Sustainability is something we should all have in common, it's a necessary concept that the planet so urgently needs due to climate change. Which is why headlines like 'Blamed for Climate Change, Oil Companies Invest in Carbon Removal' and 'The daily carbon count and further steps towards climate consciousness' are inspiring. But we have to remember to make changes as individuals, not just depend on big business (who have a loooooong history of prioritising profit over planet).
Hold up - what exactly is carbon?
Before we get into this, let's get back to the (not so basic) basics.
Carbon is something we hear about all the time 'Big rise in atmospheric CO2 expected in 2019' and 'Carbon lurking in deep ocean threw ancient climate switch'. But what does all of this mean?! I'll be honest with you, I had no idea before I started researching for this piece.
Here's what I found:
Carbon is EVERYTHING. Literally everything. It's the atom that forms every living thing, none of us would exist if it wasn't for carbon.
Carbon dioxide (the killer) is carbon combined with oxygen.
CO2 is a very high profile greenhouse gas (or GHG)
Carbon dioxide is stored in trees and released into the atmosphere through plant and animal respiration. But, this cycle is all out of whack due to human behaviour.
Behaviours such as deforestation, burning fossil fuels and the increase in animal flatulence (specifically cow farts) - due to the boost in demand for meat, because of overpopulation.
CO2 is a gas that traps heat and because we are producing so much of it, we are warming the Earth, hence the term 'global warming'.
What does, and will, CO2 do to the environment?
Global warming, now deemed 'climate change' refers to the environmental consequences that human behaviour is having on the planet. Because of overpopulation and industrialisation, we are now experiencing the melting of Arctic ice, rising sea levels and most shockingly of all: 60% of all species extinction since 1970. That means in under 50 years we have wiped out over half of all mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. This is because we have been destroying their environments and ruining ecosystems: tearing down trees to breed cows, infecting the ocean with plastic and skyrocketing our CO2 consumption. The catastrophic annihilation of wildlife is now serving as a threat to our own existence (karma?).
Professor James Hansen, a former Director at NASA, explains how 'we are in a planetary emergency' and if we continue emitting as much carbon as we currently are, we are set for even more devastating effects. The UN Secretary General explained how humanity and life on Earth now face a 'direct existential threat' the IPCC (Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change) released a groundbreaking report in 2018 explaining how we HAVE to keep the world below a 1.5° temperature increase above pre-industrial levels. If we don't, the extremities will only worsen. We will experience:
1. More extreme weather (and by that I don't mean more rain, I mean tsunamis, flooding, droughts and wildfires)
2. Rising sea levels and other climate related natural disasters will lead to the displacement of millions. This will equate to 150 million climate refugees by 2050. If we can't sufficiently help the 6,000 refugees in Calais, how will the world manage that?
3. Increase in infectious diseases around the globe, due to contaminated water and effects on insects and their ecosystems.
4. Food and water scarcity will affect us all. NATO lawmakers explain how competition for scarce water and food is a key reason for increased tensions in the Middle East and North Africa.
Now I know this can be overwhelming, and can easily lead us to a 'well, why bother?' state of mind but thats not what I want you to take away from this. What we need to do is stay informed, make behavioural alterations and demand change from businesses and governments.
What can I do?
Well informed one, you can spread the word! That's your most powerful tool-the capacity to share this information (maybe even this article😉). The more people that are informed, the more that will act and this will (eventually) be reflected in business and politics.
Cause specific changes
1. Deforestation
The leading causes of deforestation are animal agriculture and palm oil plantations. So, decrease your meat consumption (particularly beef, they belch out 120kg of methane per year too - methane is 23X more destructive to the environment than CO2. Meaning one Big Mac Cheese burger = 4.82kg CO2). As for palm oil, I wish the answer could be as simple as "boycott products that contain palm oil" but unfortunately it isn't. Nearly everything contains palm oil: bread, crisps, soap, sweets, even vegan bloody cheese! So, check your products for sustainably sourced palm oil usage (you don't want the stuff that equals habitat destruction AND climate change). Here's a list of sustainably used and palm oil free products to check out.
2. Burning fossil fuels
Of course burning fossil fuels is a key contributor to releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. Steps you can make to decrease yours would be driving less, switching your lightbulbs or to take the train not the plane. Another super simple recommendation is to recycle. Buying products in recyclable packaging means you can recycle more (told you it was simple). In fact, if you recycle half of your household waste, you can save 1088kg of CO2 (Even though 91% of plastic is not recycled 😢).
3. The increase in animal flatulence
I'll let the graph speak for itself on this one, these are CO2 emissions per day.
So now you can begin to see how your carbon footprint is formed and the various ways you can reduce it. If you liked this post, you might like my similar posts below:
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