ClimateSolvr FAQs
More questions about ClimateSolvr, the program that connects you with grassroots climate solutions …
I’ve tried “green” but it’s way too expensive. How can I possibly afford it? There is a huge difference between green consumerism (buying lots of things that are labeled as “greener”) versus shifting to lower-carbon, post-petroleum lifestyles. Many of the tips you’ll find within ClimateSolvr focus on dematerialization – how to buy a lot less stuff, and at the same time be a lot happier! My bet is, over time, you will find that these habits actually save you a lot of money.
I’ve been greening my life for a while already – what do I need ClimateSolvr for? I’m sure you haven’t embraced ALL of these things as regular, ongoing habits in your life. You may have “tried” them a time or two. But may I suggest that the challenge this time around is to make them core habits, your normal way of operating. You can regard the ClimateSolvr program as a gentle checklist of things, to see where you can deepen your practice.
I live in an apartment – are these tips all about houses? The tips are written such that everyone can do them, whether you live in a house or an apartment. Some tips have a “more” section which gives more specialized information (for instance, for someone who has access to land to garden), but the core tip itself does not require any particular kind of stuff.
I’m a teacher of high school students – is ClimateSolvr appropriate for them? Probably you as teacher are the best the judge of that. I started out writing ClimateSolvr for adults – particularly young adults, like my college students – but it turns out that many of these tips are very applicable to mature adults, families with children, … well, everybody! We all need to do these things. For high school students, who are typically dependents and not completely in charge of their family purchasing decisions, you might want to modify some tips a little.
I live in an area where not many people are doing green living. I feel very alone. What can I do? Online connections can be very powerful, even when you’re in the midst of a big city like I am. It can look like “nobody’s doing green things” all around you, but there is a lot of greening that is done in backyards, behind closed doors, or deep inside hearts – it can be really hard to see. So, connect with like-minded people online now, and within the ClimateSolvr program I’ll give you more ideas of things you can do to connect more locally.
What about political activism? We need real laws and treaties to fix global warming, don’t we? We sure do. But think about this: if the government sets a law tomorrow that caps carbon emissions, what that means is we need to change our lifestyles. Oh. So we’re just getting a head start on where we’re all headed anyway. We’re changing our lifestyles, even before they pass the laws. Organizations like 350.org are doing an awesome job fighting the necessary political battles, but lifestyle change needs to happen too.
What about the big corporations? And the super-ultra-rich? Don’t they have far bigger impact on global warming? Perhaps. But don’t discount grassroots power. Corporations make changes – even big changes – when their market changes, when people no longer want to buy all that stuff. And market change happens when there is a change in consumer consciousness. How do we bring about a change in consumer consciousness? Through grassroots culture shift. And that is what ClimateSolvr is really all about: creating grassroots culture shift.
Is this ClimateSolvr subscription different from your regular email list? Yes. It is a separate subscription. ClimateSolvr will send you specifically lifestyle tips to decrease your carbon footprint. Once a week. My other newsletter, “Change-Making News”, brings you periodic news of events, new articles I’ve written, updates about the Community Garden at Holy Nativity, etc.
Email feels really dated. Can you just tell me when the smartphone app is ready? The ClimateSolvr 1.0 email subscribers will be among the first to know when the ClimateSolvr smartphone app is ready for release. Or, if this totally isn’t your scene, I can text you when the smartphone app is ready for download.
I didn’t hear about this in April. What happens if I sign up late? No matter when you sign up, you’ll get the introductory piece about grassroots change, and then the Friday following your sign-up, you’ll get the tip of the week with everyone else. Sorry, I won’t be providing archives of “back issues” until they are reissued in the ClimateSolvr smartphone app. But you’re not “paying for a full subscription” per se. You can pro-rate any gift you choose to send me. <grin>
Can my group do ClimateSolvr? Definitely! And it would be lots of fun to do it together and talk about it with each other! I don’t have a “group signup” per se, so you will have to ask each group member to sign up individually. Maybe take a smartphone to your meeting and pass it around for each person to type their info into the subscription form.
Anything I didn’t answer here? Contact me and I’d be glad to help.
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