Extinction

Global Warming / Climate Change

"Overall, Earth was about 2.45 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 1.36 degrees Celsius) warmer in 2023 than in the late 19th-century (1850-1900) preindustrial average. The 10 most recent years are the warmest on record." - NASA

This might not sound like a lot, but organisms have evolved to live within specific temperature ranges, and ranges outside of these norms can actually cause cells to stop functioning correctly. In the case of humans, we suffer from heat stroke, and phytoplankton (which form the base of ocean food webs while producing around 70% of Earth's oxygen) are sensitive to fairly subtle temperature changes.

Heat Island Effect

This phenomenon is caused when artificial substances such as metals and concrete which are commonly used to build communities absorb excess solar energy. During the day this means more heat is absorbed, creating dangerously high temperatures in cities and similar space, then slowly release that heat at night when the area should be much cooler. Cities tend to be several degrees hotter than surrounding farms or wild spaces. During heat waves, the heat island effect can made communities much more dangerous, especially for people who don't have or can't afford cooling systems.

Heat Waves

These are generally caused by prolonged time periods without any cooling rain. They are becoming more frequent, more extreme, and longer lasting thanks to climate change, thanks to increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Increased Fire Risk

Higher temperatures and drier conditions make fires and wild fires much more common. In Australia, higher ground temperatures in livestock pastures created previously-unseen conditions that melted a farmer's thermometer.

Wet Bulb Effect

This refers to the dangerous combination of high temperatures (which can cause heat stroke) plus high humidity which reduces or eliminates the human body's ability to use sweet to cool off. This phenomenon is already claiming lives in traditionally humid regions, but as climate change progresses, this will affect more communities. 

Though heat waves are generally most dangerous for the very young and very old, the wet bulb effect can also kill perfectly healthy people of any age.

Food Security

Food security is a growing concern world wide, especially for communities who see shortages due to poverty, severe weather and climate emergencies, water shortages, pandemic shut downs, or even violent conflicts.

"According to estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, some 828 million people, almost one in ten, are currently undernourished, regularly not getting enough food in order to lead an active and healthy life. At the same time, agriculture is producing more food than ever before, both in total numbers as well as on a per capita basis, despite the fact that the world population is growing. If the harvest was used entirely and as effectively as possible as food, it could already feed 12 to 14 billion people." - https://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/hunger-in-times-of-plenty.html 

Housing

Private Equity Causing Homelessness

Fires & Floods Destroy Homes Until People Can't Afford to Rebuild or Move

Evidence- Based Solutions for Homelessness

Floating Homes

Narcissism

Narcissism is estimated to be present in 1 out of ever 6 people, and has negative impacts not only for the narcissist but the people and environment around the narcissist. Narcissistic abuse can cause severe mental health and even physical repercussions for people who have to live with or frequently interact with them. Even years or decades after escaping from one, you may suffer from decreased feelings of self-worth or confidence, which can reduce our belief that we can have a positive impact on big issues like climate change or local laws

They also have a dangerous tendency towards adopting conspiracy beliefs and trying to spread them, making them more likely to get sucked into climate change denial, anti-vax conspiracies, and political cults that pose a danger to people as well as our planet.

• Narcissistic Susceptibility to Conspiracy Beliefs Exaggerated by Education, Reduced by Cognitive Reflection (Study)

Tools for Communities

• A Student Guide for Community Organization (PDF) "I wrote this guide as a collection of anecdotes and lessons I have learned from being an undocumented, working-class woman of color who is also an organizer and a student. I want this guide to inspire people to organize in their communities and develop the tools they need in the ongoing fight for liberation and freedom. I chose to write this guide as a form of resilience.
  Over the past six years, I have been an organizer and have had to balance school, work, and being an activist. At times I had to prioritize my organizing over my own academic goals, and I am now just understanding how to balance each part of my life." While this guides is directed at students, it's got valuable lessons for people outside of school too.

• New Tool and Step-by-Step Guide: Community Greenhouse Gas Inventories

• Ecosystem Restoration Camps  "The goal of Ecosystem Restoration Camps is to help local communities establish camps across the world in order to support planetary scale ecological restoration through local action."

Resources

North America

USA

• Coastal Restoration Toolkit: Take Action to Restore Our Coastlines "Find tools and information you need to launch a restoration project in your community."

• Green Infrastructure Effectiveness Database "This database is a compilation of literature resources documenting the effectiveness and economics of nature-based solutions and Green Infrastructure for coastal resilience."

Organizations

International

• Climate Defenders "is a multigenerational and multiracial action home rising up against the oil industry destroying our planet and our communities.
  
  For generations, oil CEOs and the bank executives that finance them have prioritized profits over the well-being of our planet and its people. They pollute our air, poison our water, and dump toxins into our neighborhoods.

As Climate Defenders, we are fighting to end the fossil fuel industry and build a new future with good jobs, clean water, safe air, and a better future for our families. Join us!"

North America

USA

• Anthropocene Alliance (A2) "has almost 300 member-communities in 41 U.S. states and territories. They are impacted by flooding, toxic waste, wildfires, and drought and heat — all compounded by reckless development and climate change. The consequence is broken lives and a ravaged environment.

The goal of A2 is to help communities fight back. We do that by providing them organizing support, scientific and technical guidance, and better access to foundation and government funding. Most of all, our work consists of listening to our frontline leaders. Their experience, research, and solidarity guide everything we do, and offer a path toward environmental and social justice.

Supported by outstanding partner organizations with expertise in engineering, hydrology, public health, planning, and the law, A2 leaders have successfully halted developments in climate-vulnerable areas; implemented nature-based hazard mitigation strategies; organized home buyouts; and pushed for clean-ups at superfund sites, toxic landfills, and petrochemical plants.

We support everyone we can, but our special priority is people who have suffered the worst environmental impacts for the longest time; that usually means low-income, Black, Latinx, Native American and other underserved communities.

To learn about our policies, read our A 10-Point Platform on Climate Change."

California

• APEN (Asian Pacific Environmental Network) "All people have a right to a clean and healthy environment in which their communities can live, work, learn, play and thrive. Towards this vision, APEN brings together a collective voice to develop an alternative agenda for environmental, social and economic justice.
  
  Through building an organized movement, we strive to bring fundamental changes to economic and social institutions that will prioritize public good over profits and promote the right of every person to a decent, safe, affordable quality of life, and the right to participate in decisions affecting our lives. APEN holds this vision of environmental justice for all people. Our work focuses on Asian immigrant and refugee communities."

New York

• Adopt A House "is a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency and is dedicated to help re-build our local communities by bringing valuable information, solutions and financial assistance to Long Island residents affected by Super Storm Sandy and other emergency situations. Run entirely by volunteers, Adopt A House's simple mission is to support recovery for Long Island's SouthShore by preparing and administering a comprehensive disaster aid and long term recovery program to individuals, families and the community. Adopt A House also contributes assistance to individuals in unfortunate emergency circumstances by easing financial burdens and offering help and guidance. We achieve this mission through multiple avenues including, but not limited to: educational workshops, community outreach, programs for financial assistance, community service, and acting as liaison between elected officials and registered families. We are constantly striving to improve our ability to assess housing needs, improve community services and raise funds that go directly to registered families and our programs."

• The Office of Resilient Homes and Communities "strives to address communities’ most urgent needs, while also encouraging the identification of innovative and enduring solutions to strengthen the State’s infrastructure and critical systems. The office utilizes approximately $4.4 billion in flexible funding made available by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program to concentrate aid to four main areas. Paired with additional federal funding that has been awarded to other State agencies, the CDBG-DR program is enabling homeowners, small businesses and entire communities to build back even better than before. And in a State already known for its great resiliency and can-do spirit, the efforts are paving the way for a tremendous comeback– one that will reinvigorate New York and better prepare it for future extreme weather events that come its way."

Grants & Funding

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