The Introvert’s Guide to Environmental Activism

Putting yourself out there and standing up for something you believe in can be pretty intimidating.

Inside of most environmental activists –– including myself –– there’s an intense battle raging on between our passion for environmental justice and our fear of being seen and heard. It takes an immense amount of vulnerability to put your most intimate beliefs and worldviews out in the open for the world to see.

Despite that, we still choose to post on social media, attend rallies, and organize community meet-ups and events because we know it’s what we have to do.

If you’re someone who wants to get involved in environmental activism but isn’t sure how to comfortably start, this guide is for you.

Here are the four steps you can take to progressively ease into environmental activism and community outreach.

Step 1: Learn about environmentalism and the environment

Guess what. You’re already doing this step because you took the time to find this article in the first place. *high five!*

While it’s absolutely not a requirement to be an environmental activist, knowing the history and science behind environmentalism is not only beneficial but also interesting.

A great place to start is this short blog post on the history of environmentalism and the Wikipedia page about environmentalism.

I also recommend reading A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold, which is considered by many to be the most influential book on conservation. Also, check out Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey –– staples of the environmental movement.

For information about the climate crisis and our path forward, check out the NASA: Climate Change and Global Warming website as well as the IPCC reports, the 2019 IPBES biodiversity report, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Last but not least, this explanation of our planetary boundaries is really helpful too.

The better you understand these issues, the more effective your activism will be. You’ll feel a lot more comfortable talking with your friends, family, and other activists about your positions and ideas if you can effectively communicate them.

Take some time to thoroughly research the specific environmental issues and policies you care about. Knowledge is power, and it’s free on the internet!

A friendly word of advice. As an introvert, I know how easy it is to fall into the “infinite research trap”. You know, when you procrastinate something by preparing and planning indefinitely. This can be a really easy trap to fall into, especially when you’re going out on a limb with something new. If your heart is set on making a difference, don’t hold yourself back! The world needs to hear your voice.

Lastly, remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be an environmental activist. You’re a human –– you can have contradictions, imperfections, and room to learn more in the future. All that matters is that you’re well-intentioned and are doing your best, whatever that looks like for you.

Step 2: Make online connections with other environmental activists

Online connections are a great first step in environmental activism.

There are a few different ways you can use social media to meet other activists and get involved in local groups, events, and actions.

Facebook and Instagram are great for keeping up with what meetups and events are happening in your city. Pretty much every environmental organizing group has social media pages and regularly updates followers on their actions and events.

If you’re interested in taking it a step further with social media and becoming an influencer in the sustainability/environmental activism space, check out this article: The Ultimate Guide to Killing It as an Environmental Influencer!

If you’d prefer to use a blog as your platform instead of social media, check out this article instead: How to Start an Impact Blog. 🙂

One last way to use the do environmental activism online is to sign up for emails from Friends of Earth and other advocacy groups so you can find opportunities to contact policymakers about urgent issues.

Side notes about online environmental activism

Social media can be a really amazing tool for organizing environmental activism, but watch out for its toxic side. A lot of people go onto social media just to argue with others. Do your best to ignore these people, and always remember that you’re actively representing your movement when you’re posting online. How others see your group largely depends on how they see it represented online.

Remember that online activism isn’t enough when it comes to policy. As we just saw on Super Tuesday in the United States with Bernie’s campaign, young people aren’t turning out and actually voting despite posting on social media about candidates. Voting is the single most important thing you can do in activism. It’s the most direct way for you to choose which policies and candidates you support.

Step 3: Get involved in environmental activism groups

Regardless of where you live in the world, there are likely active environmental activism groups in your area.

A few major environmental groups like Fridays for the Future, Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace International, Conservation International, and Global Climate Strike are international, while others, like the Sunrise Movement, are country-specific.

If there isn’t already a hub near you, many of these groups offer opportunities to start your own!

Another option could be to start or join an environmental club if you attend a school or university.

Here are a few environmental activism groups that meet in different chapters around the United States:

If you live outside of the United States and are involved with a group I haven’t mentioned, please leave a note in the comments so I can add it to this blog post! 🙂

During election seasons, campaigning for candidates with strong environmental policies is a great way to help push positive change in your community.

Working with a political campaign typically consists of a lot of interactions with the public at table events, canvassing, gathering signatures, or over the phone. It’s a great opportunity to speak with people about the environment and let them know why positive environmental policies are important.

Step 4: Attend environmental activism rallies, strikes, and marches

Marches are hands-down the most badass part of being an environmental activist.

Every time I’ve marched for our environment I’ve had the most amazing time!

Events like rallies, strikes, and marches are empowering and a lot of fun. You’ll get a chance to meet other activists and hear powerful speeches from local organizers, leaders, and politicians.

It’s your opportunity to stand up for what you believe in alongside your community in solidarity.

You can typically find out about these types of events on social media, especially Facebook event pages.

If there isn’t a strike planned in your area, consider organizing your own!

If you’ve never been to a climate strike before, here are a few tips for making the most of it.

How to strike for the climate

Talk to your friends and family explaining what you are doing and why, and ask them to support you. Record a video telling your story, and post it on social media tagging your friends, YouTube influencers, leaders, and others — calling on them to join the #ClimateStrike. Use these hashtags too: #ActNow #FridaysForFuture Make a sign calling for whatever you want your leaders to do on climate. It could be “100% clean energy!” or “listen to science!” It’s your call — be creative! Talk to your schoolmates and teachers – tell them why you care about climate change and ask them to join you on the #ClimateStrike. Join the #ClimateStrike on a Friday. Make sure to agree a specific time in advance so everyone knows when to join! When the time comes, walk out of school in whatever way you think best. Once you’ve walked out – choose what is right . You might want to hold a quick rally on the school steps. Or you might want to sit on the steps outside your local politicians’ office and demand they take urgent climate action. How this has an impact – share photos and videos of the #ClimateStrike on social media, and tag your leaders. Please keep the #ClimateStrike peaceful and nonviolent at all times.

Don’t forget to have fun! 🙂

Conclusion

Ultimately, do whatever feels comfortable for you. There’s no “right” way to be an activist!

Take as long as you need to move through these steps and know that you’re making a positive difference already just by taking the time to learn more about environmental activism.

If at any point learning about the climate crisis causes you to experience anxiety or depression, please take some time off from activism and read the article I posted about overcoming eco anxiety and climate change depression here. Your mental health should always take priority.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this article! If you liked this article and would like to know when the next one is published, you can sign up for the eco ally email list below!

Comment and let me know how your journey into environmental activism is going! 🙂