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Ask HN: Best ways to spend money towards climate efforts

78 points by esotericn 7y ago

Hello HN, I'm going to be putting a significant percentage of my income aside going forward in order to combat climate change. Let's say, as an order of magnitude estimate, between $250-$2500/mo. I've already made a lot of changes to lower my personal impact and I'd like to go further. It strikes me that, for example, though I own an electric car, this is almost certainly not the most effective use of funds. Possible ways include: - supporting protests globally with funds - buying carbon offsetting directly - buying / funding research into carbon capture - funding renewable energy in general etc What does HN think? Opinions on specific businesses, charities, platforms, etc? How can individuals use their earning power to make a difference?

mapster 7y ago
I feel the hour is later we imagine. What we need is billionaires of the world to use their $ to drastically overthrow the major economies and stop CO2 production by any means. Its better the world goes into deep economic collapse than become unbearable for most life.
catears 7y ago
One thing that will cost you comparatively little and is often overlooked is moving any savings investments into options which have some form of climate/ethics guidelines (for example investing only in wind, water and solar in the energy sector). A lot of people here on HN often talk about index funds and these quite often invest in large oil companies such as exxon, shell or bp. I don't know the rules outside of my own country for selling and buying investment options but generally if you move a large sum of money from one option to another you need to pay taxes (and you seem to be able to put away some money per month for this so thats why I suggest it). I also think it makes sense if you are the kind of person who wants to help fight climate change that you do not let your savings fight against your personal goals and values.
DoreenMichele 7y ago
Support programs/laws that make birth control (including abortion) available, especially to young/poor women, especially if you are in a developed country.
- esotericn 7y ago
  This is a great idea, thanks Doreen. In the UK we have fairly good access to contraception, abortion, etc, to my understanding. I sent a donation today to International Planned Parenthood Foundation https://www.ippf.org/ https://www.ippf.org/ who do global work on expanding access to womens health services generally.
lcall 7y ago
As commented in 2 recent discussions (I got upvoted once, downvoted once, on them): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20339865 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20339865 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20353814 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20353814 ...in effect we are not competent to solve this or our other key problems while rejecting the creator (and basic rules like honesty and the Golden Rule), and that none of the current events should be surprising at all, though they are sad. These are predicted, expected, and it will get worse, but we can be at peace and seek good things, and really, we can be OK. Linked to details on why I think that, and more info (a simple site: http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854581820.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854581820.html)
PerfectElement 7y ago
Since I believe that being vegan is usually the most impactful thing an individual can do, and I don't have the skills necessary to encourage other people to go vegan, I donate money to people who are good on doing that. So I support some educators on Patreon that are doing a great job, like Earthling Ed and others.
- paulcole 7y ago
  Probably the only more impactful thing a person can do is not have biological kids (although admittedly the impact of an individual's veganism and child-free-ness is such a minuscule drop in the bucket that it's essentially pointless). Since most people aren't willing to accept the importance of not having kids, it might make sense to donate money to people considering adoption or organizations trying to make it easier for people to adopt.
leventov 7y ago
Consider working for one of the companies which help to combat climate change more or less directly: https://medium.com/@leventov/how-to-find-a-job-in-a-tech-company-helping-to-combat-climate-change-practical-guide-e212e262a32 https://medium.com/@leventov/how-to-find-a-job-in-a-tech-com...
thaxus 7y ago
Well, study chemistry and physics and other real sciences, realize the global warming/climate change is only a hystery and spend your money on useful things.
chachan 7y ago
Adopt a Panama Rainforest - http://adoptabosque.org/ http://adoptabosque.org/ I met the guy behind the project, nice person
dalbasal 7y ago
How about buying land for reforestation, someplace where land is cheap?
Jan_DeWit 7y ago
Eat less meat Put your money in a green bank Plant trees
topbanana 7y ago
Build a solar farm and feed the energy back into the grid.
willmoss1000 7y ago
Money will be best spent in areas that change the global agenda. We are moving faster and faster in the wrong direction. Money spent on carbon offset etc. will only delay the issue very slightly, but they may well clear your conscience and make you feel good.
baoluofu 7y ago
Read this - https://www.monbiot.com/2019/04/07/rewild-the-world/ https://www.monbiot.com/2019/04/07/rewild-the-world/ Donate to the organisations listed here - https://ecosia.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002296049-Does-Ecosia-accept-donations- https://ecosia.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002296049-Do...
rndgermandude 7y ago
The thing you can spend your money on which would have the biggest effect: condoms (and other contraceptives). Sounds snarky at first, but really, it isn't. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have any children, but maybe one or two are enough? Also, condoms do not only help you (as in generic you, not OP specifically) in your family planning but may help people who are less well off, too, with the side effect of preventing some STD infections. Corollary: avoid any charities that oppose directly or indirect family planning and/or contraceptives. That includes anything Catholic and a lot of other Christian charities.
- Onanymous 7y ago
  Right. Without realizing the sheer number of people is the root cause of the problem all other climate and biodiversity conservation measures make no sense.
wtf77 7y ago
Follow this. It's a really interesting topic.
surfgreen_dev 7y ago
I commute by bike to my office every day and heavily use german train connections. Haven't touched my car for a long time. If I could I'd invest in an electrical freight bicycle, so that I can transport also heavier stuff. A friend of mine has invested in a sustainable fond that supports green and sustainable project across Europe. I, myself, have put an amount of money to found my own company that is focussed on green and sustainable web design/development/ux to create energy efficient websites and webapps as the internet is becoming a heavy factor in carbon dioxide emission. With https://www.surfgreen.dev https://www.surfgreen.dev you can test websites regarding their sustainability. It's still in beta and not finished yet, but already working. Best, Carl
perfunctory 7y ago
I have spent a very, very long time thinking about it. Now, I can't give you a detailed report with numbers, but my hunch is this: After having made personal adjustments and having moved your investments from fossil to renewables, the most efficient way to spend money is to donate to XR [0], and then take some time off (opportunity cost) and join the movement on the streets. [0] https://xrebellion.org https://xrebellion.org
- henryaj 7y ago
  How did you come to this conclusion? Hard to imagine XR being underfunded, spending the money effectively, and being more effective on the margin than other climate charities.
faeyanpiraat 7y ago
Would something like this work? 1. Find the ways most people try to fight climate change but are wrong. 2. Create compelling article that would make people stop the useless behaviour, and reveal better alternatives. 3. Spend money on ads to direct people to the page.
paulcarroty 7y ago
I think the best suggestion here is total cooperation. 'Cause problem is very big and one man isn't relevant. There's a good movie from DiCaprio & National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLivjPDlt6ApToQx3tYIte0BFuJpaXw_Q_ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLivjPDlt6ApToQx3tYIte... , highly recommend.
gardnr 7y ago
If you look deeply into how carbon offsets work then actually planting trees can be a more tangible and rewarding endevour than buying carbon offsets. If you don't have the time to plant trees, then there are non-profit charities around the world that will do it for you with your donations. Edit: I would link to one but I don't want to endorse one either way. Please search for: tree planting charity and make your own critical decision
d--b 7y ago
I haven't done any calculation, but if I were you, I'd invest that money in companies that push clean energy infrastructure. That money will go directly towards making clean energy sooner. In the end you'll make money because these technologies actually generate cheaper energy than fossil fuels. And from that extra money, you can compound your investment. Putting $2500/month in research or protest is not going to move the needle one bit.
vectorEQ 7y ago
on a personal level i'd suggest if possible to have a garden ,or if possible in your area and you don't have a garden buy a garden plot somewhere. this is really helpful if you make it nice for insects and birds. this is someting generally low cost, but does take time and effort. in my area if you don't have a garden you can get a plot for about 100-200 euros a year. so thats dirt cheap to make a bit of impact. cleaning in your area / natural areas is also good. walking around with a bag and collecting plastics and other trash left by people which might impact the local wildlife / environment. those are generally things that do cost time, but not a lot of money, i'm all for activities in your life opposed to just trying to solve it by throwing money at it. like a silent personal protest :) it's highly effective. for example in my parents garden there are a multitude of bird families who come there every season to live or in passing on their migrations. additionally we see a lot more butterflies and bees again since they started selecting the right type of plans and flowers for the local species. on the other comment, i don't think 'overpopulation' is a problem. just how the population behaves. but i suppose that's a matter of opinion formed by where you live. i don't live in a huge city, so that might skew opinions on that matter a bit. another idea is giving free workshops to people how to live consciously and environment friendly. a lot of people would like to do this kind of things ,but don't have the know how to do it. an hour or two with the right content of workshop can totally convert someone to living more environment friendly the rest of their lives. they will also give those insights to their childrent, propagating the effect. all in all its more a mindset problem than anything. people are not conscious of this problem, which keeps it in place. if you really want to throw money at it. try funding and helping researchers / students working on renewable / cleaner living solutions. in most countries there's some university or research group focusing on this topic. they could always use some money if you have some to 'burn' ;). 2500$ a month can get them a bunch of research equipment and buy them time to spend with that equipment to research. some people don't even earn that much, so you could fund someone to spend all of their time on this topic.
marapuru 7y ago
Another way of approaching this could be to look into what you can do without money. As a wealthy person, it makes sense to think that money is the only way to DO something or to make a change. But how about this: - Work less (no transportation needed, less power needed) - Go out for a walk in a park, meadows, forest etc. - Explore and discover nature and realize how much benefit it already gives you (apart from oxygen, food etc.) - Inspire other people to take a walk This could stress the importance of nature for well-being to others. Making it more easy for them to make a eco-friendly decision.
Juliate 7y ago
I'm considering doing so as well (after having read https://nadiaeghbal.com/microgrants https://nadiaeghbal.com/microgrants) with a small personal fund first, that I will consider to open to friends & family later. France context. However I'm wondering about the efficiency, that will start as an experiment first. Not many different targets than yours, but my hunch starts with funding & following up in their development _local_, identified young students projects/studies working on energy, water, food, environment & politics. The benefit is that: * they're already aware of the situation, * they'll see support from people for that area specifically (both financial and moral, and networking), * they'll have far better energy & networking & ideas & initiative to spread this further, * I can spread funding to more different people at first (funding with a significant impact is easier to reach toward students).
moviuro 7y ago
As an individual, I have done 3 things: 1. Invest in renewable businesses (ethical+biological/natural food & clothing : Loom, bioburger, etc.) 2. I get my power from a business that finances as much green energy as I consume (e.g. Total Spring, ekWateur, Engie). 3. I buy locally-sourced groceries from the local store And also, happy coincidence, I can walk to work.
ptah 7y ago
I would say: - go vegan - learn permaculture/similar to grow some of your own food - invest in tree planting/greening initiatives
- wtdata 7y ago
  Let's please stop with the vegan fallacy. Cutting all meat production (and it's support industries) in USA and EU together, would have an impact of the global emissions of only 1%. [1] [2] The more we try to mix personal ideologies (i.e. animal rights) with climate change, the more we are going to make the public at large ignore everything about the theme. P.S: If you are really after a personal action to fight climate change, take public transportation to work, or better go by bicycle. [3] That - unlike veganism, actually makes a huge difference. EDIT: Added links with the actual facts supporting both points. USA Meat Industry and associated industries emits 3% of their country total.[1] Same for every highly developed country due to very high efficiency of the process. Transportation on the other side, accounts for 27% of the country total in USA. [3] USA and EU together account for 20% of the world total emissions [2] [1] citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.182.3630&rep=rep1&type=pdf [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di... [3] https://skepticalscience.com/animal-agriculture-meat-global-warming.htm https://skepticalscience.com/animal-agriculture-meat-global-...
  - ptrkrlsrd 7y ago
    What source says cutting all meat production in USA and EU would impact global emissions by 1%?
    - PerfectElement 7y ago
      United States Cattlemen's Association.
  - z_open 7y ago
    Do you have a source on the 1%? Everything I've read supports an individuals veganism being roughly equivalent to a typical individual's transportation. And land for crops for cattle is currently the leading cause of deforestation.
duckerude 7y ago
The effective altruism movement should be worth checking out. They're focused on finding the most cost-effective options for charitable giving. They mainly target other cause areas in which they expect marginal donations to do more good, but their general approach is very useful to understand even if you have a narrower goal. There is general information about the approach here: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ And an analysis of climate change in particular here: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/research/other-causes/climate-change/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/research/other-causes/climat... https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2013/11/less-burn-for-your-buck-part-ii/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2013/11/less-burn-for-y... evaluates a few specific charities that attempt to reduce greenhouse gases.
- henryaj 7y ago
  Let's Fund (I'm a co-founder) has a campaign aimed at tackling climate change - by increasing publicly funded clean energy R&D [0]. We think it's a hugely neglected way to tackle climate change (and Bill Gates agrees! [1]). [0] - https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy [1] - https://twitter.com/billgates/status/1154787966256058368?lang=en https://twitter.com/billgates/status/1154787966256058368?lan... We're very much EA-aligned.
- henryaj 7y ago
  Note that the Giving What We Can recommendations are from 2013; they're likely no longer valid.
counterpig 7y ago
Maybe look into investing in triodos bank or something similar. A lot of the changes that need to happen are quite costly and realistically unless you are a millionaire there isn't a lot you can do to fund a solar or wind farm on your own. But by investing in an ethical bank with a focus on renewable energy you can pool money with other like minded investors to fund these projects. Another option is a p2p lending platform like abundance https://www.abundanceinvestment.com/investments https://www.abundanceinvestment.com/investments But bare in mind these are pretty risky investments. You could also make steps to reduce your own carbon footprint e.g purchasing solar panels or something similar. Or if you have access to a renewable energy provider or a provider with a green tariff consider switching. Finally aside from money, investing your time in your local government to make it clear you think they should be doing more is potentially more impactful. Especially if you are based in the US.
dgellow 7y ago
If I may be slightly off-topic, I have a similar question I still haven't found a satisfying answer to: What's the best way to spend my work time towards climate efforts? (i.e: I have useful professional skills, how can I help in a serious way?) For example, is there anything like a job board focus on companies/organizations/scientist labs/other structures working on stuff related to climate change? As a software engineer, I would greatly prefer to work for a group that has some positive impact on the situation, and I would expect that there is a demand for better tools, platforms, etc that can help research or whatever is the important thing to do.
- bloudermilk 7y ago
  There are some grassroots communities where you can volunteer your time and network with other climate-focused professionals: https://www.techforcampaigns.org/ https://www.techforcampaigns.org/ https://techimpactmakers.com/ https://techimpactmakers.com/ https://climateaction.tech/ https://climateaction.tech/ Ironically it's a bad day to be researching this as many climate-focused websites are on strike...
gleglegle 7y ago
Collective action is probably much more meaningful than individual action. So spporting candidates that are serious about implementing policies like a carbon tax or eliminating exsisting economic incentives for fossil fuels is probably the most effective way to spend. That said, personally it has felt much more gratifying to stop using a car and take up biking and public transportation.
Numberwang 7y ago
If I had any money I'd spend it to get more trees planted. For example http://www.trees4scotland.com/ http://www.trees4scotland.com/ or some equivalent movement could probably do a lot of good with that money.
chvid 7y ago
Buy some nice office plants ...
code_scrapping 7y ago
I have the feeling that the answers below are going away from what the OP was trying to find out. It's not about going vegan, starting a garden or using condoms. If a person is already exhausted personal efforts (to the extent one can with a given life condition), where can we help by directly investing. Because I'm a working professional with solid income, maybe I don't have time/space to do the time-consuming activities proposed, but I do have excess funds that I can direct to the higher cause. So - where should we invest our money, and not our time? Because we possible have the first, and not the later :(
- esotericn 7y ago
  Right. I wholly agree with all of those. In fact I'm doing all of the ones that are practical for me. The main purpose of my post is - I believe that my talents in software development allow me to use that for good. Essentially, that by me voluntarily reducing my consumption and redirecting it towards climate efforts, I can do more and faster. I think this is genuinely more efficient than quitting my job and going all-in on protest or working directly for a charity. Whether it's more efficient than starting one - time will tell.
- rndgermandude 7y ago
  You miss the point of condoms. They do not work just for you, and a sizable chunk of the world population has limited or no affordable access to contraceptives, or doesn't know how to use them. And there are quite a few charities dedicated to changing this, thus not only helping the climate, but lowering human suffering (starvation, overcrowding, STDs) in general.
- toomuchtodo 7y ago
  Support candidates who have climate change mitigation as part of their top priorities. Local, state, federal, whatever. You will have no greater leverage than through public policy. Until an election cycle occurs, aggressively engage with your representatives or pay an org to do so. The US military is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the world. No non profit or startup can fix something like that, but public policy can. At the local level, you can form a muni electric coop and buy only renewable energy in bulk. You can change zoning to phase out gas stations, disincentive internal combustion use, and acquire electric buses for mass transit (both cheaper and faster to deploy than light rail). Similar changes can be made at the state level. But these changes are then impactful act scale. Find a political point of leverage and exert maximum force. I understand the squeamish feeling, but these are not tech problems; these are people problems. The tech is already mostly solved.
Khanhanhan 7y ago
I'm on the same boat. Buying a land to turn it into a forrest tops my list at the moment. It's possible to get some money back thanks to subsidies (I'm in EU), and maybe I will live long enough to sell some timber one day. It would feel nice to own a forest, however, it would lock my funds and perhaps I could do better by investing the money into more impactful ventures, so I'm still looking for ideas.
kmjg88nvf8 7y ago
Move to a city where you don't need a car, would be a start. That's likely to cost money, although I am not sure if it would cost more than the running costs of a car.
AllegedAlec 7y ago
- Support nuclear energy - Don't buy an electric car EDIT: Apparently: Do buy an electric car - Plant trees
- Faaak 7y ago
  I'm pretty sure that you're wrong to thing than an electric car is worse than a petrol one
  - AllegedAlec 7y ago
    Indeed, apparently I'm wrong. According to https://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/06/lowcvp-20110608.html https://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/06/lowcvp-20110608.htm... Electric cars have an expected lifetime emission of 19 tonnes C02, 5 tonnes less than a normal car.
  - madcol 7y ago
    I believe the rule is don't buy an electric car if you already have a car but if you're buying a new car an electric car over its lifetime will be better than getting a combustion car
cies 7y ago
I think habit-change and lobby for increased taxation on climate burdening behavior are the best options. A vegan requires a fraction of the climate burden for his/her food compared to someone on a regular diet. And without a fair-and-square climate impact tax (i.e.: a CO2eq tax), we are going no where.
dreen 7y ago
Don't fly. Use the money to get around air travel somehow.
- little_airport 7y ago
  Following that logic - don't use cloud computing. Data centres have higher carbon footprint than the airline industry
  - shoo 7y ago
    well... maybe. what's the marginal impact of taking a flight as an individual, versus the marginal impact of doing a cloud-computing-thing as an individual?
  - dreen 7y ago
    That is a valid point, but one source of carbon is not equal to another. Data centres use electricity and the biggest cloud computing providers are making efforts to use more green energy for their servers. Airplanes, on the other hand, burn liquid fuel directly high up in the atmosphere, and little effort is expended by the industry to change this. That is the big difference.
learnstats2 7y ago
Ideally: Give the money to a local chapter of a political party with a similar environmental stance to you, that may soon be in a position to break ties on a decision-making body. $250/mo will be a transformative amount for them.
henrik_w 7y ago
I trust https://www.goclimateneutral.org/ https://www.goclimateneutral.org/ (but with a higher amount than just offsetting your current lifestyle). Started by (among others) Henrik Kniberg, author of SCRUM and XP from the Trenches.
henryaj 7y ago
Public clean energy R&D is overlooked and underfunded - so fund advocacy to get governments to spend more on it. https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy/ https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy/ (NB - I'm a co-founder of the above.)
itcrowd 7y ago
There are some initiatives in Europe that let you directly buy ETS certificates (required certificates for industries to allow CO2 emissions). These companies then destroy the certificates, effectively preventing that CO2 from being emitted. The price of them is low now, so even small amounts of money can have an impact. Any opinions on this?
idoubtit 7y ago
My view on climate efforts is rather orthogonal: spend less money. A large part of the damages to the world comes from the consumerism of modern society. Mass tourism destroys pretty places and their social structure, mass farming destroy ecosystems from soils and insects to birds and trees, mass consumption means more pollution and climate change. I last bought clothes two years ago. I wait for end-of-life before changing what I have (computer, phone, etc). I don't mind taking a quarter an hour to cook a meal, so I mostly buy local raw food, and very rarely meat. I avoid mega stores. On a typical week, I don't use my wallet, only the change that I keep near my home door to buy bread. That is the kind of life I enjoy, and it is sustainable at large scale.
- esotericn 7y ago
  I agree and try to practice it as much as practicable. I actually don't think this is orthogonal, though. Ultimately - at least if you're a full time salary(wo)man - you're getting the money anyway. So step 1 is to not spend it on crap. Step 2 is to spend it on actively positive things.
iicc 7y ago
Ask Bill Gates.
Slimbo 7y ago
You could consider Divestment, making sure any of your pension investments, savings accounts etc are not invested in fossil fuel equities.
ricemast 7y ago
Hey! I started an organisation called Offset Earth to handle a few of these scenarios. It has a monthly subscription payment model where the money goes towards buying the best carbon offsets and reforesting the southern hemisphere. It's super simple to setup and you get a lovely public profile which showcases your impact. Check it out here if you're interested! :) https://offset.earth/ https://offset.earth/
benjymo 7y ago
I've recently heard about The Generation Forest[1]. They plant trees for harvesting in a sustainable way. Different trees that produce wood in 20 to 100 years and you get some returns when they are harvested. [1] https://thegenerationforest.com https://thegenerationforest.com
Glench 7y ago
After personal decarbonization (using an electric car powered by renewables, using a heat pump / radiant heating powered by renewables [1], not using airplanes, eating less meat, living close to where you work and play so you don't have to use much transportation), I think funding political candidates could be a good use of your budget. It certainly seems like national candidates have an outsized impact on how quickly we as a nation mobilize to decarbonize. Funding local elections is also an interesting way to invest where marginal dollars have a bigger impact. An acquaintance of mine has an organization that identifies local elections around the US with large climate impacts (like fossil fuel pipelines) and funds candidates that will be able to stop them. He told me their success rate is 90%. You can contribute on their site: http://leadlocally.org/ http://leadlocally.org/ Also, I know that Wren has options for sending money to carbon-offsetting projects that usually also reduce poverty: https://projectwren.com https://projectwren.com [1] https://medium.com/otherlab-news/how-do-we-decarbonize-7fc2fa84e887 https://medium.com/otherlab-news/how-do-we-decarbonize-7fc2f...
lapaz17 7y ago
I recently read this article: A New Bioreactor Captures as Much Carbon as an Acre of Trees: https://futurism.com/bioreactor-captures-carbon-acre-trees/ https://futurism.com/bioreactor-captures-carbon-acre-trees/ Maybe you can support them to upgrade it?
sunw 7y ago
Take a look at Project Vesta (they claim that they can absorb all societal CO2 to date feasibly): https://projectvesta.org/ https://projectvesta.org/ It was previously discussed on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20403570 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20403570

78 points by esotericn 7y ago

mapster 7y ago

I feel the hour is later we imagine. What we need is billionaires of the world to use their $ to drastically overthrow the major economies and stop CO2 production by any means. Its better the world goes into deep economic collapse than become unbearable for most life.

catears 7y ago

One thing that will cost you comparatively little and is often overlooked is moving any savings investments into options which have some form of climate/ethics guidelines (for example investing only in wind, water and solar in the energy sector). A lot of people here on HN often talk about index funds and these quite often invest in large oil companies such as exxon, shell or bp. I don't know the rules outside of my own country for selling and buying investment options but generally if you move a large sum of money from one option to another you need to pay taxes (and you seem to be able to put away some money per month for this so thats why I suggest it). I also think it makes sense if you are the kind of person who wants to help fight climate change that you do not let your savings fight against your personal goals and values.

DoreenMichele 7y ago

Support programs/laws that make birth control (including abortion) available, especially to young/poor women, especially if you are in a developed country.

esotericn 7y ago
This is a great idea, thanks Doreen. In the UK we have fairly good access to contraception, abortion, etc, to my understanding. I sent a donation today to International Planned Parenthood Foundation https://www.ippf.org/ https://www.ippf.org/ who do global work on expanding access to womens health services generally.

lcall 7y ago

As commented in 2 recent discussions (I got upvoted once, downvoted once, on them): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20339865 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20339865 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20353814 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20353814 ...in effect we are not competent to solve this or our other key problems while rejecting the creator (and basic rules like honesty and the Golden Rule), and that none of the current events should be surprising at all, though they are sad. These are predicted, expected, and it will get worse, but we can be at peace and seek good things, and really, we can be OK. Linked to details on why I think that, and more info (a simple site: http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854581820.html http://lukecall.net/e-9223372036854581820.html)

PerfectElement 7y ago

Since I believe that being vegan is usually the most impactful thing an individual can do, and I don't have the skills necessary to encourage other people to go vegan, I donate money to people who are good on doing that. So I support some educators on Patreon that are doing a great job, like Earthling Ed and others.

paulcole 7y ago
Probably the only more impactful thing a person can do is not have biological kids (although admittedly the impact of an individual's veganism and child-free-ness is such a minuscule drop in the bucket that it's essentially pointless). Since most people aren't willing to accept the importance of not having kids, it might make sense to donate money to people considering adoption or organizations trying to make it easier for people to adopt.

leventov 7y ago

Consider working for one of the companies which help to combat climate change more or less directly: https://medium.com/@leventov/how-to-find-a-job-in-a-tech-company-helping-to-combat-climate-change-practical-guide-e212e262a32 https://medium.com/@leventov/how-to-find-a-job-in-a-tech-com...

thaxus 7y ago

Well, study chemistry and physics and other real sciences, realize the global warming/climate change is only a hystery and spend your money on useful things.

chachan 7y ago

Adopt a Panama Rainforest - http://adoptabosque.org/ http://adoptabosque.org/ I met the guy behind the project, nice person

dalbasal 7y ago

How about buying land for reforestation, someplace where land is cheap?

Jan_DeWit 7y ago

Eat less meat Put your money in a green bank Plant trees

topbanana 7y ago

Build a solar farm and feed the energy back into the grid.

willmoss1000 7y ago

Money will be best spent in areas that change the global agenda. We are moving faster and faster in the wrong direction. Money spent on carbon offset etc. will only delay the issue very slightly, but they may well clear your conscience and make you feel good.

baoluofu 7y ago

Read this - https://www.monbiot.com/2019/04/07/rewild-the-world/ https://www.monbiot.com/2019/04/07/rewild-the-world/ Donate to the organisations listed here - https://ecosia.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002296049-Does-Ecosia-accept-donations- https://ecosia.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002296049-Do...

rndgermandude 7y ago

The thing you can spend your money on which would have the biggest effect: condoms (and other contraceptives). Sounds snarky at first, but really, it isn't. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have any children, but maybe one or two are enough? Also, condoms do not only help you (as in generic you, not OP specifically) in your family planning but may help people who are less well off, too, with the side effect of preventing some STD infections. Corollary: avoid any charities that oppose directly or indirect family planning and/or contraceptives. That includes anything Catholic and a lot of other Christian charities.

Onanymous 7y ago
Right. Without realizing the sheer number of people is the root cause of the problem all other climate and biodiversity conservation measures make no sense.

wtf77 7y ago

Follow this. It's a really interesting topic.

surfgreen_dev 7y ago

I commute by bike to my office every day and heavily use german train connections. Haven't touched my car for a long time. If I could I'd invest in an electrical freight bicycle, so that I can transport also heavier stuff. A friend of mine has invested in a sustainable fond that supports green and sustainable project across Europe. I, myself, have put an amount of money to found my own company that is focussed on green and sustainable web design/development/ux to create energy efficient websites and webapps as the internet is becoming a heavy factor in carbon dioxide emission. With https://www.surfgreen.dev https://www.surfgreen.dev you can test websites regarding their sustainability. It's still in beta and not finished yet, but already working. Best, Carl

perfunctory 7y ago

I have spent a very, very long time thinking about it. Now, I can't give you a detailed report with numbers, but my hunch is this: After having made personal adjustments and having moved your investments from fossil to renewables, the most efficient way to spend money is to donate to XR [0], and then take some time off (opportunity cost) and join the movement on the streets. [0] https://xrebellion.org https://xrebellion.org

henryaj 7y ago
How did you come to this conclusion? Hard to imagine XR being underfunded, spending the money effectively, and being more effective on the margin than other climate charities.

faeyanpiraat 7y ago

Would something like this work? 1. Find the ways most people try to fight climate change but are wrong. 2. Create compelling article that would make people stop the useless behaviour, and reveal better alternatives. 3. Spend money on ads to direct people to the page.

paulcarroty 7y ago

I think the best suggestion here is total cooperation. 'Cause problem is very big and one man isn't relevant. There's a good movie from DiCaprio & National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLivjPDlt6ApToQx3tYIte0BFuJpaXw_Q_ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLivjPDlt6ApToQx3tYIte... , highly recommend.

gardnr 7y ago

If you look deeply into how carbon offsets work then actually planting trees can be a more tangible and rewarding endevour than buying carbon offsets. If you don't have the time to plant trees, then there are non-profit charities around the world that will do it for you with your donations. Edit: I would link to one but I don't want to endorse one either way. Please search for: tree planting charity and make your own critical decision

d--b 7y ago

I haven't done any calculation, but if I were you, I'd invest that money in companies that push clean energy infrastructure. That money will go directly towards making clean energy sooner. In the end you'll make money because these technologies actually generate cheaper energy than fossil fuels. And from that extra money, you can compound your investment. Putting $2500/month in research or protest is not going to move the needle one bit.

vectorEQ 7y ago

on a personal level i'd suggest if possible to have a garden ,or if possible in your area and you don't have a garden buy a garden plot somewhere. this is really helpful if you make it nice for insects and birds. this is someting generally low cost, but does take time and effort. in my area if you don't have a garden you can get a plot for about 100-200 euros a year. so thats dirt cheap to make a bit of impact. cleaning in your area / natural areas is also good. walking around with a bag and collecting plastics and other trash left by people which might impact the local wildlife / environment. those are generally things that do cost time, but not a lot of money, i'm all for activities in your life opposed to just trying to solve it by throwing money at it. like a silent personal protest :) it's highly effective. for example in my parents garden there are a multitude of bird families who come there every season to live or in passing on their migrations. additionally we see a lot more butterflies and bees again since they started selecting the right type of plans and flowers for the local species. on the other comment, i don't think 'overpopulation' is a problem. just how the population behaves. but i suppose that's a matter of opinion formed by where you live. i don't live in a huge city, so that might skew opinions on that matter a bit. another idea is giving free workshops to people how to live consciously and environment friendly. a lot of people would like to do this kind of things ,but don't have the know how to do it. an hour or two with the right content of workshop can totally convert someone to living more environment friendly the rest of their lives. they will also give those insights to their childrent, propagating the effect. all in all its more a mindset problem than anything. people are not conscious of this problem, which keeps it in place. if you really want to throw money at it. try funding and helping researchers / students working on renewable / cleaner living solutions. in most countries there's some university or research group focusing on this topic. they could always use some money if you have some to 'burn' ;). 2500$ a month can get them a bunch of research equipment and buy them time to spend with that equipment to research. some people don't even earn that much, so you could fund someone to spend all of their time on this topic.

marapuru 7y ago

Another way of approaching this could be to look into what you can do without money. As a wealthy person, it makes sense to think that money is the only way to DO something or to make a change. But how about this: - Work less (no transportation needed, less power needed) - Go out for a walk in a park, meadows, forest etc. - Explore and discover nature and realize how much benefit it already gives you (apart from oxygen, food etc.) - Inspire other people to take a walk This could stress the importance of nature for well-being to others. Making it more easy for them to make a eco-friendly decision.

Juliate 7y ago

I'm considering doing so as well (after having read https://nadiaeghbal.com/microgrants https://nadiaeghbal.com/microgrants) with a small personal fund first, that I will consider to open to friends & family later. France context. However I'm wondering about the efficiency, that will start as an experiment first. Not many different targets than yours, but my hunch starts with funding & following up in their development _local_, identified young students projects/studies working on energy, water, food, environment & politics. The benefit is that: * they're already aware of the situation, * they'll see support from people for that area specifically (both financial and moral, and networking), * they'll have far better energy & networking & ideas & initiative to spread this further, * I can spread funding to more different people at first (funding with a significant impact is easier to reach toward students).

moviuro 7y ago

As an individual, I have done 3 things: 1. Invest in renewable businesses (ethical+biological/natural food & clothing : Loom, bioburger, etc.) 2. I get my power from a business that finances as much green energy as I consume (e.g. Total Spring, ekWateur, Engie). 3. I buy locally-sourced groceries from the local store And also, happy coincidence, I can walk to work.

ptah 7y ago

I would say: - go vegan - learn permaculture/similar to grow some of your own food - invest in tree planting/greening initiatives

wtdata 7y ago
Let's please stop with the vegan fallacy. Cutting all meat production (and it's support industries) in USA and EU together, would have an impact of the global emissions of only 1%. [1] [2] The more we try to mix personal ideologies (i.e. animal rights) with climate change, the more we are going to make the public at large ignore everything about the theme. P.S: If you are really after a personal action to fight climate change, take public transportation to work, or better go by bicycle. [3] That - unlike veganism, actually makes a huge difference. EDIT: Added links with the actual facts supporting both points. USA Meat Industry and associated industries emits 3% of their country total.[1] Same for every highly developed country due to very high efficiency of the process. Transportation on the other side, accounts for 27% of the country total in USA. [3] USA and EU together account for 20% of the world total emissions [2] [1] citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.182.3630&rep=rep1&type=pdf [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di... [3] https://skepticalscience.com/animal-agriculture-meat-global-warming.htm https://skepticalscience.com/animal-agriculture-meat-global-...
- ptrkrlsrd 7y ago
  What source says cutting all meat production in USA and EU would impact global emissions by 1%?
  - PerfectElement 7y ago
    United States Cattlemen's Association.
- z_open 7y ago
  Do you have a source on the 1%? Everything I've read supports an individuals veganism being roughly equivalent to a typical individual's transportation. And land for crops for cattle is currently the leading cause of deforestation.

duckerude 7y ago

The effective altruism movement should be worth checking out. They're focused on finding the most cost-effective options for charitable giving. They mainly target other cause areas in which they expect marginal donations to do more good, but their general approach is very useful to understand even if you have a narrower goal. There is general information about the approach here: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ And an analysis of climate change in particular here: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/research/other-causes/climate-change/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/research/other-causes/climat... https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2013/11/less-burn-for-your-buck-part-ii/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/post/2013/11/less-burn-for-y... evaluates a few specific charities that attempt to reduce greenhouse gases.

henryaj 7y ago
Let's Fund (I'm a co-founder) has a campaign aimed at tackling climate change - by increasing publicly funded clean energy R&D [0]. We think it's a hugely neglected way to tackle climate change (and Bill Gates agrees! [1]). [0] - https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy [1] - https://twitter.com/billgates/status/1154787966256058368?lang=en https://twitter.com/billgates/status/1154787966256058368?lan... We're very much EA-aligned.
henryaj 7y ago
Note that the Giving What We Can recommendations are from 2013; they're likely no longer valid.

counterpig 7y ago

Maybe look into investing in triodos bank or something similar. A lot of the changes that need to happen are quite costly and realistically unless you are a millionaire there isn't a lot you can do to fund a solar or wind farm on your own. But by investing in an ethical bank with a focus on renewable energy you can pool money with other like minded investors to fund these projects. Another option is a p2p lending platform like abundance https://www.abundanceinvestment.com/investments https://www.abundanceinvestment.com/investments But bare in mind these are pretty risky investments. You could also make steps to reduce your own carbon footprint e.g purchasing solar panels or something similar. Or if you have access to a renewable energy provider or a provider with a green tariff consider switching. Finally aside from money, investing your time in your local government to make it clear you think they should be doing more is potentially more impactful. Especially if you are based in the US.

dgellow 7y ago

If I may be slightly off-topic, I have a similar question I still haven't found a satisfying answer to: What's the best way to spend my work time towards climate efforts? (i.e: I have useful professional skills, how can I help in a serious way?) For example, is there anything like a job board focus on companies/organizations/scientist labs/other structures working on stuff related to climate change? As a software engineer, I would greatly prefer to work for a group that has some positive impact on the situation, and I would expect that there is a demand for better tools, platforms, etc that can help research or whatever is the important thing to do.

bloudermilk 7y ago
There are some grassroots communities where you can volunteer your time and network with other climate-focused professionals: https://www.techforcampaigns.org/ https://www.techforcampaigns.org/ https://techimpactmakers.com/ https://techimpactmakers.com/ https://climateaction.tech/ https://climateaction.tech/ Ironically it's a bad day to be researching this as many climate-focused websites are on strike...

gleglegle 7y ago

Collective action is probably much more meaningful than individual action. So spporting candidates that are serious about implementing policies like a carbon tax or eliminating exsisting economic incentives for fossil fuels is probably the most effective way to spend. That said, personally it has felt much more gratifying to stop using a car and take up biking and public transportation.

Numberwang 7y ago

If I had any money I'd spend it to get more trees planted. For example http://www.trees4scotland.com/ http://www.trees4scotland.com/ or some equivalent movement could probably do a lot of good with that money.

chvid 7y ago

Buy some nice office plants ...

code_scrapping 7y ago

I have the feeling that the answers below are going away from what the OP was trying to find out. It's not about going vegan, starting a garden or using condoms. If a person is already exhausted personal efforts (to the extent one can with a given life condition), where can we help by directly investing. Because I'm a working professional with solid income, maybe I don't have time/space to do the time-consuming activities proposed, but I do have excess funds that I can direct to the higher cause. So - where should we invest our money, and not our time? Because we possible have the first, and not the later :(

esotericn 7y ago
Right. I wholly agree with all of those. In fact I'm doing all of the ones that are practical for me. The main purpose of my post is - I believe that my talents in software development allow me to use that for good. Essentially, that by me voluntarily reducing my consumption and redirecting it towards climate efforts, I can do more and faster. I think this is genuinely more efficient than quitting my job and going all-in on protest or working directly for a charity. Whether it's more efficient than starting one - time will tell.
rndgermandude 7y ago
You miss the point of condoms. They do not work just for you, and a sizable chunk of the world population has limited or no affordable access to contraceptives, or doesn't know how to use them. And there are quite a few charities dedicated to changing this, thus not only helping the climate, but lowering human suffering (starvation, overcrowding, STDs) in general.
toomuchtodo 7y ago
Support candidates who have climate change mitigation as part of their top priorities. Local, state, federal, whatever. You will have no greater leverage than through public policy. Until an election cycle occurs, aggressively engage with your representatives or pay an org to do so. The US military is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the world. No non profit or startup can fix something like that, but public policy can. At the local level, you can form a muni electric coop and buy only renewable energy in bulk. You can change zoning to phase out gas stations, disincentive internal combustion use, and acquire electric buses for mass transit (both cheaper and faster to deploy than light rail). Similar changes can be made at the state level. But these changes are then impactful act scale. Find a political point of leverage and exert maximum force. I understand the squeamish feeling, but these are not tech problems; these are people problems. The tech is already mostly solved.

Khanhanhan 7y ago

I'm on the same boat. Buying a land to turn it into a forrest tops my list at the moment. It's possible to get some money back thanks to subsidies (I'm in EU), and maybe I will live long enough to sell some timber one day. It would feel nice to own a forest, however, it would lock my funds and perhaps I could do better by investing the money into more impactful ventures, so I'm still looking for ideas.

kmjg88nvf8 7y ago

Move to a city where you don't need a car, would be a start. That's likely to cost money, although I am not sure if it would cost more than the running costs of a car.

AllegedAlec 7y ago

- Support nuclear energy - Don't buy an electric car EDIT: Apparently: Do buy an electric car - Plant trees

Faaak 7y ago
I'm pretty sure that you're wrong to thing than an electric car is worse than a petrol one
- AllegedAlec 7y ago
  Indeed, apparently I'm wrong. According to https://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/06/lowcvp-20110608.html https://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/06/lowcvp-20110608.htm... Electric cars have an expected lifetime emission of 19 tonnes C02, 5 tonnes less than a normal car.
- madcol 7y ago
  I believe the rule is don't buy an electric car if you already have a car but if you're buying a new car an electric car over its lifetime will be better than getting a combustion car

cies 7y ago

I think habit-change and lobby for increased taxation on climate burdening behavior are the best options. A vegan requires a fraction of the climate burden for his/her food compared to someone on a regular diet. And without a fair-and-square climate impact tax (i.e.: a CO2eq tax), we are going no where.

dreen 7y ago

Don't fly. Use the money to get around air travel somehow.

little_airport 7y ago
Following that logic - don't use cloud computing. Data centres have higher carbon footprint than the airline industry
- shoo 7y ago
  well... maybe. what's the marginal impact of taking a flight as an individual, versus the marginal impact of doing a cloud-computing-thing as an individual?
- dreen 7y ago
  That is a valid point, but one source of carbon is not equal to another. Data centres use electricity and the biggest cloud computing providers are making efforts to use more green energy for their servers. Airplanes, on the other hand, burn liquid fuel directly high up in the atmosphere, and little effort is expended by the industry to change this. That is the big difference.

learnstats2 7y ago

Ideally: Give the money to a local chapter of a political party with a similar environmental stance to you, that may soon be in a position to break ties on a decision-making body. $250/mo will be a transformative amount for them.

henrik_w 7y ago

I trust https://www.goclimateneutral.org/ https://www.goclimateneutral.org/ (but with a higher amount than just offsetting your current lifestyle). Started by (among others) Henrik Kniberg, author of SCRUM and XP from the Trenches.

henryaj 7y ago

Public clean energy R&D is overlooked and underfunded - so fund advocacy to get governments to spend more on it. https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy/ https://lets-fund.org/clean-energy/ (NB - I'm a co-founder of the above.)

itcrowd 7y ago

There are some initiatives in Europe that let you directly buy ETS certificates (required certificates for industries to allow CO2 emissions). These companies then destroy the certificates, effectively preventing that CO2 from being emitted. The price of them is low now, so even small amounts of money can have an impact. Any opinions on this?

idoubtit 7y ago

My view on climate efforts is rather orthogonal: spend less money. A large part of the damages to the world comes from the consumerism of modern society. Mass tourism destroys pretty places and their social structure, mass farming destroy ecosystems from soils and insects to birds and trees, mass consumption means more pollution and climate change. I last bought clothes two years ago. I wait for end-of-life before changing what I have (computer, phone, etc). I don't mind taking a quarter an hour to cook a meal, so I mostly buy local raw food, and very rarely meat. I avoid mega stores. On a typical week, I don't use my wallet, only the change that I keep near my home door to buy bread. That is the kind of life I enjoy, and it is sustainable at large scale.

esotericn 7y ago
I agree and try to practice it as much as practicable. I actually don't think this is orthogonal, though. Ultimately - at least if you're a full time salary(wo)man - you're getting the money anyway. So step 1 is to not spend it on crap. Step 2 is to spend it on actively positive things.

iicc 7y ago

Ask Bill Gates.

Slimbo 7y ago

You could consider Divestment, making sure any of your pension investments, savings accounts etc are not invested in fossil fuel equities.

ricemast 7y ago

Hey! I started an organisation called Offset Earth to handle a few of these scenarios. It has a monthly subscription payment model where the money goes towards buying the best carbon offsets and reforesting the southern hemisphere. It's super simple to setup and you get a lovely public profile which showcases your impact. Check it out here if you're interested! :) https://offset.earth/ https://offset.earth/

benjymo 7y ago

I've recently heard about The Generation Forest[1]. They plant trees for harvesting in a sustainable way. Different trees that produce wood in 20 to 100 years and you get some returns when they are harvested. [1] https://thegenerationforest.com https://thegenerationforest.com

Glench 7y ago

After personal decarbonization (using an electric car powered by renewables, using a heat pump / radiant heating powered by renewables [1], not using airplanes, eating less meat, living close to where you work and play so you don't have to use much transportation), I think funding political candidates could be a good use of your budget. It certainly seems like national candidates have an outsized impact on how quickly we as a nation mobilize to decarbonize. Funding local elections is also an interesting way to invest where marginal dollars have a bigger impact. An acquaintance of mine has an organization that identifies local elections around the US with large climate impacts (like fossil fuel pipelines) and funds candidates that will be able to stop them. He told me their success rate is 90%. You can contribute on their site: http://leadlocally.org/ http://leadlocally.org/ Also, I know that Wren has options for sending money to carbon-offsetting projects that usually also reduce poverty: https://projectwren.com https://projectwren.com [1] https://medium.com/otherlab-news/how-do-we-decarbonize-7fc2fa84e887 https://medium.com/otherlab-news/how-do-we-decarbonize-7fc2f...

lapaz17 7y ago

I recently read this article: A New Bioreactor Captures as Much Carbon as an Acre of Trees: https://futurism.com/bioreactor-captures-carbon-acre-trees/ https://futurism.com/bioreactor-captures-carbon-acre-trees/ Maybe you can support them to upgrade it?

sunw 7y ago

Take a look at Project Vesta (they claim that they can absorb all societal CO2 to date feasibly): https://projectvesta.org/ https://projectvesta.org/ It was previously discussed on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20403570 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20403570