Our Mission
We Have to Act Now
By: Adit Damodaran, Jessica Psahoulias
Read our article on the original website here.
Our climate is changing. Amidst the pandemic and presidential election, the fact that 2020 was the worst wildfire year in Colorado and California's history seemed to get lost in the noise. The UN reports that 21.5 million people have been displaced due to climate change related disasters since 2010. The rapid pace at which our polar ice caps are warming (twice as fast as the global average) is detrimental to the jet streams that keep our weather stable -- resulting in extreme weather events such as hotter summers and colder winters. The 2021 power grid failure in Texas is just one example of the many consequences of a changing climate.
The United States has a far-reaching voice and impact when it comes to addressing climate change. In 2017, we were the world's second largest emitter of CO₂ behind China and ahead of the European Union. Not only does our national policy set an example for other countries, but our actions as a country will materially impact the livelihoods of millions of people we may never meet.
Our Mission
Our mission with Act Green Now is to help you understand climate change, to know where your impact fits in the bigger picture, and to feel empowered to make a difference. It is daunting as an individual to feel like you can make progress, when large multinational corporations and entire governments are also at the same table with their own agendas. But true change starts with ordinary people believing they can make a difference, and that comes from understanding the problem itself. With Act Green Now, we want to teach people the “by the numbers” of climate change. This means understanding what exactly is happening, what our impact is on the individual level, how we can make changes to lessen our footprints, and how to inspire others to follow suit.
Beyond the educational element, we also aim to fundraise a minimum of $1,000 by the end of our first year (June 2022) to certified charitable organizations making real on-the-ground progress towards protecting our planet. Receipts of all donations will be posted on our website.
What You Should Expect From Us
We are two young adults working day jobs in the U.S., who felt the climate crisis posed a formidable challenge to our livelihoods and those of future generations. For that reason, we chose to use our own knowledge to present the data and facts in an accessible way.
“Over the last 7 years, I’ve worked in a variety of research fields from creating neuroscience databases, to studying the genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s Disease, to teaching environmental science, to market research. My experience in the formal research world allows me the ability to read academic papers with greater expertise and precision, and to communicate the content effectively. As a native Californian, my childhood was marked by annual fire evacuations and family displacements. I’ve seen the destruction and devastation as a result of climate change first-hand, and I am driven to teach people truly how much is at stake.”
— Jessica Psahoulias
“Hey, I’m Adit! I currently work in data science at a travel company, and am passionate about making complex data easier to understand through graphics. I love visiting National Parks with Jess, and taking photos on all our adventures in nature. On a roadtrip last year, I drove through the Cameron Peak wildfire in Colorado. It was a heart-wrenching experience that has motivated me to do more to protect our planet.”
— Adit Damodaran
Act Green Now is our passion project and foundation to create a community to cut through the noise of today's media coverage regarding climate change. We promise:
To Be Trustworthy: Everything you'll see on this site is from us, independently written, and self-funded without sponsors. We will fact-check anything we write, and cite the reliable sources we use for your reference.
To Be Relevant: We will strive for our writing to be applicable to your daily life, and to either educate you on broader societal factors at play or about how you individually can make a difference.
To Be Accessible: We want our writing to be easy-to-understand, regardless of your background or prior knowledge on the subject at hand.