Harnessing the power of collective action to make an impact? Let’s Goooo!
As Earth Day 2024 approaches, some of us who are involved in the fight against climate change are finding new ways to inspire hope and motivate action. We believe that the only way to “win” is to get more people engaged- we CAN do this together, but we must act now.
If you’ve been feeling despondent or fatalistic about the fate of the planet, believe me when I say that doing something, anything, is the best antidote. As Rebecca Solnit wrote in Not Too Late,
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you clutch while sitting on your sofa, hope is the axe you use to break down the door in an emergency.”
I cannot recommend that book highly enough- so many amazing essays about using hope to motivate action. Check it out.
So, anyway, why streamers? Besides the power and responsibility that we have as community leaders, we streamers have an obligation to do what we can. The reason is as simple as the .tv in your channel’s URL: it belongs to the island nation of Tuvalu, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean that is at risk of disappearing under the sea due to climate change. The people of Tuvalu are climate warriors, and while they aren’t asking for our aid, they are asking us to care. We owe it to them, to ourselves and to future generations to find ways to contribute to the fight.
On April 22, 2024, Earth Day, let’s encourage every streamer to stream environmental content instead of their regular content! That could take pretty much any form- just like activism, there are a million ways to participate! If you are a Just Chatting streamer, you can talk about recent victories of the climate movement, or devote time to your favorite endangered animal. Artists can create art based on animals, plants, landscapes, etc. Food & Drink streamers can prepare a locavore meal while IRL streamers could volunteer for a beach/ park/ trail clean up. Gamers could play games with environmental themes like Apico, ECO, Coral Island, Town of Portia, Palia, Terra Nil, Civilization, Floodland or whatever else you think applies!
Tend your farm in Stardew Valley while chatting about regenerative farming.
Or go the extra step and spend your stream fundraising for your favorite eco nonprofit, like the Ocean CleanUp or Rainforest Alliance.
We’d love for you to sign the SEED Pledge to share your commitment to celebrating Earth Day on your stream. If we can, we’ll post about your plans on social media and/ or share posts that you make! Please help us spread the word!
Let’s focus on making environmental activism joyful and hopeful while emphasizing the need to get involved. In whatever way feels comfortable for you, help spread the seeds of climate action on Earth Day.
