We need all hands on deck to address the big environmental challenges we face. And a lot of the heavy lifting in the days ahead will fall on young people. Here are a few practical ways for college-age people to get involved and make big difference for the planet.

1. How You Can Take Action
For a Sustainable Planet
Mark Tercek
President and CEO of The Nature
Conservancy
DON’T JUST COMPLAIN, BLAME OR WORRY.
DO SOMETHING:
@marktercek
©RandallL.Schieber

2. Can we really have it all?

3. A future with food, energy,
and economic growth…
without sacrificing nature?

4. Yes, if…
we get this right.

5. We’ve faced
hard times before.

6. Through smart
policy & innovation,
we’ve reined in
air pollution.

8. What are the
challenges ahead?

9. • World population grows to about 10 billion
people, a 40% increase.
• The global economy grows 8% per year.
• Demand for food grows by 55% — more than
population growth.
• Demand for energy grows more quickly—by
60%.
©LeiHan

10. We’ve got two
options…

11. BUSINESS AS USUAL CONSERVATION PATHWAY

12. • Global temperatures rise by
3°C (about 5.4 °F).
• Air quality badly damages the
health of about 5 billion
people.
• Only 16% of global fisheries
are sustainable—the rest are
wiped out.
• And only 8% of lands are
protected.
BUSINESS AS USUAL

13. CONSERVATION PATHWAY
• Global temperatures rise
by only 1.5 °C.
• Air quality negatively affects
the health of less
than 1 billion people.
• 100% of the world's fisheries
are sustainable.
• And 17% of lands are
protected for nature.

14. We can do this!

15. But it’s going to take work.

16. Political
©2008DanielSofer/Hermosawave.net

17. Democracy is a participatory sport.
 Vote
 Campaign
 Call
 Visit
Our elected officials need
to hear from us.

18. Personal
©FrancisC.Franklin

19. ©FrancisC.Franklin
Conversations about climate change
won’t be won with facts alone.
Focus on common-ground issues to
create room for conversation:
 Good jobs
 Clean water
 Nutritious food
 Healthy environment for our kids

20. Practical

21. We can start saving the planet today.
Literally, today.
 Learn the science
 Turn to experts, not talking heads
 Go electric
 Eat less meat
 Waste less food
 Purchase carbon offsets

22. Professional
©TheNatureConservancy(DevanKing)

23. ©TheNatureConservancy(DevanKing)
The only good thing about the mess my
generation has made in the environment is
the range of jobs that will be available for all
of you to get us on the right path.
 Solar
 Engineering and green infrastructure
 Environmental journalism
 International agriculture development
 Environmental CSR

24. @marktercek
Thank you
©ArianaLindquist

25. Captions and Credits
• Slide 1: The Nature Conservancy recently acquired Snow Lake in Geauga County, Ohio. This is one of the state's best remaining glacial
wetlands. ©Randall L. Schieber
• Slide 5: From left to right: The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio on fire on November 3, 1952 (Courtesy of Cleveland Press Collection at
Cleveland State University Library); Clip from an episode of Rowans & Martin’s Laugh-In (Courtesy of NBC Television/Wikimedia
Commons).
• Slide 7: 1975 Chevrolet Nova Advertisement in Readers Digest, October 1974. Labeled for reuse through Creative Commons.
• Slide 8-9: Smog over the city of Shanghai, China. © Lei Han/Creative Commons
• Slide 11-13: Photo credit: NASA
• Slide 16-17: Voting booths at Hermosa Beach City Hall during California Primary ©2008 Daniel Sofer/Hermosawave.net
• Slide 18-19©Francis C. Franklin via Wikimedia Commons
• Slide: 20-21: Labeled for reuse through Creative Commons.
• Slide: 22-23The Nature Conservancy and The National Parks Service partnered with National Geographic to execute the First State National
Park's first Bioblitz outside of Wilmington, Delaware. © The Nature Conservancy (Devan King)
• Slide 24: The Nature Conservancy staff set a fish trap on the Lake Erie side of the Cedar Point National Wildlife, near Toledo, Ohio. ©
Ariana Lindquist
Read the full text of the speech: https://blog.nature.org/conservancy/category/marks-desk