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Climate change was always something I thought was a serious issue, but it was never something that urgently preoccupied my mind. Last year, however, that changed for me. As 2020 presented so many tragedies, changes and revelations, I came to realize just how important it is to address the issue of climate change. 

Each year, the news reports new records for largest hurricanes, largest wildfires, along with a rise in global temperatures and CO2 emissions. In Colorado last year, the Cameron Peak Fire became the State of Colorado’s largest wildfire ever recorded, and the CalWood Fire became Boulder County’s largest wildfire ever recorded. They decimated wildlands and communities, and their looming presence could not be avoided as the sky turned orange and rained ash.

Last semester I took ENGL 3060: Modern and Contemporary Literature for Nonmajors, taught by English PhD student Jenna Gersie, and to my delight the topic for the course was climate change fiction, or ‘cli-fi’. The value of taking humanities is often underappreciated by engineering students, and frankly I took this course because I needed to take another literature course for medical school, but this class will likely be one of the most impactful courses I take at CU. 

The class discussed climate change movements, racial and gender inequities in climate change (aka climate justice), climate change communication through the years and of course cli-fi novels of which Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta and Weather by Jenny Offill were my favorite. 

We also discussed things we could do to take action. I’ve always believed that climate change was a serious threat, but I never really thought there was much I could do. I was, and remain, frustrated at headlines that aim to focus the blame on ordinary citizens with campaigns to make everyone vegan or ban plastic straws and bags. My frustration on this emphasis worsens when reports released show the opposite, such as one from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) saying that 100 companies were to blame for 71% of global CO2 emissions between 1998 - 2017. 

When large corporations and governments, which are beyond my control, contribute so much of the pollution, what can I, or you, do as ordinary citizens? 

At the ���񱦵�, there are numerous efforts aimed at alleviating the detrimental effects of climate change. These efforts range from research projects to policy writing spanning across colleges and across departments. Research centers such as the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) host scientists currently tackling climate change.

Samuel Mogen, a PhD student in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC), is a member of the Ocean Biogeochemistry Research Group at INSTAAR. Mogen works with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Earth System Model (CESM) to improve predictions of short-term ocean acidification events. When asked about why he likes to work in climate change-related research, he said, “I think it’s really important because climate change is the existential crisis of our time. My approach is that I try and do science that is both good science and is also relevant to policy makers and is going to be able to help people who are in a position to make changes.”

2020 was very eye-opening for me because I realized that if we thought COVID-19 was disastrous, the effects of climate change in the coming decades may be even worse. I recall myself hearing about COVID-19 early in the year not thinking it was going to affect me or become a serious matter, and then when classes were abruptly cancelled, a far-fetched idea became a frightening reality. 

This is what is happening with climate change, and unlike a disease there is no vaccine for an unstable global ecosystem. I realized that action must be taken now, and I felt that I needed to do something. I wanted to share with you some of the things I think that you and I can do as ordinary citizens. No one is perfect: I will still occasionally fly in an airplane; I will probably forget an essential item and utilize Amazon’s 2-day shipping; and I will likely still eat meat (but will aim to eat less of it). What I will make sure to do, though, is be aware of these kinds of actions and make conscious choices considering our environment, and I hope you will too.

Alter Your Diet
If cattle were their own nation, they would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases (after China and the United States). Meat, and cattle specifically, is unsustainable in a growing population. Consider alternatives and limit your consumption of other carbon-producing foods. In 2011, Scientific American reported that about 10 calories of fossil fuel energy are used to produce a single calorie of food. Transporting food can also pollute; try to shop local if you can. 

Change Policy
Yes, you can do this! Write your senators and other elected officials, go to community meetings and voice your opinion. This doesn’t have to be limited to the federal government; you can voice your opinion to your city officials and to the University of Colorado administration too. Vote, and be mindful of a politician’s or bill’s stance on the climate. Talk to your friends about climate change and spread the word on social media to keep the conversation on the forefront.

Cut Down Your Own CO2 Emissions
We all have a direct carbon footprint. Consider biking to campus or taking the bus; we live in an amazing city for it! Flying emits significantly more CO2 than other means of transportation, so consider driving or taking the train to reach your destinations.

Join a Community
You are not alone in this fight and you don’t have to be. There are many groups for people of various ages that you can get involved with. If you feel so inclined, consider participating in a climate change protest. CU also has many energy and climate justice groups that can be found on www.colorado.edu/ecenter/energy-climate-justice.

Be a Good Consumer
While corporations commit the majority of CO2 emissions, they are driven by markets and will be affected by mass changes from consumers. Be a good consumer and try to buy climate-friendly products from conscientious companies. Consider buying second-hand clothes and think twice before hitting that 2-day shipping button on Amazon.

Be Mindful of Injustices and Act on Them
Climate change disproportionately affects racial and gender minorities as well as the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Hurricane Katrina disproportionately affected communities of color; undocumented immigrants aren’t able to vote; and the socioeconomically disadvantaged can’t afford to buy expensive foods from farmer’s markets. Be mindful of your privilege and try to offset the emissions of those who can’t.

Engineer It
If this resonates with you, consider what you can do with your career to make an impact on climate change. Efforts range across disciplines from designing more efficient wind turbines to working on solar-powered flight. There are opportunities here at CU, through summer internships, or in industry to make your engineering work even more impactful.