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Climate Action Catalogue: 9 Groups that Advocate for the Planet

Updated: Jan 4, 2022



Introduction


Welcome to my Climate Action Catalogue! Whether you’re here because of my “Peace of the Earth” post, or whether you’re here because you were exploring the website, this piece is a brief overview of various organizations related to the fight against climate change. My hope is that this can give people a starting point for places to donate or volunteer.


Before we start, I want to make a couple of quick comments about this post. First, please treat it as catalogue, and not as a checklist. No one can realistically support every group on this list, and such an approach is more likely to overwhelm you than to empower you. Feel free to just skim over the different categories and descriptions, and if any groups stand out to you, you can focus on those.


Second, I’ve done my best to select good organizations to highlight, drawing on personal research and some input from others, but I’m not an expert on activist organizations. In light of that, I’d encourage you to do some of your own research before donating your money or time to the groups on this list.


So, that being said, let's go ahead and jump into our exploration of climate mitigation efforts. What kinds of groups are the most effective against climate change? Considering the scope of the issue and its range of contributing factors, there are lots of different ways to tackle it, and some are better than others.



What Kinds of Organizations Should We Support?


(Photo by Adrian Schweiz, from Pixabay.)



In exploring this question, I found one helpful article from The Atlantic and one from Vox. Both pieces argue that, at present, the most effective way for Americans to strive against climate change is to support organizations that focus on enacting and changing US policy.


Throughout the article from The Atlantic, Robinson Meyer draws on the insights of experts at Giving Green, an organization that provides evidence-based recommendations for the best climate activist groups to support. According to Dr. Daniel Stein, who studied in the London School of Economics, efforts to pull carbon out of the atmosphere (i.e., carbon offsets), though helpful, are far less effective than efforts to establish climate-friendly changes in policy. “If you want to seriously fight climate change,” Stein argues, “you need to move beyond buying offsets” and towards supporting “lower-certainty but higher-potential-impact spaces” (Meyer). By “higher impact spaces,” Stein is primarily referring to changes in policy (Meyer).


Pushes for policy shifts are “less certain” in the sense that they might fail to overcome political opposition, but they have a much higher “potential impact,” because they seek to reform the socio-political systems that lie at the root of climate change. From what I understand, pulling carbon from the atmosphere, though a necessary and vital effort, will not be enough to prevent the worst effects of global warming on its own, in part because it does not change the social structures that have caused and will continue to cause high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. As those at Giving Green seem to affirm, addressing those root-causes will yield the best and most enduring victories for climate mitigation.



(The White House. Photo by David Strickler, from Unsplash.)



These are the kinds of changes that will have the greatest impact on our global climate, and in light of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, which emphasizes the need for “immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” it’s more important than ever that we lean into such efforts (IPCC). Keep in mind that the IPCC was established by the UN, includes members from over 190 countries, and expresses the conclusions of thousands of scientists as they assess thousands of scientific reports. This is well-established data.


That aside, in their summary of the IPCC report’s ramifications, the New York Times states that we have procrastinated enough that a “hotter future” is now “essentially locked in,” but we still have a window of opportunity to avoid climate change’s worst repercussions, provided that we act swiftly and boldly (Plumer and Fountain). We do have the power to change things for the better—to strive for a future that ensures the sustainability and thriving of plants, animals, ecosystems, economies, and human communities—and for whoever is able to act, the time is now.


To see more details on the arguments for a policy-oriented approach to climate change, please feel free to reference the aforementioned articles from The Atlantic and from Vox. As for the recommended organizations from Giving Green, look here to find their lists of effective groups involved with policy change and carbon offsets.


[This post was originally published in August 2020. Please reference the following links for more updated articles from The Atlantic and from Vox. The Giving Green link above has already been updated.]


With that being said, let’s get started on the catalogue!





Climate Action Catalogue


(Image by Gerd Altmann, from Pixabay.)



Section 1) Highest Recommendations for Climate Policy Organizations (taken from Giving Green, The Atlantic, and Vox)



EVERGREEN COLLABORATIVE


This initiative, which includes some of "the most prominent scientists and policymakers working for better climate policy and environmental justice," strives together with effective environmental groups like Rewiring America, RMI, and the Sunrise Movement to advocate for climate-conscious policy changes throughout the US federal government (Samuel and Akhtar). Evergreen has proved itself efficient, adaptable, and influential, having a considerable impact on the US's approach to climate change. They have supported initiatives such as vehicle electrification, housing retrofits, and the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP).





THE CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE


This organization takes a nonpartisan, technological approach to the climate issue, encouraging policy makers to support climate-friendly innovation. This group has an excellent history of shifting national climate policy for the better, and their six main focuses are “super pollutant” reductions, carbon capture, emissions standards for power plants, bioenergy, nuclear energy, and the development of “advanced energy systems.” The latter priority involves analyzing what combinations of climate mitigation techniques will be most effective, as opposed to examining single techniques in isolation.


Mitigation Focus Areas: https://www.catf.us/work/




CARBON180


This organization advocates for the development and application of carbon removal technology, with the ultimate goal of building a world in which we remove more carbon than we emit. Carbon180 engages with scientific researchers, businesses, and policymakers, supporting a variety of carbon capture techniques as they strive to make carbon removal both sustainable and equitable. Though this group has only existed for a short time, they have reaped some impressive victories. As three examples, they have succeeded in incorporating carbon removal into the Build Back Better Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Energy Act.






Section 2) Alphabetized Recommendations for Climate Policy Organizations (from personal research and Charity Navigator)



THE CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY


Largely run by volunteers, the CCL is a nonpartisan advocacy group that focuses on passing H.R. 2307, a bill that would greatly reduce emissions through a carbon price and a “carbon cash back” payment to American citizens, seeking to inspire sustainable innovation without shocking the economy or burdening consumers. This group has 596 active chapters across the world, and one of their guiding values is to find common ground among political parties, inspiring climate mitigation through urgent yet respectful dialogue.





THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT


This is a climate advocacy and education group, originally founded by Al Gore. Scoring high on Charity Navigator’s criteria for accountability, transparency, and financial efficiency (though it lacks a score for its impacts), this group strives to raise global awareness, to encourage volunteer initiatives, and to otherwise empower climate activists.





THE INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK


The IEN draws on the knowledge and values of indigenous peoples to protect their lands and natural resources, with a particular focus on issues of environmental justice. Some of their projects include amplifying the indigenous media presence, supporting the Green New Deal, and advocating for a just transition away from fossil fuels, seeking to mitigate climate change in a manner that ensures the welfare of colored and indigenous communities.


THRIVE (Just Transition Program): https://www.ienearth.org/thrive/




THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT


This is a youth activist organization dedicated to political advocacy and nonviolent protest, urging the American government to reduce emissions, establish a clean energy economy, and dissolve systemic injustices. They have a particular focus on the Green New Deal, a bill intended to serve as a framework for the actions needed to achieve net-zero emissions and to ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels. (For a helpful summary of the bill, scroll a little ways down this page on the Sunrise website.)






Section 3) Faith-Based Climate Mitigation Organizations



THE EVANGELICAL ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK


With a focus on biblical responsibilities and the welfare of future generations, the EEN equips Christian volunteers to become political advocates for earth-care. They view sustainability as a divinely-instated calling, insisting that issues such as water pollution and air pollution violate the sanctity of the created world while also harming our children.





INTERFAITH POWER AND LIGHT


This group invites people of all faiths to educate one another and to unite in striving against climate change. They offer opportunities to connect to other activists and to engage in various forms of climate mitigation efforts, such as signing petitions, writing to Congress, and supporting stronger EPA standards.






Section 4) Other Lists for Climate Activism



HEATED


This piece by Emily Atkin offers links to a wide variety of activist organizations, including groups focused on education, media, journalism, political advocacy, and indigenous justice.





VICE


This piece by Izzie Ramirez highlights twelve environmental justice organizations to donate to or volunteer with.


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