#ActOnClimate

In the famous words of The Office’s Michael Scott: “Adapt, react, re-adapt, act.” Comedic rule of business or climate strategy? Too often, it can be hard to tell the difference. Ambitious visions become clichés. The words that used to connote genuine change mask indifference. Needed actions become marketing lingo. Sustainability is perhaps the most recent example of linguistic co-optation. Like many of the initiatives before sustainability, greenwashing props it up while undermining it.

We can’t let that happen to one of the most stable hashtags of today, #ActOnClimate. It’s simple, powerful, and direct. Right now, it is difficult to imagine a successful distortion of those three words. Act is unambiguous; we need to do, not just discuss. On does not need an explanation, of course. And climate — the focus of our energies, the planet we depend on, the subject of our concern.

#ActOnClimate typically refers to policy-level action or large-scale technology. It respects individual actions while aspiring to the grand changes we need. It supports those who act on climate, advocates for others to act on climate, and challenges us all to do more. It unifies; it transcends Twitter’s environmental cliques. It highlights progress while pushing for more. It collects ideas, victories, and actionable plans. #ActOnClimate is a cornerstone of Green Twitter. How can we preserve it?

1) Meaningful retweets. Increase visibility of the hashtag and what it stands for.

2) Calling out. Be respectful, but be vigilant. Counter those tweets with what it really takes to #ActOnClimate (hint: it’s more than buying the right dryer sheets).

3) Don’t abuse it. It’s a great way to connect to a larger community with a popular hashtag, but it’s not always appropriate. Do it for the message, not the attention (although it’s tempting!).

4) Actually act on climate! When we effect change, after all, we have more to tweet about!

For more, follow us at @Redef_Cons, and find us on Medium and redefineconservation.com.

*******************************************************************Originally published at redefineconservation.com. Thank you for reading!