Changing light bulbs isn’t enough: 4 things to do today

This Earth Day, Fenton invites you to take a lead on the climate crisis. The time for changing light bulbs is past – we’ve got to turbocharge our efforts. Here are four things you can do now to make a real dent and hasten our shift from outdated energy practices to the limitless power of sun, wind and water.

Divest

Ever wonder what’s in that 401k portfolio or mutual fund? Most likely it’s full of planet-heating coal, oil and gas. Tell your employer or investment advisor you want to go fossil-free. New options abound, and they are outperforming the market. Check out DivestInvest for more information.

Go Renewable, Go EV

Wind and solar energy are cheaper than old-school power in much of the country. Whether you rent or own, chances are you can switch to clean, renewable power today. Ethical  Electric, Solar City and Sungevity are just a few of the providers that can help. Better yet, pair your solar with an EV and charging station. Funding these for your home is easy with Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE).

Hold Politicians Accountable

A majority of Congress pretends that climate change is no big deal. You can change that by exercising your right to vote. Lots of groups like League of Conservation Voters, NextGen Climate and Climate Hawks Vote are here to help, scoring candidates on their climate cred and putting climate skeptics in the hot seat.

Help Fine Pollution

Today, fossil fuel companies get to dump their pollution in the air for free, causing asthma, premature death and the warming of the earth. If you or I did that, we’d have to pay a fine! It’s time we all played by the same rules. Tell your congressperson or senator you support a price on carbon pollution. This is the fastest way to level the playing field for clean energy and hasten the transition from brown to green. Check out Citizens Climate Lobby for more information.