On Sunday, September 21, 2014 more than 300,000 people marched through the streets of New York City demanding that the world’s governments and major corporations address climate change. While I didn’t go because I find large crowds overwhelming, I did spend much of the days leading up to it thinking about where we are right now environmentally as a planet.

As a history nerd, I thought a lot about why we are in the position we are in.

Why we are dependent on coal and oil.

Why we are damming our rivers and polluting our oceans.

Why we put profit above purpose and instant gratification above long-term viability.

Each energy ‘revolution’ throughout human history has spurned growth and industry. Coal fueled factories and railroads, and oil let us go further on land faster then ever before taking us airborne. Those that invented and implemented these breakthroughs did so, in the vast majority of cases, with the desire to create a better and stronger system. They weren’t looking to destroy the environment. Many did not think that we were even capable of making lasting change on it. The earth was so big and we are so very small.

The problem is, the earth isn’t very big anymore. One can travel all of the way around it in a matter of days. We’ve viewed it from space and seen how minuscule it is, a blip on the celestial radar. Yet we keep consuming as if it goes on forever and our appetite is growing at an alarming rate.

We have the technology to handle this increase while cutting down on our footprint. Green sources of energy like solar, wind; geothermal, and tidal have the potential to take us further towards untying our tether to oil, natural gas, and coal than ever before. Some countries are taking advantage of these advances. Germany, for example, has an excellent track record with solar. But we are at the point when watching other countries do green energy right, and saying that we’ll be there eventually when we have the time, resources, or bandwidth, isn’t enough.

Our future is in jeopardy and for some reason those that we’ve elected to lead us in the right direction don’t seem to give a shit. This isn’t the time for wimpy bills that make exceptions for big corporations. We need drastic and widespread change, and that means that we’ll have to accept and embrace the change that it will bring to our day-to-day lives as well.

For each individual, change might manifest in different forms. I try to minimize my consumption, reduce my water usage, and buy my food from responsible sources. Most recently, I’ve spent the last few months devising a plan to divest my personal investment portfolio from fossil fuels and reinvest into socially conscious funds.

The shares in Exxon, Chevron, etc. were given to me as a child and are historically very lucrative. However, over the last few years I’ve realized that not only is holding them hypocritical, it’s a liability. No matter what we do, there will eventually be an end to oil, whether it is because we’ve found and implemented something better or because we actually just run out. That’s a day you don’t want to be invested in Exxon.

Divesting is, in theory, very simple. You sell what you have and that’s it. I’ve found that to do it right is a bit trickier. Rather than pulling that money out of the market all together, I wanted to reinvest it into socially responsible funds. The best way to vote is with your dollars and investing in companies committed to environmental sustainability puts more money in their bank account so that they can keep doing their thing.

I am happy to announce that, as of this afternoon; I have sold 100% of my holdings in fossil fuels and reinvested more than 80% of the proceeds of the sale into socially responsible funds that are focused on supporting companies that makes our planet healthier for people, animals, and the environment.

Whether you walked in the march, are thinking about divesting, or embrace green living in your day-to-day lives, I encourage you to check out 350.org, Go Fossil Free, and Roots & Shoots to find community, support, and ideas for ways to kick it up a notch.

IMAGE CREDIT: JAMES BIDDLE (Facebook)