Climate change can seem like a really overwhelming topic, trust me – I’ve felt it too. That doesn't mean that we can't make a difference. Whether its talking to your best friend about the wildfires that happened in Hawaii in 2023 or writing a letter to your government representative about sustainability, every little thing counts.

For me, this website is my first action step. The fact that you are reading this right now shows that I made a small impact, even if you forget everything you read in the next five minutes. I still shared my story to someone else. And maybe you will be the one in a million person that is moved enough to act based on what I’ve said.

This action doesn’t have to be related to the climate or sustainability or anything else. I want to motivate you to start that diet you keep putting off, or reach out to your mom because you haven’t talked to her in a while. Anything is something.

I should talk about some sustainable action steps though, that is the point of this website.

Below I am going to show you the notes I took for possible environmental solutions on a regional and individual perspective. Each of these is relevant to a specific town or city that I visited during my trip. Everything I proposed, especially on a higher level, is not necessarily realistic or possible. I just listed what I personally thought could benefit the city, specifically in an environmental manner.

Your Voice Matters - Use It

Santiago

Large Scale Solutions

Limiting the consistent expansion of the city by creating suburbs/promoting easy and cheap living in developing areas
Supporting impoverished communities by creating job opportunities and low-income housing opportunities
Create a better flood prevention system by directing mountain runoff to other areas without urban development or installing the wall system that catches water and slows down the flow
Make alternate forms of transportation more viable for people, like setting up bike and scooter rentals or a group ride benefit

Individual Actions

Promote awareness of what is occurring (overpopulation and flooding)
Encourage the people in the community that have the wealth to help to commit to supporting one of the listed solutions and also look to the government for help
Pick up trash around the city, specifically in areas that would be affected by flooding and rainfall to prevent it from getting into the waterway
Encourage people to use alternative transportation methods to reduce CO2 emissions

Puerto Natales

Large Scale Solutions

Higher levels of moderation and laws/regulations to protect the land (no camping/fires)
Limiting further development that is not sustainable
Building higher seawalls around the city to prevent flooding events as sea level continues to rise
Use excess caution during extreme conditions (not allowing for any fires during dry and windy days or periods)

Individual Actions

Limiting personal carbon footprint by using alternative transportation methods and recycling (etc)
Spreading awareness about changing weather conditions, specifically high-risk conditions so people know to use caution during that timeframe
Practicing other sustainable measures like maintaining your own garden or using solar panels (etc)

San Pedro de Atacama

Be Part of Something Great

Valparaiso

Be a Force for Good

Iquique

Large Scale Solutions

Creating incentives for sustainability (paying for recycling, or providing alternative transportation methods like rental bikes and scooters that are cheaper than gas prices)
Introducing a carbon tax on large companies around the area to reduce overall carbon footprint
More extreme regulations on fishing in the area and general marine activities (making the company pay to clean up the oil spill, extending the artisanal fisherman area for fishing, establishing a baseline of payment between artisanal fisherman and large companies that are buying their fish, establishing limitations on how much local produce can be used for secondary consumption purposes)
Creating some sort of infrastructure that can protect against landslides and tsunamis like a large wall or some sort of structural support to the sand dunes (I’m not too confident about the specifics of what could be done but there must be something)
Working to rebuild/support the local marine environment (creating artificial reefs, specific protected areas where no one can fish, limiting boat traffic in certain areas)
Working with the university to support marine restoration like the work being done at the Universidad Arturo prat

Individual Actions

General efforts to reduce pollution around the city (picking up trash and poop)
Increased recycling and other sustainable actions like using alternative transportation methods and growing some of your own produce
Advocating against the excessive use of secondary consumption products and focusing on supporting local investments and primary consumption (selling the fish that is caught by Camanchaca to local markets rather than creating secondary consumption products and exporting it elsewhere)

Codpa

Large Scale Solutions

Continuing to build up the flood prevention/mitigation infrastructure
Setting up building restrictions to prevent building in flood zones
Find a minimal way to test the current flood system so improvements can be made before a major flooding event occurs
Creating local garbage and recycling service for local and to accommodate tourists, or out stricter trash rules in place for tourists (taking everything they bring out with them including trash)
Sustainable development goals

Individual Actions

Spreading the word about Codpa to encourage tourism and therefore more money that can go towards flood support
Encouraging local farmers to take up sustainable farming methods like composting rather than burning excess materials

San Pedro de Atacama

Large Scale Solutions

Putting a restriction on the number of tourists in the city or that visit a specific area through passes or registration beforehand – more access for those who can prove that they can respect the environment versus those who cannot
Advertising interaction with parks and recreation areas in a positive manner (like a smokey the bear sort of thing) that teaches locals and tourists to respect nature through LNT principles (leave no trace)
Supporting the building of housing and small communities in “oasis areas” while also encouraging development in other areas like Codpa who want to increase activity
Creating a historical area that serves to protect the traditional culture of San Pedro
Determining specific areas that are especially high in the microbe concentration and protecting them (by setting up a sheltered area like a greenhouse or something) or taking samples and recreating the environment in the lab to run more tests and

Individual Actions

Treat the environment with respect – stay on designated paths, pick up after yourself, recycle/compost if/when possible, limit your carbon footprint
Support the local community by finding restaurants or stores that are unique to the area

Valparaiso

Large Scale Solutions

Either instituting a better waste management system or creating an incentive for cleaning up the area
Creating protected areas within, or around the city for green spaces that are maintained
Creating some sort of solution for runoff by creating areas where water can reach the ground and sink in
Updating building codes so that new infrastructure has to have sustainable elements like solar energy or insulation or thermal heating OR creating incentives to update current infrastructure to include that sort of stuff

Individual Actions

Cleaning up the streets and surrounding area of trash and waste
Maintaining a personal garden to grow produce (even an aquaculture thing like Kate)
Using other sustainable practices like composting, using alternative transportation methods, and other small efforts to reduce your personal carbon footprint