5 Simple Ways To Help Combat Climate Change
Climate Change and Global Warming are no longer a terms used by liberal activists to invoke panic or fear in the eyes of the public - it is the serious, devastating and inevitable reality of our future. Our yearn for money and power, initiated by the Industrial Revolution in 1850, has caused humans to disregard the long-term consequences of innovation and surplus production. This article highlights 7 surprisingly simple ways that any individual can make a crucial change to help slow down Global Warming and preserve the one place we all call our home.
Eat Less Meat and Diary
What many people do not know about the (still) raging forest fire in the Amazon rainforest is that it was a consequence of agricultural corporations creating more land for livestock growth and animal feed. These companies purposely destroyed wildlife, endangered thousands of species and forced native tribes to relocate just to feed one of the largest industries in the world: beef, dairy and pork. Eating less meat and dairy not only criminalises the actions of those corporations, but also prevents any events like these from occurring in the future.
Having one meatless meal/day can make the world of a difference in terms of consumerism and global meat production. According to the laws of supply and demand, if less meat is consumed on average, less meat will be produced as it is no longer profitable. This means that deforestation, animal cruelty, methane emissions, and excess land and water use will decrease drastically if enough people decide to make a difference. Consuming commercial meat alternatives is also a great way to allow the plant-based industry to grow, which can further aid serious change in our food system. Try out some plant-based recipes by visiting the following websites for inspiration:
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/recipes
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/special-diets/vegetarian/
https://deliciouslyella.com/recipes/
In my personal opinion, reducing your consumption of meat and diary is the single most valuable thing a person can do to save the environment.
Reduce (Single-Use) Plastic Consumption
Please, please, stop using single use plastic and discarding it without thinking. M&M packets, plastic water bottles, make-up packaging and even ink-less pens end up in landfills or in oceans, left to degrade methane into the atmosphere and seriously damage wildlife and ecosystems. Scientists are unsure as to how long it takes for plastics to degrade completely, but they estimate that it could take up to a thousand years for plastic to disappear entirely. According to Plastic Oceans UK, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean annually, and this number could turn to 80 million if our actions continue.
The phrase "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" needs to be taken seriously by everyone in order for a real change to occur, so reduce plastic use as much as possible, reuse materials in a sustainable way and strive to recycle in order to prevent further environmental degradation.
Find Transportation Alternatives
Although this one may seem obvious, it should be clear that carbon emissions are the single most dangerous catalyst for Climate Change. When Carbon Dioxide enters the atmosphere, it contributes to the natural heating process of our planet known as the Greenhouse Effect. However, if too many greenhouses gases (such as Carbon Dioxide or Methane), enter the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is magnified, therefore heating the planet up more than it should. This contributes to serious changes around the world, such as forest/bush fires, permafrost melting and sea level rise. This consequently leads to countries being wiped out (take the Maldives as an example) and serious destruction of nature around the world.
There are many different industries which lead to Carbon Emissions entering the atmosphere. Although there are a lot of energy alternative out there, gas and oil are still the cheapest and most commonly used around the world. As an individual, it is difficult to control exactly where your energy comes from, however it is incredibly easy to take the decision to stop using carbon-based transportation services (such as cars or airplanes), and resort to saving carbon emissions by taking public transport, or just walking/biking to whatever location you need to go to! A lot still needs to be done in order to change the ways that we consume energy, however being conscious and trying your best to reduce your carbon footprint is incredibly easy and incredibly effective!
Attend Climate Strikes
Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old teenager from Sweden, is known worldwide as one of the most prominent climate activists of our generation. Every Friday, she attends Climate Strikes along with students all over the world to protest against their government, urging them to make big changes that will benefit the environment and Climate Change. I personally have attended a lot of strikes to demonstrate how I support the movement of youth trying to change the world, and to urge my own government to really make a difference.
In most big cities around the globe, citizens organise Climate Strikes every Friday at certain locations to protest against the climate crisis. In some cases, global events such as the Global Climate Strike in the week of 20th-27th of September 2019 occur where everyone is encouraged to attend and strike. Although they may seem insignificant, it is a big statement for towards your government as it insinuates that you would rather not have an education than see the planet literally go up in flames. Visit the following sites to see if any climate strikes are occurring near you:
https://globalclimatestrike.net
https://www.climatestrike.net
https://www.youthclimatestrikeus.org
https://strikewithus.org
Sign NGO Petitions
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) such as Greenpeace, WWF and 350.org host a plethora of online petitions ranging from things such as preserving the Amazon Rainforest, to clearing up plastics in the ocean. What these petitions signify is the public's support about these dangerous issues, and once again urging governments and industries to change the things most harmful for our planet. At the end of the day, money goes to wherever the public wants the money to end up in, therefore the more people sign these important petitions, the more changes that will occur!
Here are some petitions you can sign. All you need to do is write your name and email (you can easily unsubscribe from their mailing lists, unless you want to receive climate-focus news in your inbox!)
https://www.peoplevsoil.org/?_ga=2.91581011.812529365.1569230763-1921400547.1569230763 (petition against oil consumption)
https://act.greenpeace.org/page/39922/petition/1?_ga=2.91581011.812529365.1569230763-1921400547.1569230763 (petition to protect the Amazon Rainforest)
https://act.greenpeace.org/page/40938/petition/1?_ga=2.163932790.812529365.1569230763-1921400547.1569230763 (petition to save the oceans)
Afterword
A lot still needs to be done in order to make a true impact on climate change. While individuals can do as much as they can to preserve the environment, the true change needs to come from government officials and corporations. Unfortunately, the way that our society works means that power lies in those with enough money, and they are the ones that can change which industries flourish and which are no longer beneficial for our planet. By spreading the word and confronting politicians and industries about the consequences of their selfish choices, big differences can hopefully spring from the smallest and unlikeliest of places.
I wish you all good luck with making a difference and changing the world.
Alicia.
Sources:
https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/
https://time.com/5661162/why-the-amazon-is-on-fire/
https://plasticoceans.uk/the-facts-plastic-pollution/