For Earth Day 2022, organizers are coming together under the banner “Invest in Our Planet” and calling for “the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods” in the face of the climate crisis.
Learn more about how AAAS programs amplify the scientific evidence on climate change and support individuals and communities as they invest in our planet all year long
St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the communities highlighted in the newest stories from the How We Respond initiative. | Impact Media Lab/AAAS
In rural Missouri, farmers are reviving techniques to combat soil erosion. In Washington state, community members are coming together to keep wasted food out of landfills. In South Carolina, residents are learning to monitor air quality and collect soil samples to gain insight on the ongoing impacts of placing industrial activities in communities of color.
These are among the stories added last year to the How We Respond initiative, which highlights 24 communities around the country that are responding climate change with science-informed, locally tailored solutions.
The project, which builds upon AAAS’s What We Know report that collects the evidence of human-caused climate change, continues to share stories and gather resources for using science to respond to climate. In July, a Facebook Live highlighted efforts by community members and policymakers in St. Louis on the path to carbon neutrality. Over the past few months, films from How We Respond have been featured in the 2022 Climate Action Film Festival, the 2022 International Ocean Film Festival, the 2022 International Wildlife Film Festival, and the 2022 Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
How We Respond is just one of many efforts of AAAS’ Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology to communicate the facts of climate change.
“We’re continuing to find new ways to engage different audiences in conversations about climate change,” said Center Director Rese Cloyd. “This past February, I was a panelist for NSF’s Design and Discovery Forum on Climate Science, Children, and the Media, where the panel I was a part of discussed the importance of investing in our planet through inclusive and collaborative projects that center communities.”
For people who want to work within their own communities, the Center has created How You Respond, a collection of resources focused on taking action. And because one of the most important steps that we can all take in responding to climate change is talking about it, the Center offers their Climate Conversations workshop as a part of the Communicating Science program (see a 45-minute version here).
[Associated image: Island Institute]