Concerned over plastic straws? Here's what you can do to reverse climate change's impact

If you are like many US voters, regardless of party, many are increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change and the intensifying nature of natural disasters, from floods in climate havens like Asheville to the fury of fires drying up Southern California. To make matters worse, we are now enduring a complete control of our government by climate change naysayers who are undoing any progress, from removing the US from the Paris Climate Agreements to reversing any bans on plastics, starting with straws and likely spreading to bags and bottles. Small efforts such as this were welcomed by many—despite the daily shared sacrifices—at least as an indication that collective action is needed to reverse climate change.

However, the self-evident truth of destruction for many and rising insurance prices for most continues worldwide, with many of us feeling helpless to stop the reversals.

There is a solution to the assault on our planet and lives. It's you. Even before chief climate denier Trump was installed in office again, most climate scientists were already stating that the earth's growing temperatures were not going to be cooled by government interventions or technological advancements. This is evidenced by the fact that despite the best efforts of cooperating countries and communities—such as investing in renewable energy and banning consumer plastic straws, bags, and bottles—our temperatures in 2024 still climbed to their highest levels ever recorded at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This is a troublesome milestone we were trying to avoid when scientists generally believed we needed to counteract such now catastrophic temperature rises with reductions in global human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the experts, CO2 needs to fall by 45% before 2030 and reach 'net zero' by 2050.

So, what can we do in the face of such insurmountable actions?

Here are several fundamental ways humanity can take charge and reverse climate change, starting with you and those you encourage:

• Replace Meat One Day a Week: If more of us simply replaced meat one day a week by incorporating more plant-based products, we can reverse climate change. The best news is that the amount of "cleaner" or more plant-based products on the shelves of our groceries and stores like Trader Joe's is increasing daily to almost the taste, consistency, and affordability of meat products. In fact, forecasters believe demand for these products will nearly double from about $29 billion in 2020 to $57 billion in 2025. By picking just one day and consciously replacing meat and dairy products, we can reduce our dependence and lower greenhouse gases and sea temperature drops that climate scientists believe we need to achieve to lessen or stop the dramatic impacts of climate changes we see in natural disasters. And what is a more satisfying way to show our protests for governments and profit-driven businesses, which seem hellbent on destroying our earth, than the meal right in front of you and your encouragement of others to join in? Ideas for meat replacements in recipes exist everywhere, from Google and ChaptGPT searches on your grocery shelves. Begin today, and you will channel your anxiety over news reports about the government's abandonment of climate change actions into a meaningful way that can bring change deliciously.

• Replace Driving One Day a Week: While this one is not nearly as impactful as collective action in replacing meat, replacing or not driving at all one day a week can also help reduce our individual carbon footprint and collectively help lower the greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles. Walking, biking, public transportation, and sharing rides are great ways to consider replacing driving. While this may not be possible in rural areas or for those with disabilities and daily obligations, planning to combine trips and errands on the other six days of the week will help curtail and ultimately eliminate or reduce the need to drive on the seventh day. The other benefits of replacing driving one day a week will be lower fuel costs and lowering our dependence on foreign oil, which seems to have plagued every generation since the 1970s.

• Your Choice of Day: The best news about replacing meat and driving one day a week is that you can do it on your chosen day! In fact, one way to replace meat is to do so over just three meals (or a day's worth) during the week. So, if you tend to have meat products (including dairy milk and cheese) nearly every meal, you could replace it on a Tuesday for breakfast, Thursday for lunch, and Sunday for dinner, or whatever combination works best for you to achieve the same goal. The same holds true for driving. If you drive an average of 100 miles a week. Think about how you can lower that by about 15 miles on average to achieve the equivalent of replacing driving one day a week. So, this may mean walking to your post office, biking to your house of worship, or combining trips to cut down on the miles. Every mile saved driving could contribute to making our planet and bodies healthier. Best of all, it's your choice of the day of the week and how to achieve it.

For those of us feeling helpless in these times, climate change impacts remain on our minds. These impacts are seen every day in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and rising costs of food, fuel, and insurance. Collective action and shared sacrifice can work to immediately heal our planets, soothe our minds, and channel our anxieties over governments and businesses currently reversing important actions. All it takes is one day a week. You are the solution.

Michael Dru Kelley is a writer, media entrepreneur and a cofounder and a principal LGBTQ+ shareholder of equalpride, publisher of The Advocate. In addition, Michael has been an experienced volunteer following disasters and terrorist events including running the food tent feeding recovery workers in the weeks after 9/11, working at food banks after Sandy and helping Asheville community members recover from Helene. For the current LA fire victims, he consulted with FEMA and collaborated with the Ad Council to create the www.ladisasterrecoveryhandbook.org His opinion pieces represent his own viewpoints and not necessarily those of equalpride, or its affiliates, partners, or management.

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