If you care even a little about the planet, it can be hard to tear yourself away from headlines and videos about parched riverbeds out West, giant seaweed blobs advancing on Florida or the savannization of the Amazon rainforest.

“Anybody in their right mind would be anxious about climate change,” said Sara Via, professor of entomology and University of Maryland extension specialist. “But the antidote to eco-anxiety and climate doomism—both of which result in no action—is to do something. Pick something that suits you, then keep moving and do the next thing.”

That’s the message she spreads through her website and mailing list, as well as in-person talks and popular summer webinars, which draw hundreds of attendees from across the country.

An evolutionary geneticist by training, Via for years taught a UMD course on ecology and evolution, which included human impacts on ecosystems such as acid rain. But over the decades, she found herself increasingly alarmed by the consequences of climate change and decided to shift from research to focus on educating the public about global warming—and how to make a difference.

“I interpret the science and make things as simple as I can, with useful visual aids. I help people understand what works, like electric heat pumps, and what is less likely to be useful, like carbon capture,” she said. One message she emphasizes: People often feel that individual choices don’t matter, but 60% of emissions from energy use are the result of decisions we make at home.

Though we can’t all develop more efficient air conditioning technologies, create heat- and blight-tolerant apples or build beautiful, sustainable bus shelters like UMD faculty and alums, Via offers ways for the rest of us to address climate change in our everyday lives: