Often on rainy Thursdays, after our regular errands, Georgia and I end up at the Portland Children’s Museum [1]. It’s right across from our choice for milder days, the Oregon Zoo [2]. But on this drizzly, chilly day I was surprised when Georgia wanted to go to the zoo instead of the children’s museum.

We ran through the rain, pretending we were animals seeking shelter. She climbed on the mountain goat sculpture, chatted up the sleeping grizzlies, “You wouldn’t eat me, would you?” and wished she could cuddle up with the very adorable bobcat, “Except it is a fierce, wild animal and it would scratch me.” We talk a lot about the animals and how the zoo works to make their lives in captivity as stimulating and comfortable as possible — upgrading and rethinking habitats and regularly doing enrichment [3] projects for the animals. Only in a kid way, you know. We talk about why the animals are in the zoo, and how their habitat is being destroyed. So the words are not news to her, but on this day she became heartbreakingly aware of the plight of the polar bears [4]. The polar bears [5] are a favorite, so beautiful and funny, and when we see a huge claw-filled paw push against the glass underwater pool I feel the power of these creatures and remember how small I am in this world.

On this day the bears weren’t even out. We were surprised because it was pretty cold. But we looked around the exhibit and saw a globe outlining where the polar ice [6] used to be, and where it is now.

I gave her the simplified version, “The ice is melting because too many humans haven’t done a very good job taking care of the earth. The pollution is causing the ice to melt.” I didn’t know how much she would get, but she became very agitated, her lip started quivering.

“The polar bears don’t have room to live. Their home is melting! They can’t get their food!”

“It’s true.” I said, not sure when she learned all of this, but once again amazed that she takes in everything. I watched for her next mood swing. She could have sobbed for an hour like she did when I told her my pearl earrings came from oysters (I finally lied and told her that I called Grandma Margie who assured me they were fake pearls).

But, gathering herself together and emulating the play that fills our every hour, wherein the little girl (or fairy or mermaid or kitten) saves the day, she demanded, “What can we do?!”

It coulda been a public service announcement. I turned around and saw a sign with revolving placards: “Climate change is a global issue, but it is within the scope of an individual to make a difference. Here are a few things you can do to help.”

We read them one by one.

1. Drive less. Start walking, biking or using public transportation more.
2. Change your light bulbs. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). One CFL can save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
3. Plant trees. Trees remove CO2 from the air as they grow.
4. Watch your hot water. Taking shorter showers, insulating your water heater and doing laundry in cold water also reduces your energy bill.
5. Turn off your lights. Unplug appliances when they are not in use.
6. Easy on the thermostat. Dress for the weather inside as well as outside, a change of 2 degrees will save up to 2,000 lbs. of CO2 per year.
7. Hang laundry out to dry. This saves electricity and keeps your clothes looking new.
8. Turn off your car. Don’t idle. Each gallon of gas releases 20 lbs. of CO2 into the atmosphere.
9. Buy fresh. Buy local. Buy organic [6]. Food that comes from your area takes less gas to deliver. Organic food takes less carbon to produce.
10. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Using less, uses less. It takes less energy to reuse and recycle than to start from scratch.

Georgia was relieved and pleased that we already do many of the suggestions, and we vowed to work on those that we aren’t as good at. She was able to make a real connection — while saving the earth seems like such an overwhelming task, saving the polar bears is a clear mission. I did have to tell her that some people like to have lots of lights on when she went through my friend Jen’s house shutting off lights one by one. But when she left the water running at home and I said, “Save water, save the polar bears!” she shut it off without a grumble. I thank the zoo for making my job a little bit easier.