As North America electrifies to meet the challenge of climate change, leaders and engineers must simultaneously update our underprepared electrical grid.

Electricity demands on the North American grid are increasing: Buildings, vehicles, and industries are electrifying to reduce pollution; data centers are growing to meet the demands for AI, crypto-mining, and storage services; and new air conditioners are being added to stave off harsher heat waves. 

To stop climate change, it’s critical individuals and families take personal actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But only you can determine which climate solutions will be most effective for your situation.

When I tell someone I lead a climate change non-profit, one of the most common questions I get is: What can I do to reduce my carbon footprint? 

To meet climate and health goals, countries must fund black carbon reduction at the scale and urgency that the threat warrants.

Growing up, visiting my grandparents in rural India was the highlight of my summer vacation. In the 1990s, before social media began to consume pastimes, frolicking around with my cousins and admiring the beautiful nature was enough to satiate my childish heart.

Climate change has given us some sense of how interconnected we all are. 

Everyone taking climate action, no matter who you are or where you live, has a story to share. 

Part of my role leading Drawdown Stories, Project Drawdown’s storytelling and engagement program, is to pass the mic to those who too often go unheard in the climate space so they can share stories of climate action and solutions that resonate with their communities.

Agriculture has disrupted the planet more than anything we have ever done, including burning fossil fuels. A sustainable future depends on recognizing this fact – and radically changing how we farm and eat.

More than any other invention in human history, agriculture has radically transformed civilization and our relationship with the natural world.

How did this happen?

Each and every one of us contributes to climate change – but some of us are going to need to do more to fix it. 

When it comes to climate change, does individual action matter? Emphatically, yes. 

While it’s true that eating less meat, biking instead of driving, or planting a tree only does so much to reduce emissions, actions like these are just the beginning when it comes to the impact that you as an individual can have.

The planet is now more than 1.1°C warmer than before the Industrial Revolution – and it shows. This summer, we’ve experienced punishing heat waves, devastating floods, and toxic levels of wildfire smoke filling our skies.

As temperatures climb, the risk of extreme weather rises, too. And we’re facing an even hotter, more dangerous future. Humans are conducting an unprecedented experiment on the entire planet, and no one is sure exactly how bad it will turn out.

Few topics in the climate community are more charged than the capitalism vs. climate change debate. Is capitalism compatible with a world in the throes of climate change? Can endless economic growth persist on a finite planet? Is it even possible to dismantle our current economic system—and build a new one – in the next seven years?