Is there a good place for me to figure out how I can help and reduce my environmental impact?
If I have $50k I am willing to spend with this goal, what should I do? Should I replace my Subaru with an electric car, buy solar panels, buy another 5 acres and plant trees, replace home appliances, ...?
There's nothing that any of us can do individually. The "turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth" and recycling initiatives are just to make people feel better.
The problem is so large now, only centrally-organized action that reorganizes a substantial fraction of the world economy will make a dent.
Donate it to a 501(c)(3) lobbying organization devoted to environment causes. Donate to political candidates that pledge to do impose a carbon tax.
I only partially agree with that. I would say that people are unwilling to sacrifice anything of real value in pursuit of the goal (OP not withstanding).
"turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth" --> Sure, I'll do that, it's easy.
"Use a paper straw" --> sure, why not.
"Stop flying on planes at all, ever again" --> um, maybe not..
"Stop eating beef. You can eat crickets." --> Nope!
That's really frustrating because it ought to be "Eat less beef and more vegetables, which is what your doctor was telling you anyway."
It's not that hard. It doesn't have to be absolute: eat beef 2 meals a week rather than 8-10 and you're saving a lot of CO2.
It's not just that people don't sacrifice real value. They often don't want to make even the smallest choices. They just look past the vegetarian options each and every single time they sit down at a restaurant.
Presenting it as "veganism and crickets or no alternative" is just a way of deflecting. (Besides, vegans don't eat crickets.)
I think this is best put by David MacKay: "If everyone does a little, we’ll achieve only a little"
Assuming everything is as dire as they say, doing the "small" things simply isn't enough. And it will take a lot of people doing a lot of large things. Everyone wants the government to force people to do the things that they aren't willing to do themselves.
It's political. Support candidates and representatives that align with handling climate change, and support policies such as nuclear energy, carbon tax, getting rid of oil company subsidies, reducing dark money and lobbying, geoengineering efforts, and increasing ability for people to move away from stricken areas (Louisiana).
Fortunately, tech people are moving to Texas and Florida and other places where their vote and donations will matter.
These answers are why I want a tool that is good for my specific situation.
I will probably go back to working in the office, but I commute with a professor/lab scientist who can't reasonably work from home, so me going into the office adds a total of 120mi of car trips per year.
If I have $50k I am willing to spend with this goal, what should I do? Should I replace my Subaru with an electric car, buy solar panels, buy another 5 acres and plant trees, replace home appliances, ...?