Encouraging and Empowering Climate Change Action Through a New Climate Change Advocacy Workshop

The harmful impacts from anthropogenic climate change are growing ever clearer, such as the increased severity of wildfires and associated air pollution, rising sea levels, or more frequent and intense hurricanes, storms and flooding. These unprecedented phenomena and others are impacting communities around the world and causing immense harm in ways and at rates never observed before. Urgent action is needed; to empower people to learn more about ongoing climate change efforts and take action, the Government Affairs team at the American Chemical Society created a free, virtual, on-demand Climate Change Advocacy Workshop open to all. The interactive workshop includes an overview of the science behind climate change as well as some of its impacts on society and the environment. As climate change can often feel hopeless, the workshop highlights mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency strategies and technologies. The workshop explores at the federal level how the U.S. government is involved with climate change action, through many agencies in the executive branch, as well as relevant committees in the legislative branch. It covers some recently passed federal legislation and regulations that help to promote climate change solutions. Importantly, it outlines different ways to communicate about climate change with various audiences, from those who are champions of climate change action to those who are less receptive to climate change, while always moving toward a shared common goal. This workshop is only a starting point and will hopefully help lead to a more informed and engaged scientific community.