Make a Difference
Call your U.S Representative and Senators to take climate action immediately.
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Donation
1) Coalition for Rainforest Nations
What it does: The Coalition for Rainforest Nations is unique in that it’s an intergovernmental organization of over 50 rainforest nations around the world, from Ecuador to Bangladesh to Fiji. It was formed after Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Michael Somare gave a speech in 2005, and since then it’s been partnering directly with governments and communities to protect their rainforests.
Why you should consider donating: This group is believed by Founders Pledge to have had a huge impact on reducing emissions through REDD+. The group also played a big role in securing an agreement on forestry in the
If you like the sound of this, you can donate here.
2) Clean Air Task Force
What it does: The Clean Air Task Force is a US-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been working to reduce air pollution since its founding in 1996. It led a successful campaign to reduce the pollution caused by coal-fired power plants in the US, helped limit the US power sector’s CO2 emissions, and helped establish regulations of diesel, shipping, and methane emissions.
Why you should consider donating: In addition to its seriously impressive record of success and the high quality of its research, the Clean Air Task Force does well on the neglectedness criterion: It often concentrates on targeting emissions sources that are neglected by other environmental organizations, and on scaling up deployment of technologies that are crucial for decarbonization yet neglected by NGOs and governments.
You can donate here.
3) The Clean Energy Innovation program at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
What it does: The Information Technology and Innovative Foundation, a highly regarded US think tank, runs the Clean Energy Innovation program. That program looks into smart clean energy research and development and the effectiveness of increasing spending in that space, then advises policymakers on the best course of action.
Why you should consider donating: Let’s Fund, which is guided by “the principles of Effective Altruism” in its recommendations, argues it’s the best place to donate for climate change.
You can donate here.
4) Rainforest Foundation US
What it does: Rainforest Foundation US works to protect the rainforests of Central and South America by partnering directly with folks on the front lines: indigenous people in Brazil, Peru, Panama, and Guyana, who are deeply motivated to protect their lands. The foundation supplies them with legal support as well as technological equipment and training so they can use smartphones, drones, and satellites to monitor illegal loggers and miners, and take action to stop them.
Why you should consider donating: Rainforest Foundation US has shown an unusual commitment to rigorous evaluation of its impact by inviting Columbia University researchers to conduct a randomized controlled trial in Loreto, Peru.
You can donate here.
5) Sandbag
What it does: Based in London and Brussels, Sandbag is a nonprofit think tank that uses data analysis to help build evidence-based climate policy. It advocates for carbon capture and storage in the EU, pushes for strong carbon pricing, and works to accelerate the coal phase-out in Europe so as to ensure all plants are closed before 2030.
Why you should consider donating: Since it focuses on the EU — which is not projected to be one of the biggest emitters and so is not as high-priority a region as Asia or Africa — Sandbag scores lower on the importance criterion than the groups mentioned above. But it’s still among the best groups out there (it made the Founders Pledge shortlist), particularly because it’s one of the few European charities working on carbon capture and storage, a sorely neglected mitigation strategy.
You can donate by going here and clicking on the section on funding.
6) Climate Emergency Fund
What it does: The Climate Emergency Fund is different from the groups listed above. It was founded recently — July 2019 — with the goal of quickly getting money to groups engaged in climate protest. It has already raised and disbursed several hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to groups it has vetted. The grantees range from the well-established 350.org to the fledgling Extinction Rebellion, an activist movement that uses nonviolent civil disobedience — like filling the streets and blocking intersections — to demand governments do more to stave off mass extinction.
Why you should consider donating: Because it’s relatively new, the Climate Emergency Fund has less of an evidence base than the organizations listed above, so we’ll have to monitor its impact and cost-effectiveness. But it offers something important: immediacy.
You can donate to the Climate Emergency Fund here.
Aside from donating, there are many other ways you can help
It’s worth noting that there are plenty of ways to use your skills to combat climate change. And many don’t cost a cent.
If you’re a writer or artist, you can use your talents to convey a message that will resonate with people. If you’re a religious leader, you can give a sermon about climate and run a collection drive to support one of the groups above. If you’re a teacher, you can discuss this issue with your students, who may influence their parents. If you’re a good talker, you can go out canvassing for a politician you believe will make the right choices on climate.
If you’re, well, any human being, you can consume less. You can reduce your energy use, reduce how much stuff you buy (did you know plastic packaging releases greenhouse gases when exposed to the elements?), and reduce how much meat you consume.
The point is that activism comes in many forms. It’s worth taking some time to think about which one (or ones) will allow you, with your unique capacities and constraints, to have the biggest positive impact. But at the end of the day, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good: It’s best to pick something that seems doable and get to work.
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