affect the way of humanity lies firmly with the people.
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