If you are a scientist or are interested in the scientific world, you might be worried about climate change’s impact on wildlife, humans, and communities. This might cause you to develop climate anxiety, and you might feel as if you feel helpless to change anything, even though you know a lot about the situation that is happening. To ensure that you can be proactive in your desire to change the world for the better and stop global warming, here are some of the top steps climate-conscious scientists can take to aid the non-profits trying to make a difference.
· Support Great Organizations and Foundations
As a climate-conscious scientist, the first step you should take is to look around for organizations and foundations that are playing an active part in helping communities struggling due to global warming and other issues. You might not be able to change the course of global warming much as an individual, but it is possible to help those most affected by it and ensure that they can get the resources they need to thrive.
You should not simply support the first charity you come across, though, and instead take your time to find an organization whose values align with your own and who is doing a lot to give direct aid to their causes, rather than using all their donations up on administrative fees and marketing.
This means that you should look into the projects that they have completed and find press reports for the organization in question, as this will help you to see whether they are a genuine charity or not. For instance, if you are worried about the plight of people, particularly children, in Honduras, you shouldconsider contacting or donating to theSavage New Canaan Honduras relief foundation. This foundation was set up by philanthropist, accountant, and entrepreneur Michael Savage to do more for Central America and add to the progress that he made there throughout his early career.
· Research Global Warming and Solutions
As a scientist, you may be in the unique position that you can actively contribute toward the development of climate change solutions, depending on your specialism and the skills and qualifications that you have. Rather than simply sitting by and doing nothing, you should consider researching the reasons for global warming and how to stop it, as well as whether a reversal is possible.
However, although it is possible for you to carry out independent research, especially if you can take out a grant, it will be easier for you to do this if you work for the right organization. This means that you should look around for jobs at eco-conscious research and academic facilities, as this will allow you to perform a role that you are passionate about every day and you will not feel anymore as if your working life is a waste of time. You will also be able to ensure that your work and research are read and listened to by doing this and that you are effectively contributing to a positive future for the world.
· Contribute Your Research
Rather than keeping your research to yourself, you can help the non-profits you care about by contributing your research and telling them about your findings. Your research can inform their campaigns and can allow them to help communities more. They might even be able to raise awareness of your research by using your statistics on posters and social media posts.
This will also help them better understand what will happen in the future, information which they can then use to adjust their activities. However, you should only contribute this research to charities if it is relevant and they are interested in what you say. You might consider building a relationship with them before you do anything else. This will help them trust you more and ensure that you can continue to donate research to them and help them in any way you can for years to come- and as the climate change situation develops.
· Raise Awareness of Charities
Although this might not satisfy you, and you still might not feel as if you are doing enough for the charities you care about, as a scientist, you should try to do what you can to raise awareness of the non-profits you believe are making a difference. This is especially the case if you are an influencer on social media, an industry leader, or if people respect your opinion and take the facts you share as truth. People are more likely to listen to what you have to say and follow your example.
This can help raise the profile of the organization in question and get them the attention they deserve, as well as encourage people to think more carefully about the impact that climate change is having on communities. You might decide that you are going to make a bright and colorful social media post with some key facts or create a story with an infographic that can quickly share key information and get the conversation started. You might also share posts that the charity has created for themselves and back these up with statistics and your knowledge.
You could also raise awareness of certain charities by starting up a fund-raising campaign on your page or by writing content on your blog that details climate change and how your chosen charity is helping. A blog will allow you to have ultimate control over what you write without any word count or space limitations. After this, you will be able to share this blog widely and trigger nuanced thoughts about global warming in people who might not have previously thought about it in depth.
· Transfer Your Skills
As a scientist, it is likely that you will have a lot of transferrable skills at your disposal. For instance, scientists will usually have excellent communication skills to relay their findings and write reports. Not only this, but scientists are likely to be critical thinkers, independent workers, problem-solvers, and great leaders. Instead of letting your skills go to waste or sit idly by, you should see whether it might be possible to transfer your skills to the charity sector and be useful to a non-profit. For instance, you might be able to create content and social media posts for them, as well as manage projects and sort out the operations of the charity in question.
In some instances, you might be asked to host talks where you can verbally talk about the charity’s work and tie this into your scientific research, as well as convince others about the merits of the charity and answer questions, some of which might not be as simple as you would like them to be. You might also be able to work with a team of people, as well as on your own, give measured opinions during debates, and use IT and different software applications to ensure that the charity runs smoothy and can keep up with the modern age like any other company has to. By finding ways to transfer your skills, you will easily be able to work within the charity sector or give up your time through volunteering, whether you apply the scientific knowledge that you have or not.