ACT now: Words, actions, and values in tackling the human dimensions of the climate crisis
Document Type
Chapter
Publication Date
6-27-2024
Abstract
This chapter celebrates the importance of individual and collective words, actions, and values in approaching, tackling, and ultimately solving the climate crisis. While these may seem innocuous enough, they are anything but. In a world that is standing on the precipice of a climate catastrophe and is unwilling and/or unable to have honest conversations and chart corrective directions forward for the good of the planet and its peoples, collective engagement is essential. The chapter closes with a recommendation and challenge to “ACT now.” Using the example of the efforts of the Chumash Tribe to propose and manage a new marine sanctuary along California’s central coast, this chapter celebrates the need to ACT. The acronym, ACT, is borrowed from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which emphasizes two key steps that include individually and collectively 1) acknowledging and accepting the scary realities and uncertainties associated with the worsening climate crisis and 2) committing to a values-driven course of action that is consistent with who we are and who we want to be in the face of these changes.
Recommended Citation
DeWaard, Jack. 2024. "ACT now: Words, actions, and values in tackling the human dimensions of the climate crisis," in K. Haltinner, & D. Sarathchandra (eds.), Resolving the Climate Crisis: US Social Scientists Speak Out, pp. 119–128. Taylor and Francis Ltd.
DOI
10.4324/9781003437345-14
Language
English