DURHAM — Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the plant today, but many people struggle with how they can personally make a difference.
Not anymore.
An international group of GenZ environmentalists — led by Duke undergrad Saad Ibrahim — has launched “You Change Earth,” an interactive site that aims to guide individuals to action.
Funded by Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and tech founder Paul English, it provides users with personalized guide on how they can devote their time or money to most effectively reduce their carbon footprint.
“The goal of the project was to create a simple answer to the ever prevalent [question]: ‘What can I do about climate change’,” explained Ibrahim.
“There are millions of people out there who care deeply about the climate crisis, but there is no clear path for them to take action. We wanted to put in their hands an exact guide on how they can bring about meaningful change in their lives and communities.”
How it works: After answering a few short questions on the site, visitors are directed towards a step-by-step guide that shows them how they can start making a difference.
Examples include guides on how to move your home to renewable energy; how to influence your local government; and how to use your finances to help the planet.
When it comes to climate change, individuals have a lot more power than they may believe, added Ibrahim.
A new report from Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment quantifies the contribution individual behavior change can make toward curbing greenhouse gas emissions. It found that widespread adoption of individual behavior change has the potential to reduce emissions by roughly 37 percent over the next three decades.
“We realized that the impact each individual can have is far too big to ignore. With ten years to cut our emissions in half, we need every caring person onboard,” said Ibrahim.
