Giving Compass
  • Sign In
  • About Us
    About Giving Compass How We Choose Content and Organizations Annual Reflections Our Newsletter
  • Getting Started
  • Learn About Issues
    Topic Guides
    Animal Welfare COVID-19 Criminal Justice Democracy Disaster Relief Education Environment Health Homelessness Immigrants and Refugees Racial Equity Women and Girls
    Curated Articles
    Partner Collections Giving Compass Selections See All Articles
  • Give to Causes
    Issue Funds & Intermediaries Projects Nonprofits
  • Get Involved
    Philanthropy Resource Directory Events Volunteer Opportunities
  • Partner With Us
    Nonprofits Authors Use Our Content Services Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Sign Up
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Sign In

Climate Change: Can we Agree on Something?

Giving Compass Jul 31, 2017
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
Click here for more.
Climate change - do we agree on something?
  •  Share
  •  Save
  • 31 shares
Share

It’s my belief that climate change is real and humans are a cause, that’s me. According to NASA, most climate scientists agree the main cause of global warming trend is the human expansion of the “greenhouse effect.” But I also have some smart, caring friends that are not so sure about that perspective. Despite our differences, we do agree that we need more wind and solar energy as fast as possible, and the jobs that go with it. We also agree that pollution, caused by many of the same elements that may cause climate change, is a major health concern. Those areas of agreement give us a path forward to work together, despite our disagreements.

A significant portion of the US population is represented by one of these divergent views on Climate Change, its causes and the specific actions we can take as a result. That divergence is a major obstacle to making progress on environmental challenges for our planet’s and kids’ futures. For example, there is vast partisan disagreement on the question of whether scientists near-unanimously agree that human industrial activity is a cause of global warming. Only 13 percent of self-identified conservative Republicans think that’s the case, as compared to 55 percent of liberal Democrats. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter to have a strong debate, but we can also frame some things we do, in fact, agree on. Here’s one way that friend of mine put it, when we were discussing one day —

Dirty air is a leading cause of serious health problems in India and China, and that pollution spills over to other countries. Globally, the volume of garbage we dump into the oceans continues to increase … I think we agree on the fact that neither of us wants to swim in polluted waters or gather our food from it.”

We should not only talk about our Climate Change disagreements, but we must take action together and we can start with these four recommendations. Whether you live in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or most major American cities, you’ll find a group of like-minded people contributing with their money or volunteering to make our environment healthier together, which is one of the most important behaviors we observe from real Impact Givers. It’s easier to work alone, but you get more done when you work together, whether you are working on climate change or our kids’ health or maybe even both together someday.

##

Sir Paul Shoemaker is the Founding President of Social Venture Partners International

  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

Learning and benchmarking are key steps towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact on Impact Philanthropy take a look at these selections from Giving Compass.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Hurricane Irma: Fast Facts

    Several people lost their lives to Hurricane Irma, and officials say the storm has caused billions of dollars of damage. Millions of people are without power and thousands have been displaced from their homes. Irma destroyed 25% of homes in the Florida Keys, according to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It destroyed 90% to 95% of Barbuda, a small island nation in the Caribbean, according to its Prime Minister Gaston Brown. Parts of Cuba and the Virgins Islands are also reeling in Irma’s aftermath. Thousands of people were stuck in crowded shelters and, in Barbuda and other islands, were being evacuated, at the time of this report. The full extent of Irma’s damage is still being calculated. Read the full article at GlobalGiving


Looking for a way to get involved?

If you are interested in Climate, please see these relevant events, training, conferences or volunteering opportunities the Giving Compass team recommends.

Loading...
Learn More

Are you ready to give?

In addition to learning and connecting with others, taking action is a key step towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact for Climate take a look at these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations or Projects.

Loading...
Learn More
Connect

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
Take Action

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
More from
Giving Compass
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    More People Were Afraid of Climate Change than Catching COVID-19 in 2020
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Reasons for Hope on Climate Change in 2021
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Why You Should Consider a Gender Lens Investing Strategy for Economic and Social Well-being
Follow Us
Newsletter

Become a newsletter subscriber to stay up-to-date on the latest Giving Compass news.

About Us
  • About Giving Compass
  • In The News
  • Contact Us
  • Content at Giving Compass
  • Partner With Us
Trending Issues
  • Environment
  • Homelessness
  • STEM Education
  • Equal Pay Act
  • Gender Equality

Copyright © 2021, Giving Compass, LLC

•
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Agreement

Sign in

Your personal information is confidential at Giving Compass. For more information, please visit our privacy policy. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use.