Small, Medium, and Large Things to Do Today

Many folks this morning are feeling anticipatory grief over what’s to come in the second Trump administration. This is perhaps especially true for those of us who work on solutions to climate change, an issue that doesn’t have four years to burn away.  I’m not yet at the stage of crafting particularly strategic plans in response, though that work has already begun and is underway; instead, I’m making lists of small, medium, and large things to do to counteract my first rushes of anger and sadness.  Here are three ideas.

One small thing: Connect with your people. Reach out to those who mean something to you and tell them you’re thinking about them and that you care. Even better, make a plan to see them in person. Building community has all sorts of benefits, both personal and (it turns out) societal—and is even an especially useful tool for climate resilience. Today, it will also help you feel better, stronger, and ready for more action tomorrow.

One medium thing: Take some hyper-local climate actions. And by this, I mean to include truly personal-scale actions that (albeit small) will help address climate change, biodiversity, community-building, or something else you care deeply about.  My own action, for example, is to plant some California native seeds on a small patch of ground where I live.  (I’m using Theodore Payne California native seed mixes, available here—which I bought earlier this month in what might have been a prescient moment.) Taking small, tangible steps in the right direction can help build momentum for the larger stuff–and will make you feel (and be) productive even when big emotions take over.

One large thing: Plan a tangible way to support bigger change. While personal actions are important and meaningful, problems as big in scope—and as entangled with the basic structures of our society—as climate change really do need structural solutions. Pick a goal and think about how you will engage with it over the next year or two.  I’m picking the 2026 midterms as my time horizon for this work. Maybe you want to back a local climate champion and help get them get elected. Maybe you want to convince your kids’ school (or your city) to plant more shade trees. Perhaps you’ll resolve to fundraise for a climate advocacy group or to call lawmakers 10 times over the next year to back strong state climate policy.  Whatever it is, make it tangible and meaningful to you, personally.

And good luck to us all.