In 2001 I was working as a grant writer for several arts institutions in Manhattan, including organizations that provide arts instruction for inner-city youth. When the World Trade Center was attacked on September 11, 2001, I was on a commuter train headed into the city for a meeting with one of those clients. We postponed the meeting for one week, and so on another glorious brisk autumn day I found myself about a mile from Ground Zero, discussing the complexities of a request for arts funding so soon after the devastating attack that had thrown the city into emotional and economic trauma. How could we frame the relevance of our mission in what felt like an altered universe? “Now more than ever” was the phrase I heard over and over again in the following weeks and months as we found ways to assert the enduring value of our work in the face of violent disruption. What we needed then more than ever was to restore stability, discipline and inspiration for young people coping with trauma, and to remind New Yorkers of all ages that beauty survives and sustains us.   

In recent weeks I’ve heard the phrase “now more than ever” from at least a dozen organizations dedicated to environmental and economic justice, responding to what looks like a significant setback in the November elections. And they’re right. The action now is centered on efforts at the local and regional level where citizens can affect policy and initiate significant projects. Our active engagement just became more important than ever.

So here are some actions I plan to double down on in the coming year, “now, more than ever:” I will work to reduce my personal energy footprint every way I can by making my house more energy efficient and by being mindful of my day-to-day energy use. I will buy local whenever possible, and support local businesses and agriculture. I will continue to learn. I will seek reliable, unbiased information about renewable energy technology and help my neighbors and civic leaders separate real science from myth on issues like electromagnetic fields and other concerns about renewable energy technology and business models. I will continue to advocate for environmental justice and a sustainable local economy based upon smart growth and a living wage. I will continue to focus attention on the impacts of climate change on human health and safety, and to seek practical solutions. I will preserve my sense of humor and work to create trust and mutual respect around these issues.

The science of global warming hasn’t changed, and neither has the conviction shared by a majority of Americans (documented by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication), regardless of their political affiliation, that climate change is real, human driven, and harmful to future generations. They also favor action to control GHG emissions, fund renewable energy development, and provide incentives for solar installations and fuel efficient vehicles (climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016_3_CCAM_Global-Warming-U.S.-Presidential-Election.pdf).

That’s a lot of common ground to celebrate, and it’s time to get to work.