The 2018 UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 24) starts December 3^rd and ends December 15^th. It tends to be missed due to the holiday season, but it remains one of the most critical conferences for the survival of our planet.

And most of the media is going to ignore it.

It’s holiday season, which means the dire challenges facing our planet will be replaced with product advertisements and stories about whether we can still say “Merry Christmas.” Despite one of the most important conferences for the future of earth, it’s unclear how much attention will be placed on this critical climate change event.

The Vatican is Coming to COP 24

One organization is not letting the COP 24 go unnoticed. And it is one you may have heard of: The Catholic Church. In late 2016, Pope Francis created the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (CIDSE is the acronym based on its original French), and one of their missions is to combat climate change – especially the effects it will have on the disadvantaged.

There are several events planned to highlight the importance of real change, and how desperate it is that we act now:

• 100 young volunteers will gather with signs at the UN summit to draw attention to the dangers they will face if we do not come up with immediate solutions.
• Up to 15 officers of the CIDSE will be dispatched to impact and monitor what is going on and try to help influence the decisions of leaders from around the world.
• Luminaries from the Vatican will bring awareness of the challenges of climate change into local communities.

Partnerships For Change ® is working with the Vatican to bring awareness to their efforts and to coordinate new ways to address this growing threat.

What Can You Do?

Everyone can help, even if you are nowhere near the Polish summit. The first is to begin taking action in your local government, lobbying your representatives to take the risk seriously and organizing groups that will make a real impact both locally and nationally.

But growing a grassroots organization takes time. Until then, the spreading of important information is going to be our greatest tool, and one of the best ways to do that is through social media and personal life changes.

• Organize Marches – We have created a Facebook Group for those ready to start discussing ways to organize local marches and protests, especially against businesses known for polluting. Join the discussion, take charge, and get noticed.
• Like, Follow, and Share a Few Facebook Pages – Follow Partnerships For Change®, COP24Poland, and the NASA Climate Change page. Keep Climate Change as the top discussion by liking and sharing posts, staying informed, and fact checking others.
• Quit Beef – The actions we take as individuals affects action around the world. All meat eaters hurt the environment. The number one global polluter is cow/beef industry, which some experts believe pollutes more than cars. Commit to giving up beef, and ask others on your social media to do the same. Our goal is to help people learn about plant based proteins and to stop eating meat.

Above all else, pay attention and stay active. We CANNOT wait for our leaders to choose to do the right thing. We have to be the ones that lead that change. We’re proud to be able to partner with the Vatican for this project, and let’s hope that together we can start creating the much needed change we are waiting for.