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We’ve all been hearing about climate change and global warming, whether on the news,
in school, or scrolling on Facebook. We all know that it’s a growing problem, and we all want to
do something about it. But what’s going on, exactly, and won’t someone figure it out for us? It’s
not going to effect us that much, right? These are common perceptions as our society is
seemingly disconnected from this issue. We need to take action, and there is still so much to be
done to preserve the place we call home and all of it’s inhabitants. So, what can be done, then?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed or remove one’s self from such a massive and daunting issue, but
this article will first help to educate on the current state of the planet, and then will provide
information on exactly what we all can do make an impact as an individual.
Climate change and extinction are natural occurrences, but not at this extremely rapid rate, which
would normally take hundreds of thousands of years to ensue. The rate of global temperature
increase has almost doubled in the past 50 years. The Paris Climate Treaty presented an
agreement between governments that the world would not exceed a 2% increase in global
temperature, but the chances that we will meet this goal are looking very slim. Anything over a
2.5% degree increase in global temperature from where we are now is considered extremely
dangerous for humans to live in this biosphere. Scientists are currently estimating that we will
reach anywhere from a 3% increase to a 7% increase by the turn of the century. A 4-5% increase
is hotter than any point on earth for
the last 1.2 million years, and a 7%
increase in temperature has never
sustained life on earth before.
Moreover, there is a certain point
that the earth will reach when the
damages are irreversible. This is
called ‘hothouse state’. Even if the
gases are reduced after this point,
consequences will have emerged that, in a ripple effect, that will continue the earth warming.
For example, the ice caps in the Arctic, which
will predictably be an ice-free sea before 2050
and “possibly in a decade or two” as the rates
of melting have tripled between 2012 and 2017,
will lose it’s cooling effect. More than 90% of
man made heat ends up being absorbed by the
oceans, which is equivalent to the heat of a
“Hiroshima sized bomb being exploded every
second for 75 years straight”. As the trends
show, much of the earth will become
uninhabitable due to temperature.
Weather and natural disasters are greatly effected by climate change. Different climate models
show a consensus that there is a high possibility of climate change inducing in an increased
number of storms such as tropical cyclones with higher wind speeds (in areas that mainly affect
Earth’s mid-level containing the most populated regions), “intense cycles of droughts and
floods”, and more.
Wildlife is dying. Billions of populations of animals have been lost in recent decades due to
climate related consequences such as pollution, loss of habitat, and invasive species. Up to 200
species of animals are going extinct every day. There was a 58% decline in global wildlife
populations between 1970 and 2012, with an 81% decline in animal populations living in lakes,
rivers, and freshwater systems. ‘Unprecedented marine extinction’ is also occurring, which
scientists say will already disrupt the ocean’s ecosystem for millions of years.
What is a ‘mass extinction’? How does this relate to what’s happening right now?
A mass extinction is, by a loose definition, when about half of the species on the planet or more
gets wiped out. It is characterized by a rapid decrease in biodiversity. Climate change and mass
extinctions are a natural occurrence, but not at this rate. More than 90% of organisms that have
ever lived on earth are now extinct. Earth has lost more than half of it’s wildlife populations due
almost solely to climate change in only the last 4 decades, which in geological time is unheard
of. A study of 177 mammal species revealed that they have lost an aggregate 80% of their
distribution from 1900 to 2015.
So far, in recorded human history, there has been five mass extinctions. Scientists say that we are
very well at the beginning of the sixth.
Dead zones occur when the oxygen is deprived from large amounts of ocean space due to algal
blooms. Algal blooms, which are a rapid increase in concentrated algae that absorb the oxygen
from these areas, are being increasingly
triggered by pollution and runoff, most of
which is coming from industrial meat and
dairy farming. These blooms have a range
of harmful effects for humans, such as
disease. Marine life apart from certain
species of jellyfish (which could set off a
further cycle of ocean acidification) are
unable to sustain any form life in an algal
bloom dead zone. Dead zones have
quadrupled since 1950, with hundreds of dead zones all over the globe ranging thousands of
miles and killing massive quantities of wildlife.
Deforestation is one of the main contributors to climate change, and it is mainly a problem
because plants and trees absorb a large amount of our carbon dioxide emissions and release vital
oxygen. About 40% of manmade CO2 is absorbed by the world’s forests, and global tree cover
decreased by 51% from 2015 to 2016; equivalent to 27 soccer field sized areas being deforested
per minute. Other effects of deforestation include soil erosion, the destruction of habitats, and
affecting weather patterns with ‘vapor flows’. Most of the global deforestation is occurring in
tropical rainforests and is attributed to making room for cattle farms. Deforestation by fire is also
significant, with millions of acres lost to fires each year. Once a forest is gone, it is gone forever
and a change in biome ensues.
Fast fashion is another harmful industry – think companies like Forever 21, H&M, and Top
Shop. While clothes used to be cherished and kept for generations, our society has recently
developed a sense of ‘fast fashion’ where we buy cheap clothes at low prices and have a high
turnover of our wardrobe, which then end up in landfills. Studies claim that not only is the fast
fashion industry the second highest polluter of clean water, but also responsible for a large chunk
of global emissions. This is projected to increase sharply, with fast fashion emissions projected
to rise by 60% by 2030.
Big oil companies and the burning of fossil fuels. Although here they are grouped into one
category, these are massive problems that both interact and stand individually. In the United
States alone during 2016, fossil fuels were the source of 76% of American greenhouse gases.
Fossil fuels get burned mostly for energy consumption, hence the coal induced smog that is thick
in Southeast Asia in Eastern Europe, but also by the meat and dairy industry, the fast fashion
industry, during transportation, and more. Big oil companies also pose great threats to the
environment, burning more than 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gases per year after 2015.
Transportation is said to be responsible for about 13% of greenhouse gases. With increased
globalization, the use of transportation is on the rise, especially long distance flights, with one
transatlantic flight equating to an individual’s entire year worth of emissions from driving.
So, aren’t corporations mostly at fault for this? How can individuals be held accountable?
In a capitalist society, corporations earn capital based on a supply and demand system. The
people – us – provide the demand for harmful products, such as meat, dairy, palm oil, and
plastic, which results in a need for greater supply to match the demand. As human populations
grow, demand also grows. If demand for harmful products were to fall, there would be an excess
of goods and the supply would eventually follow. Without the demand, the corporations would
not supply as much – we must hold ourselves accountable to reflect the changes we want to see.
- Reduce or eliminate meat and dairy intake, as well as products with palm oil.
Emissions from agriculture are projected to increase 80% by 2050, and still, few global policies
suggest that the environmental effects of animal agriculture even exist, and reducing meat is
highly controversial among society. As mentioned above, the effects of industrial agriculture on
the environment is catastrophic, with up to 51% of greenhouse gases coming from agriculture;
the amount of emissions from the amount of beef consumed per year is much more than the
pollution coming from cars and planes. In addition to pollution, the amount of grain going into
livestock could feed more than the entire world’s population, and 37% of fish vital to ocean
survival are being taken from the ocean and used as feed. A vegan diet also saves hundreds of
thousands of gallons of fresh water per year. This is not to say one must completely stop eating
meat products to have an effect–why not start meatless Mondays? It is much more sustainable to
reduce meat long-term then to completely cut it out of one’s diet but not be able to stick with it.
There are delicious alternatives, so it’s easy!
- Be resourceful.
With big oil companies being a top contributor to gasses, it is important to cut down on plastics,
as plastic is made from refined oil. Although science has proved that small actions such as
recycling your plastics does not make much of impact on the grand scale, investing in reusable
cups, straws, grocery bags, etcetera is important as plastic pollution is also an increasing problem
and it is projected that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. In addition, as
the fast fashion industry poses great environmental threats, it has a huge impact on your footprint
to patch up old clothes rather than to buy new ones. Thrift store shopping is also a wonderful
way to lower your footprint, and it’s hip, too.
- Be an activist.
There is never enough people spreading the word! Use your voice and power to share these
issues with others and influence change. Read and share articles on Facebook, follow the news,
bring it up to your peers, start conversations, and demand change. Mass awareness is a really
powerful tool that can force positive change to our current systems. Share the problem, and also
embody what we can do to help. The more people become educated on the issue and see that it’s
easy to take part in change making, the more collective action will ensue. It’s a ripple effect.
Some of the greatest changes in history were started by the notion of a few individuals.
Despite all of the information readily available at our fingertips as well as the obvious global
effects of rapidly changing climates and decreasing wildlife populations, there are people who
deny that this is as big of a problem as it really is. It can be frustrating, but we must persist to
demand immediate change through our own actions such as where we put our money, and with
our voices, such as voting. Knowledge is out there and easily accessible – let’s use it and make a
difference. Every little bit counts.
“We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can
do something about it.” – Barack Obama
Written by Molly Rahal, October 2018