Climate Action through COVID-19
Wondering how to keep focusing on climate action amid the disruption and unease resulting from the spread of COVID-19? You’re definitely not alone. There is a growing chorus of voices identifying this time as an opportunity to learn from global responses to the COVID-19 crisis and apply that learning to the climate crisis. Many of us are also wondering how to do that in ways that engage and energize rather than adding to anxiety and feelings of helplessness, both within ourselves and within our communities.
We want to support you however we can, and as a start, we've collected links to some resources that you might find helpful. Please take your time going through these! It's easy to become energized by the ideas being shared, and just as easy to become overwhelmed. There is time.
If you’ve created or discovered a resource that is inspiring you to build momentum for climate action through the pandemic crisis, we’d love to hear about it - please share at hello[at]forourkids.ca
To start with, here are some reflections on what we can learn from the current COVID-19 crisis:
- This is a quick read about five lessons from coronavirus that will help us tackle climate change by Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- Here's a Canadian perspective from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: 6 Lessons for Climate Action from Canada's COVID-19 response
- More on what the coronavirus pandemic can teach us about tackling climate change from The Conversation
- This article from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies talks about how the perception of a disproportionate response to COVID-19 could apply to the climate crisis:
- And here is a longer read about how a Green New Deal could reshape more than just the economy.
Connecting with each other online offers unique opportunities to support each other, have conversations, and keep planning even when 
we're physically distant from each other and isolating ourselves at home. Online chats and meetings might not be a perfect substitute for being together but they can keep routes of communication open and help us feel less alone.
Here is an thought-provoking read from The Presencing Institute that covers a lot of material and moves into having conversations about re-imagining our global community. It's a lengthy read, but worth the time.
And here's an excellent, extensive resource from 350.org - Community Care is Greater than the Coronavirus - about how to keep organizing to stop the climate crisis while supporting your community through the pandemic.
Look for opportunities to support online actions by climate action groups. Online petitions like this one from For Our Kids calling for a Green and Just Recovery from the pandemic crisis, have an impact on decision-makers. Read up on the issues, add your voice, and share them with your networks.
Take steps, even small ones, to maintain momentum on campaigns. For Our Kids' e-bus campaign includes lots of actions that can be taken from home. Take some time to learn about your local, regional, provincial and federal systems, including your local school boards - find out what kind of authority and responsibility rests at each level, and how you can effectively interact with elected officials.
Spend some time thinking outside the box about how collective action might look in a society where we can't gather together - like this team from Guelph that's taking their weekly climate strike online.
Find ways to make your voice visible! Share your message, and your kids' messages, in your window, on your door, and online. Being physically apart can strengthen our resolve to act collectively.
