Preventing Climate Change: Are We Too Late To Stop Global Warming In Its Tracks?
Climate change is happening at an alarming rate. Left unchecked, it will cause vast areas of our planet to become uninhabitable. Preventing climate change is still possible, but our time to act is rapidly approaching a dangerous deadline. Climate scientists say that global warming and climate change will virtually stop once we stop burning fossil fuels and adding heat trapping greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide to our atmosphere.
The good news is, there is hope. There are plenty of solutions available today that could significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and keep us out of harm's way. However, not everyone is aware of these solutions and we need to let them know.
In this blog, I’ll discuss why we must act now to prevent the irreversible damage to our environment, and the steps we need to take to combat climate change.
What Can We Do To Prevent Climate Change?
We have a few options available to us. Here are some of the most important ones.
Reduce our consumption of fossil fuels
This is the most obvious solution and the easiest one to implement. Reduce the amount of energy we use in our homes, offices, cars, and other places. It is the most sustainable option, because we can use the savings to fund the other options.
Stop polluting
This option is more difficult to implement and to sustain, but we can make a difference. If we stop producing more pollution, then we won’t have to worry about the consequences.
Switch to renewable energy
Replace dirty energy sources with clean energy. This is a tricky one. Not only is it expensive, but it’s also a bit of a risk. If we switch to renewable energy, we may have to deal with blackouts, power shortages, and other issues.
Drive electric vehicles
Convert to electric vehicles. This is the most sustainable option, because it can be done quickly and cheaply. While this is the most expensive option, it is the one with the least negative impact on the environment.
Invent new technologies
This is the most expensive, but it has the most long-term benefit. We can spend money to help create new technologies that will be beneficial in the future.
There are plenty of other options, but these are the most important. We need to start implementing them now, or else we will be too late.
Make your voice heard by those in power
You can have an impact on the way things are done. You can make an opinion count. You can be a force for good. Vote and tell politicians that they need to focus on fighting climate change.
Work with young people to inform them about the importance of voting and staying informed about climate change. Focus on organizing public events, distributing pamphlets, and hosting gatherings to talk about preventing global warming. Help young voters who are vulnerable to misinformation learn the truth. Your voice can make a difference. When you’re in a position to influence the outcome of something, you can do so by making your voice heard.
Eat less meat and dairy
We are living in the age of information overload. It’s a little too easy to access, and it’s almost impossible to process it all.
This is where nutrition comes in. By eating a plant-based diet, you are helping to reduce your carbon footprint and also avoiding the environmental impact of factory farming.
Eating less meat and dairy also allows you to avoid the saturated fat that is often found in these animal products. This will give you better health in general and help you lose weight, which is a bonus.
While the best diets for the environment are still the subject of research, the more you can cut back on meat and dairy, the better.
Cut back on flying
Flying is a major contributor to carbon emissions. You might be thinking, “Well, I’m not a huge flyer, so what does this have to do with me?” The fact is, even though you may not travel by plane very often, when you do, you’re making a big contribution to climate change.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger who takes one domestic flight produces about 0.5 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile. That’s the equivalent of driving a vehicle that gets about 12 miles to the gallon.
The good news is, you can save a ton of carbon emissions by cutting back on flying. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), if everyone in the world flew less than half the number of flights they currently do, we would avoid producing more than one-third of the planet’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The ICCT has also found that by cutting out air travel, you could avoid emitting an amount of carbon that is equal to about 30 percent of all of the greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s road vehicles.
Reduce your home energy use
Your home is responsible for 40% of your total carbon footprint. If you live in a large city, you probably don't think much about it. But if you live in a small town or rural area, you might realize just how much energy your home consumes.
To combat climate change, you must start by reducing your own carbon footprint. This means that you need to reduce the amount of energy your home uses. If you can do that, you'll have made a major impact on the world.
Respect and protect green spaces
Green spaces, such as forests and parks, remove significant amounts of CO2 from our atmosphere and are the perfect places to teach children about the importance of nature and environmental sustainability. These are places where we can spend time together, play, and relax.
But when children grow up, they often forget how important these natural spaces are. They’ve been cut down and turned into shopping malls, office buildings, and housing estates. This is a problem because, as the world gets warmer, these areas are going to become even more vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.
Invest your money in environmentally friendly companies
In recent years, more and more companies have become socially responsible and started investing in projects that help improve our planet.
There are several reasons why this is important. For one, investing in these projects is a great way to increase your own brand awareness and reputation.
It also helps you make a positive impact on the world. And finally, it allows you to do so without paying a large price tag.
Here are a few ideas of where you can invest your money:
* Sustainable agriculture projects, such as rainforest restoration, organic farming, and agroforestry.
* Renewable energy projects, such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles.
* Natural resource management, such as carbon offsets, recycling, and sustainable mining.
Change to energy efficient lights
It’s easy to assume that LED lighting is more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but that’s not entirely true.
LED lights have long life spans, require less electricity, and are better for the environment. They also cost about half as much as traditional incandescent bulbs.
The most common LED bulb is a 40W equivalent. That’s enough to light up a small room, and it’s cheaper than a 100W incandescent.
Drive your car less
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), by 2030 the global demand for oil will grow by 50%, leading to a 40% increase in oil consumption. This means that the world will consume the same amount of oil by 2030 that it did in 2000.
And the United States alone will use 2.3 million barrels of oil per day (BPD) by 2030, compared to 1.9 million BPD today. That’s a rise of 33%.
This is an alarming trend and one we cannot afford to ignore. A good percentage of this increase in fossil fuels comes from driving, so driving less will help.
Plant a tree
A simple, yet powerful way of making a difference. If you’re looking to save the world, plant a tree.
You can buy a single tree and plant it somewhere, or you can purchase a tree from a nursery and have it planted. Either way, planting a tree is a great way to help the environment and reduce carbon dioxide.
The best part is that the tree will grow for decades and provide you with shade, shelter, and a nice view.
If you’re looking to go one step further, consider planting a tree on a plot of land that you own. It’s a great way to decrease your carbon footprint, and if you do decide to sell your home later down the road, the trees will add to its value.
Recycle more
Did you know that if every American recycled 50 percent of all the trash that we produce, it would save more than enough energy to power over 100 million homes? Recycling is also a great way to reduce the amount of packaging waste, and ultimately, protect the environment.
In addition to recyclable items, there are plenty of products that you can reuse. Look for plastic containers, tissue paper, and cardboard, and many companies will happily give you credit for any products that you’ve used.
While many of us think of recycling as a solution to climate change, it is actually one of the best ways to cut down on our carbon footprint. If we all took just a few minutes each week to recycle, we would go a long way in protecting our environment.
Avoid products with a lot of packaging
With the rise of “no-package” or “unpackaged” products, people are becoming increasingly conscious of the “ecological footprint” of their purchases. The term “ecological footprint” refers to how much natural resources are required to produce a product.
While this is a step in the right direction, it’s important to note that the most effective way to reduce the ecological footprint of a purchase is to buy less.
Adjust your thermostat
Most of us already know that turning down the thermostat helps to save energy, but did you know that you can adjust the temperature in your home without actually turning off the furnace or air conditioner?
You can adjust the thermostat on the furnace or air conditioner manually, but it’s a hassle. What if you were able to do it remotely?
There are several apps that allow you to control your thermostat from anywhere. These apps are a great way to help you save energy while you’re away from home.
For example, you can set up an app that automatically adjusts the thermostat when you’re away so that you don’t need to worry about your home being too hot or too cold.
Vote to put a tax on carbon
The idea behind putting a tax on carbon is simple; if we are willing to pay for the damage we are causing, then we should also be willing to pay for the solutions.
Many governments around the world have done this successfully. They have reduced the cost of clean energy by charging a small fee on every kilowatt of electricity used. This means that the cost of renewable energy has come down drastically, making it more affordable than traditional sources of power.
This is a great example of how governments can incentivize companies to invest in cleaner forms of energy. It’s not enough to just say we need to change our behavior. If we’re going to make a difference, we need to pay for the solutions.
Vote to end fossil fuel subsidies
Climate change is real, and the effects are already being felt. Our oceans are becoming less productive, extreme weather is becoming more common, and we are seeing the rise of more natural disasters.
While these trends may seem to be just a few random events, they are actually symptoms of a larger problem. Our addiction to fossil fuels is causing our atmosphere to heat up, and that is what is leading to these environmental changes.
We have a choice; we can either continue to live a fossil fuel-based lifestyle or we can transition to a renewable energy source. If we choose to live a fossil fuel-based lifestyle, we are putting our children’s future at risk.
This is why we should vote to end fossil fuel subsidies.
Vote to build low-carbon, resilient cities
Our cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires and heatwaves.
It’s no secret that cities are more likely to suffer when these events strike.
They are also more likely to attract more extreme weather events.
Cities are also more likely to suffer economic losses and have higher rates of population displacement.
This means that we need to prepare our cities for future extreme weather events.
What does this mean? Well, we need to build resilient cities. This means building on a foundation of low-carbon infrastructure.
To do this, we need to get governments and cities to collaborate, create a framework for building a more resilient city, and implement that framework.
Work on protecting forests and planting trees
The biggest threat to the planet is deforestation. Over half of the world’s forests have already been lost, and if current trends continue, by 2050, the entire planet could be facing coastal inundation from rising sea levels.
To combat this, we must start protecting our forests and planting new trees. In fact, we need to plant more than 100 billion trees by the year 2030. That’s why we need to start working on this issue now.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that there is still time to stop climate change. However, if we don’t act soon, the consequences could be catastrophic.
In the coming decades, rising sea levels and increasing extreme weather events will put more and more lives at risk. Already, the effects of climate change are affecting communities in every corner of the globe. If we don’t take action soon, the consequences could be catastrophic.