As the impact of climate change takes over the world, from heat waves to wildfires, it is now absolutely necessary for each of us to take action to combat climate change. We can no longer afford to be hopeful. Instead, we must panic and pretend that our house is on fire-- because it is.
By: Aarti Kumar, Mishti Dhawan August 28, 2019 Science/Technology
Climate change is as real as it has ever been. The past five years have been the warmest years in recorded history, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have gone up by at least 46%, sea levels are rising, natural disasters like wildfires are happening more frequently and with a greater intensity-- but despite all of this, not enough action has been taken towards climate change. Should we wait for political leaders to realize that climate change is a crisis? Why should we act now, can't we wait for a while? We can no longer afford to wait, because the countdown to irreversible conditions caused by climate change has accelerated. So, join STEMTeen and let's combat climate change together! In this article, you will find some effective steps that you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
3 most effective ways to combat the climate crisis:
1. Reducing your meat intake.
Perhaps the most impactful thing you can do to help combat the climate crisis is to reduce the amount of meat you eat.
In a 2006 report, the UN explained that “raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all of the cars and trucks in the world combined.''
Why is this a problem? Greenhouse gases lead to warmer temperatures which is one of the main reasons behind the heat waves in Europe and other regions around the world. Just by reducing your meat intake, you would be reducing your carbon footprint by half. But you don’t have to go cold turkey to implement this change and it doesn’t have to happen overnight. You can cut your meat intake over months, and instead of becoming entirely vegetarian, you can consciously reduce the amount of meat you eat. Some of the ways you can transition to a vegetarian diet would be to buy more plant alternatives, and to plan out meals ahead of time so you don’t give in to cravings. Along with the environmental benefits of going vegan/vegetarian, there are also countless benefits in terms of nutrition and health. Vegan and vegetarian diets are generally considered healthier and if you want to know why- check out this TED talk!
2. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
This is extremely important because anytime that we throw something in the trash, it inevitably ends up in the landfill, where many substances such as plastic take decades to properly decompose. In fact, the amount of waste that has been created has steadily been increasing year by year on a global level since the early 90s because of the culture of mass consumption. From these landfills, harmful and toxic gases are often emitted, which can be remedied by properly recycling trash.
Here are some ways you can reduce, reuse, and recycle:
Reduce the amount of waste you generate by reducing the amount of things you get that come in single-use plastic. Some ways you can do this include:
Bringing your own cloth bags to the grocery store in order to reduce the amount of plastic bags (pro tip: keeps cloth bags in your car- in anything that you take with you when grocery shopping!). If you accidentally forget your cloth bag, you can even ask the employees at the grocery store for a paper bag. Many grocery stores have paper bags available!
Buy local produce from farmers markets so that less plastic and commercial wrapping is used, and local businesses are supported. Local produce is fresh and also tastes delicious!
Buy a set of reusable metal straws instead of getting plastic straws every time you get a drink. Take your own tumbler when you go to places like Starbucks to get a drink.
Keep a steel reusable water bottle instead of getting plastic water bottles.
Take your own container with you when you go to restaurants for a meal so that when you have leftovers, you can transfer them into the box that you brought from home.
Carry a set of utensils with you everywhere you go. That way, when you have a sudden craving for frozen yogurt, instead of getting plastic spoons you can use your own utensils!
If you are worried about what others will think of you if you bring your own utensils or take a container to the restaurant when you go out to eat-- know that just by taking action to be more eco-friendly, you are likelier to influence others to start doing the same!
Reuse items to reduce your carbon footprint. What can you do?
Reuse plastic bottles by planting flowers or herbs in them!
Switch to reusable zip lock bags.
Reuse containers.
Reuse paper. Instead of throwing paper away, you can use it for brainstorming or crafting rough drafts of ideas.
Recycle and throw away trash responsibly! What can you do?
Get compost bags and throw any food scraps or compost item into a compost bag.
Separate your waste into recycling, compost, and trash so that these items can be properly disposed. Did you know that any recycling item that isn’t properly cleaned like milk cartons can’t be recycled? Proper disposal techniques are super important so that the items that we throw away end up in their appropriate place.
Other ideas:
Use public transport, or walk when you can. Don't drive short distances. Public transport is cheaper and if you are concerned about time- bring a book or work during the ride. Also, when you take public transport, you don't have to worry about parking.
Use technology for social good. Games like Forest and browsers like Ecosia help plant trees! You can check them out as well.
3. Raise awareness and get involved politically.
Another effective way to take an initiative to save the environment is through raising awareness. This can be accomplished through both political and social methods. An easy place to start to make change is through social media. Advertising different ways that people can make a change in their lives that they may not have thought of, posting useful information, and showing pictures of the actual effects of global warming are all ways that we can bring awareness to the problem at hand. Ashley Anderson explains in the book Effects of Social Media use on Climate Change Opinion, Knowledge and Behavior that social media is “also expressive, meaning that it is about both opinion expression, or sharing or talking with others about preferences over social media, and about participation or activism."
As a result, people are free to discuss and converse over important issues and solutions to global warming, which allows people to compile ideas and create helpful, innovative solutions.
Another way that we can create awareness is by participating politically. For example, you can support pro-environment legislation, which intends to minimize the amount of carbon emissions and help people learn about different aspects of the environment. These programs exist both at the local, state and federal level, and can create drastic change. Better yet, you can even start petitions to urge your city to switch to sustainable energy instead of fossil fuels. One way you can get involved is by checking out local climate initiatives that you can volunteer for such as Climate Strike. There are always opportunities for you to get involved.
In the end, it is possible to reverse the current situation of climate change, but it will require everyone to band together and commit to creating systemic change. We can no longer afford to wait and hopeful. We must panic and come together to take action, so let's do it together.
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Bibliography:
Earth, Down to. "Top 10 Reasons Why It's Green to Go Veggie." Down to Earth Organic and Natural. 29 Dec. 2018. 17 July 2019 <https://www.downtoearth.org/go-veggie/environment/top-10-reasons>.
"Recycling Facts." Greening Forward. 17 July 2019 <http://greeningforward.org/environmental-issues/waste/recycle/recycling-facts/>.
Vidal, John. "10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet." The Guardian. 17 July 2010. Guardian News and Media. 17 July 2019
Rice, Doyle, and Elizabeth Weise. “99.9999% Chance Humans Are Causing Global Warming, and Other Science-Based Facts on Climate Change for Earth Day.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 22 Apr. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/21/earth-day-2019-climate-change-humans-global-warming-weather-rising-water/3507125002/.
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