News of wildfires and floods can make climate chaos seem imminent and inevitable, but there is more to the picture. In the background of these climate catastrophes is another story, one that is more complicated but also more hopeful. Renewable energy has improved backing and is multiplying, battery materials and storage have dramatically advanced, and the public is far more engaged than it was only a decade ago. In the below guide to taking action on the climate emergency, writer, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit argues that we have the solutions — the real obstacles are political. 

“What Can I Do about the Climate Emergency?” offers a practical guide to get involved, starting with identifying whom to work with and what to work on. Whether your niche is backing legislation, campaigning, protesting, or making calls and writing letters from home, it all matters, and it’s all needed. The guide walks through the steps, including getting informed, choosing your scale, and finding a group, as well as outlines the four main areas for action: fossil fuel; democracy and human rights; the human landcape; and the natural world. Solnit says national legislation and international treaties matter, but so do the countless small pieces that add up. This is how you begin. 

Check out the guide and watch Solnit’s talk at the 2023 Bioneers conference.