What can I do?
Individual action
Each of us can do things, big and small, to take action on climate change.
Do what you can to try to reduce your carbon footprint - there are lots of things you can do that will help: compost food waste and don’t let it go to landfill, buy locally made produce because it (usually) has a lower carbon footprint, reduce use of single use plastics, make sure you recycle or re-use where possible, mend things rather than buying new stuff, op-shop for new clothes, walk, cycle or use public transport where it’s practical, switch off unnecessary heating and lights, hang washing on the line instead of putting it in the dryer, eat plant-based foods more often, reduce your flights (and offset using reliable companies if you do fly).
Talk about climate change! This helps to make climate change discussions and actions a normal part of life, and helps shift the ‘social norm’ so that climate change issues become more prominent in our society.
Teach other people about climate change - what it is, what it means to you, and how it does and will affect us.
Use your talents! Are you a great artist? Draw or paint about climate action! Are you good with social media? Use your influence to get climate action happening! Do you like to cook? Offer to make a delicious vegetarian meal for your family!
Acknowledge and respect whatever feelings you might have about climate change - does climate change make you angry, scared, worried? Whatever you feel, that’s OK! You can talk to your friends and family and teachers about how you feel, and hear how they feel too. If climate change does get you feeling down, remember to look around and see the many GOOD things happening to tackle climate change :)
Collective action
By working together, we can combine our efforts and influence to achieve change and progress faster.
Find your tribe and use your voices! Get together with friends and other students who care about climate action. You could join a group like the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Collective events such as the school strikes for climate raise awareness - and they also give climate scientists all around the world hope that the next generation will make changes and vote for the climate policies we urgently need!
Awareness projects in schools - could you and your schoolmates become Climate Warriors together? Could you encourage your school to install solar panels, introduce meat-free Monday, ask for more vego options in the canteen, or go single-use plastic free?
Participate in citizen science - the more information we have about our natural world, and how that is changing, the better prepared we can be to help these systems cope with the changes. Browse a citsci project finder (there are some you can even do from the comfort of your own home!)
Systemic action
Systemic changes are the impactful changes that can happen at bigger scales, such as through Tasmanian or National government decisions.
Work with your teachers to develop a climate action plan in your school - a guide for how to take climate action from an entire school level to individual classroom and student levels.
Ask to talk with your local politicians to see what action they need to take to adapt to climate impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in your local area.
Contact State and Federal politicians to ask them to make more ambitious changes to climate policy for Tasmania and Australia.
Contact product brands you like, and companies or businesses you use services from, to ask what their carbon emissions are and how they plan to make their products carbon neutral.
Important things to consider
Remember that all of us have different circumstances and therefore we might have different capacities to take some of these actions - and that is totally OK! For example, if someone was really stressed about having enough money to buy food, or finding somewhere to live, or maybe if they were sick, then they might not have capacity to spend time right now thinking about or tackling climate change.
It’s important to remember too that people don't have to be ‘perfect’ to be serious about tackling climate change (that would be soooo exhausting and people might give up then!). The big thing to remember is to just do what you can, when you can, and encourage others when you see them doing a good job. Importantly, it really doesn't help to make people feel guilt or shame for doing what you might think is not enough - it is much better to try and encourage others by being good examples ourselves.
Lastly, we probably can’t ALL do ALL the possible actions against climate change ALL the time. Remember that this is OK because what we really need is lots of people doing lots of things lots of the time to try and help together. Remind yourself and other people to feel GOOD about whatever changes and actions you are taking - GO YOU! :)
Who is behind Curious Climate Schools? Curious Climate Schools is run by climate change and education researchers at the University of Tasmania. It’s funded by the Tasmanian Climate Change Office, the University’s College of Science and Engineering, and the University’s Centre for Marine Socioecology (CMS). Curious Climate Schools builds on the first successful Curious Climate project which answered climate questions in communities around Tasmania.
