You don’t have to be a climate scientist to understand that the impacts of climate change are happening in real-time. Whether its wildfires and Hoot Owl restrictions in Montana, or sea level rise in the Lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina, or coral bleaching and record ocean temperatures in Florida, it is clear that climate change is one of the greatest threats to fish and fisheries on the planet. However, the actual climate scientists who peer review climate data agree that the world will need to halve global greenhouse gas emissions this decade, and then achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in order to avoid even more catastrophic climate change effects, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This is why FFCA members are committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and why our members are actively working to measure and reduce our carbon footprint’s.

Guide for Guides

We have reached a time where every ton of carbon dioxide reduced actually matters, so I wanted to provide not only our members, but any fishing guide, with a guide for how to reduce your carbon footprint:

Table 1: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Personal/Office/Vehicle
Take Action	Completed	Date
Join the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, it’s free!
Contact your elected officials and tell them why climate action is important to you and your business.
Measure and track your energy usage for 12 months (purchased electricity (kWh’s), heating (therms), which can be found on your energy utility bill).
Calculate your carbon footprint (Emerger Strategies can help you calculate your carbon footprint).
Turn off all lights and appliances when not in use.
Contact energy utility to see if they offer free energy audit.
Purchase green power or REC’s through your energy utility.
Use weather stripping to seal gaps around doors and windows to prevent heating and cooling losses.
Insulate the building envelope to prevent heating and cooling losses. Also check out this DIY Guide:
Install door sweep for door leading to garage to prevent heating and cooling losses.
Insulate hot water pipes and hot water heater
Install T12, T8, T5 and LED bulbs to for greater energy efficiency (LED is most preferable)
Use programmable thermostat to control heating and cooling
When possible use ceiling fans to reduce energy use
If you own the home or building, consider renewable energy (Check out the tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act)
When purchasing new electronics or equipment, make sure they are Energy Star certified
Wash clothes with cold water to conserve energy
Buy local goods, meat, fruits and veggies to reduce carbon footprint from miles travelled
When purchasing a new vehicle, consider a hybrid or electric vehicle

One of the most important things anyone can do, besides measuring and reducing your footprint is letting your elected officials know that climate action is important to you, and for guides, talking with your clients about how climate change is impacting your fishery! Your clients have likely travelled a great distance to experience a memorable day on the water, which is also an opportunity to educate them on threats to your local waterways. Below is a table with some resources:

Table 2: Educate Your Clients
Take Action	Completed	Date
Educate yourself on climate change. We highly recommend: Climate Solutions 101
Additional Climate Change Resources: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) US National Academy of Science (US NAS) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) National Climate Assessment (NCA2018) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Let your clients know when they book with you that you’re working to lower your footprint. Most people will be excited to hear this and just having that knowledge will help them help you. (If you are an FFCA member, put the logo on your website too).
Learn more about the impacts of climate on your watershed, and actively share this information during your trip with your client. We can’t protect what we love alone. We need people to know what the threats are and what we’re doing to address them. If people know, they will want to help.
Provide folks with information on non-profits working in your watershed that they can learn more about and consider supporting.
Consider working with the other guides and outfitters in your watershed to come up with a collective plan to support projects that deal with climate and its impact on the resource. (Maybe one day a season where all the tips generated are donated?).

In our experience, it’s much easier to have a checklist where you can take action and view your progress. We would love to see more guides measuring and reducing their carbon footprint, and hopefully the FFCA Guide for Guides will provide some concrete steps for you to take action because every ton of carbon footprint reduced matters!