We have officially entered a new era. One where “it’s actually cooler to give a shit, than to not give a shit.” (One of my favorite quotes from POW UK GM, Lauren MacCallum.)

And it’s an awesome place to be in. People care about where their food comes, how their clothes are made, and if their company stands for something. But all of this shit giving didn’t start from a great place.

Feeling useless in 2016

I voted in the 2016 presidential election. My mail-in ballot marked Hillary Clinton and I was pretty sure that I’d see our first female president, just eight years after the first black president. It would be another election for the books.

Needless to say when I found out the Cheeto was going to make it into the White House, I felt powerless (amongst many other feelings). All of a sudden my vote wasn’t enough. I wasn’t doing anything. I couldn’t go out and canvass. I couldn’t get involved in a grassroots campaign. I was in France and detached from causes that meant something to me.

But equally, I couldn’t get involved in France either. Not only can I not vote here, but I wasn’t integrated into the French community at that time, and nothing felt right. My expat life had put me in an in between.

Finding POW: Protect Our Winters

So I got brainstorming. The community that I was (and am) a part of, was the snow sports community. And living in the Alps, I was seeing the impact of climate change on our winters up close.

I knew about Protect Our Winters’ US chapter for a long time. Jeremy Jones was activating the snow sports community in the US and getting people to vote. He put on a suit and went to Capital Hill. They were making a real impact. So when I found out there was a French POW branch, I got in touch immediately. After a few calls and meetings, it ended up fizzling out for one reason or another.

Before I knew it, my life flipped upside down. I left a job, got kicked out of my apartment, bought a house and renovated it from the ground up. And all of a sudden three years had passed.

And then, I got in touch with POW UK and everything came full circle. I now volunteer as a Partnerships Coordinator and am just starting to get my hands dirty in climate activism.

Why should you give a shit?

Although I might think you should give a shit about climate change, really, you just need to give a shit about something that hits your heart and your life.

There are a lot of things in this world that need worrying about (although many causes may be rendered irrelevant if we can’t sustain human life on the planet anymore). But assuming that we can stop our rising temperatures, we will need people fighting for other causes close to their hearts. So find what fires you up, and fight for it. But if the climate and planet earth’s health is what you want to fight for, here are a few easy ways to get started.

What you can do about climate change

Get Educated - Have you heard of carbon literacy? I hadn’t before I joined POW. Carbon literacy is a great place to start with building some knowledge about climate change and the need to move to a carbon neutral economy. Head to their site to get trained up.

Find a Community - This is key with anything in life. You need to surround yourself with people who are in the same boat. Not only will this keep you motivated and inspired, but also likely help educate you, find new opportunities and build some new friendships. Aside from POW, some organizations you might want to check out include: Extinction Rebellion, 1% for the Planet, and Greenpeace.

Spread the word - It is THAT simple. Share something on your Instagram stories or strike up a conversation with a friend whilst you get out your reusable bags. We’ve definitely hit a tipping point wherein more and more people are aware of the severity climate situation and are trying to make a difference. However, we always need more educated, passionate voices in the mix.

VOTE VOTE VOTE - This is your most powerful voice. It’s much more powerful than your reusable coffee mug or your plastic ban. These lifestyle changes are important, and will need to be the way forward if we do manage to get a grip on the rising temperatures, but we are out. of. time. Laws (or lack thereof) and massive corporations are making the biggest impact and we need to use our voices to change this.

Stay Motivated - It can sometimes feel defeating, that we’re getting nowhere and governments make decisions that send us backwards rather than forwards. But remember that it’s a long road. Follow social accounts that inspire you, stay connected with your community and watch awesome videos like this Patagonia one below to keep you inspired.